Kenworth T880E Targets Vocational EV Fleets
Kenworth's battery-electric T880E is aimed at construction, municipal, local delivery and other vocational fleets that need range, upfit flexibility and PTO options.
Electric Power for Work-Truck Duty
Kenworth is positioning the T880E as a battery-electric Class 8 truck for vocational applications, including construction, municipal work and local delivery.
The truck was shown during a vocational showcase at the Paccar Technical Center, where Kenworth highlighted the same basic work-truck architecture fleets know from the diesel T880, with the powertrain swapped for electric drive.
Range, Charging and Upfits
The T880E offers multiple battery-string configurations, with customizable range from about 100 miles to more than 250 miles. Heavy Duty Trucking reported that the straight-truck unit at the test track used a four-string battery pack, while a five-string configuration can reach the higher end of the range.
Kenworth also emphasized faster DC charging. The T880E uses a CCSI DC charge port and can charge at up to 350 kW, cutting charge time for the larger battery pack to about two hours, according to the company.
Why Vocational Fleets Are Looking
Director of Marketing Kyle Kimball said customers have been looking at the truck for municipal applications, contract bids, state jobs and construction work. A central-drive e-motor helps preserve wheelbase flexibility and lift-axle options compared with some e-axle layouts.
For body builders and fleet spec teams, the key details are packaging and PTO. Kenworth said the T880E can be ordered in tractor and straight-truck configurations and can support either a mechanical PTO or a high-voltage junction box for electric PTO needs.
