Proterra Battery Technology to Power Taylor Machine Works Next-Generation Electric Material Handling Equipment

BURLINGAME, Calif. – Proterra Inc, a leading innovator in commercial vehicle electrification technology, and Taylor Machine Works, Inc., a leading heavy-duty equipment manufacturer, today announced a new partnership to power Taylor’s next-generation ZLC-series electric container handler and ZH-series electric forklift using Proterra’s industry-leading battery technology.

Introduced in 2019, the Taylor ZLC-series is the world’s first zero-emission, battery-electric top handler machine, designed to load and unload shipping containers weighing up to 75,000 pounds in port environments. The ZH-series forklift is applicable in a variety of settings to handle heavy-duty, bulk materials at warehouses, plants, worksites, mine sites, lumber yards, and more.

Proterra will supply battery technology to power Taylor’s next-generation material handling equipment, and the two companies will collaborate on strategies to deliver charging and infrastructure solutions to help ports and other customers electrify their heavy-duty, material handling machinery.

The first Proterra Powered, next-generation Taylor ZLC-series and ZH-series machines are expected to be delivered to customers beginning in 2022. The collaboration represents Proterra’s entry into the heavy-duty, material handling equipment market.

“Electrifying heavy-duty equipment is a win-win for our ports and our communities. It means protecting our health and the air we breathe at the same time we meet the needs of the world’s busiest ports and other industrial settings with battery electric technology,” said Gareth Joyce, president of Proterra Powered and  Energy. “We are excited to partner with a trusted, industry-leader like Taylor and deliver our proven EV technology to power the next generation of material handling machines.”

Robert Taylor Sr., president and chief operating officer of The Taylor Group of Companies, stated, “This new relationship with Proterra, who like Taylor is an American manufacturer, is truly a milestone in Taylor manufacturing history. Our commitment to the electric market for material handling and container handling equipment will be a strategic engineering collaboration between Taylor and Proterra. We believe that Proterra’s vision for EV battery technology and their commitment to zero-emission standards align with the Taylor vision.”

“We are excited to continue the high standards of manufacturing material handling equipment with the Battery Electric Gen 2-ZLC Series Container handlers powered by Proterra’s best-in-class battery technology,” commented Hal Nowell, Director of Sales for Taylor Machine Works, Inc. “Electrification of mobile material handling equipment is an exciting and challenging effort but is also developing very quickly. Taylor is readying our customers for the new choices they have in the ways energy is used in their businesses. Taylor has always provided our customers with stable and forward-thinking technology and this continues in the EV space with our strategic Proterra partnership. Proterra offers the experience needed to stay ahead of the curve and add to the solid support which Taylor customers demand,” said Matt Hillyer, director of engineering for Taylor Machine Works, Inc.

Taylor has been at the forefront of innovation through its 94 years of US manufacturing. Utilizing state-of-the-art electric motors and environmentally responsible battery packs, the next-generation ZH Series plug-in, battery electric vehicle will feature 225 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy and the ZLC-series with 904 kWh of energy packaged within the Proterra battery system. The battery-electric Taylor ZLC Series met the stringent zero-emissions standard without interrupting the demanding processing sequence required by the world’s busiest ports.

Designed and manufactured in the United States, Proterra battery systems leverages industry-leading energy density and a customizable design to fit within a variety of vehicles. Proterra’s best-in-class battery systems have been proven through more than 20 million service miles driven by Proterra transit vehicles and selected by world-class commercial vehicle manufacturers to power construction equipment, delivery trucks, school buses, coach buses, and low-floor cutaway shuttles.