Trucks on Display
Below is a sampling of the many trucks on display in our Trucking Hall of Fame® Exhibit Hall. Check out our app for more information, photos, and an audio recording for each truck. Click here to download.
1918 Walker
Engine Type:
3.5 Horsepower, 84v Electric Motor in Rear Axle
Transmission Type:
None
Truck Information:
This unrestored 1918 Walker is an all-electric truck; the only motor is electric, and it is in the rear axle. It has a range of 50 miles. This truck was used by Edison Electric Service; there is still a sticker on the door. It seems logical - if you are the electric company, you have an electric truck. Edison Electric could operate the truck almost for free. Inside the box is a winch which appears to have been set up to erect utility poles. It's a line truck that was likely used in a city around the time of World War I. Underneath the truck are heavy racks that hold even heavier batteries. The batteries have a wood case with an asphalt coating. The cells of the batteries are replaceable. One of the downfalls of an electric vehicles was the weight of the batteries. The batteries are so heavy that the payload of the vehicle is reduced. On a gas or diesel truck there is a fuel weight, but you can drive further than 50 miles before refilling. With an electric vehicle, the faster the speed, the faster the batteries are used up. Before the battery was used up, a driver would have needed to return to the charging station. Building a facility for a charging station and having someone there to operate and monitor it would have been fairly expensive. Top Speed: 20 MPH
3.5 Horsepower, 84v Electric Motor in Rear Axle
Transmission Type:
None
Truck Information:
This unrestored 1918 Walker is an all-electric truck; the only motor is electric, and it is in the rear axle. It has a range of 50 miles. This truck was used by Edison Electric Service; there is still a sticker on the door. It seems logical - if you are the electric company, you have an electric truck. Edison Electric could operate the truck almost for free. Inside the box is a winch which appears to have been set up to erect utility poles. It's a line truck that was likely used in a city around the time of World War I. Underneath the truck are heavy racks that hold even heavier batteries. The batteries have a wood case with an asphalt coating. The cells of the batteries are replaceable. One of the downfalls of an electric vehicles was the weight of the batteries. The batteries are so heavy that the payload of the vehicle is reduced. On a gas or diesel truck there is a fuel weight, but you can drive further than 50 miles before refilling. With an electric vehicle, the faster the speed, the faster the batteries are used up. Before the battery was used up, a driver would have needed to return to the charging station. Building a facility for a charging station and having someone there to operate and monitor it would have been fairly expensive. Top Speed: 20 MPH
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