Taylor-Dunn is an American manufacturer of industrial electric vehicles, founded in 1949 and based in Anaheim, California. Its vehicles carry people and equipment inside warehouses, factories and work sites, and outdoors at airports, college campuses, resorts and gated subdivisions.
Taylor-Dunn at a glance
| Type | industrial electric vehicles |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1949 |
| Headquarters | Anaheim, California |
| Founder | an Anaheim farmer |
| First product | an electric cart built to feed chickens |
| Owners | two electronics executives from around 1990, Polaris from 2016, Waev from 2022 |
| Annual sales | $25 million in 1992 |
| Market position | about 60% of the market for electric utility vehicles in 1992 |
| Electruck | full-size utility truck introduced in 1992 |
| Employees | 150 when Polaris bought the company in 2016 |
| Main uses | warehouses, factories, work sites |
| Outdoor users | airports, college campuses, resorts, gated subdivisions |
based on one source: the article rests on the English Wikipedia page on Taylor-Dunn.
History of the Taylor-Dunn
1949: an electric cart for a chicken farm
The company began in 1949, when an Anaheim farmer built an electric cart to use while feeding his chickens. From that single cart grew a business making small electric vehicles for moving people and equipment around factories, warehouses and work sites, where exhaust fumes and noise are a problem.
New owners and the Electruck
Around 1990 the company was bought by two electronics executives. The new owners found a business with a firm grip on its niche: by 1992 Taylor-Dunn had annual sales of $25 million and held about 60% of the market for electric utility vehicles. In 1992 the range was widened to full-size trucks with the Electruck, a larger utility vehicle that was still aimed at the same kinds of customers.
Polaris and Waev
In 2016 Polaris Inc. purchased the company, which then had 150 employees. Taylor-Dunn said at the time that it would keep its brand and its headquarters. In 2022 Polaris sold Taylor-Dunn and GEM to a group of former Polaris executives, who operate both brands from Taylor-Dunn’s headquarters under the name Waev, Inc.
Design and features
- Electric power: the vehicles are built for indoor use, where petrol or diesel engines would be unsuitable.
- Two kinds of work: the range covers both carrying people and moving equipment and materials.
- Long-standing niche: by 1992 the company claimed about 60% of the American market for electric utility vehicles.
- Outdoor use too: airports, campuses, resorts and gated subdivisions have all used Taylor-Dunn vehicles.
Taylor-Dunn versions
- Utility and tow vehicles: the original line, for factories, warehouses and work sites.
- Electruck (1992): a larger, full-size utility truck added to the range.
- Passenger carriers: vehicles for moving people at airports, resorts and campuses.
- Special bodies: chassis supplied for conversions such as ambulances and site service vehicles.
More industrial and commercial vehicles are collected in the Taylor collection.
Sources
- Taylor-Dunn, English Wikipedia: history, owners, sales, Electruck, uses