Vacationing at Present, Day of Trash Collection Arrives. Anticipate the Moment When All Garbage Vehicles Transition to Electric Power
Electric Garbage Trucks Revolutionize Waste Management Across Cities
In a bid to improve daily experiences for both operators and residents, electric garbage trucks are making their mark in various cities across the United States. These eco-friendly vehicles offer smoother, faster, and quieter rides, providing a practical solution for everyday life.
Most households and businesses rely on frequent waste collection, and unfortunately, the majority of these services still run on fossil fuels. However, electric garbage trucks are starting to change this narrative.
City of Roses Disposal and Recycling in Portland, Oregon, for instance, has seen real-world gains after deploying the Peterbilt Model 520EV. The truck completed a full day of residential collections on a single charge and reduced fuel costs significantly.
Similarly, the city of Madison, Wisconsin, has added two Class 8 Mack LR Electric trucks to its refuse fleet, with plans for two more. These trucks, capable of over 1,000 horsepower, recharge fully in under two hours at city facilities, contributing to Madison’s municipal carbon neutrality goals.
The city of Madison, with its new electric garbage trucks, marks a major milestone for the state, representing its first Class 8 battery-electric vehicles.
In Louisville, Colorado, the city became the first in the U.S. to operate a fully electric garbage truck fleet, replacing all its compressed natural gas trucks with four McNeilus Volterra ZSL electric trucks. The transition raised household waste collection fees by only $5 per month.
Bronx, New York City, has also joined the electric waste management revolution. Mack Trucks delivered their first LR Electric refuse truck to Royal Waste Services to serve the Hunts Point neighborhood, an area historically burdened by pollution. The refuse truck features a 376 kWh battery, regenerative braking, and peak torque exceeding 4,000 lb-ft, matching diesel trucks in performance while producing zero tailpipe emissions.
Portland, Oregon, demonstrated the operational success of electric garbage trucks with the Peterbilt Model 520EV. The truck demonstrated a full day of residential collection (roughly 1,100 pickups) on a single charge with greatly reduced fuel costs.
Regenerative braking extended vehicle range and reduced brake wear, cutting maintenance expenses. Grants helped offset the high initial purchase price, including charging infrastructure investments.
The benefits of electric garbage trucks extend beyond operational efficiency. They are comparatively silent compared to diesel-powered ones, contributing to quieter mornings. Moreover, they significantly reduce localized pollution, making our cities cleaner and healthier places to live.
These deployments collectively contribute to urban sustainability goals and provide models for broader municipal adoption. As more cities realize the practical improvements electric garbage trucks offer, it is expected that more municipalities will embrace these eco-friendly vehicles, following in the footsteps of Louisville, Bronx, Portland, and Madison.
Chris Johnston, an expert in telematics, mobile computing, and wireless communications, believes that more municipalities will embrace electric garbage trucks, and other heavy-duty vehicles could be converted to electric. Johnston, author of SAE's comprehensive book on electric vehicles, is optimistic about the future of electric waste management.
Garbage trucks drive relatively short daily routes and end up at the same yard each night for recharging, making the transition to electric vehicles more manageable. Leveraging grants eased the financial burden of purchasing an electric garbage truck and charging infrastructure, making the switch to electric a viable option for many cities.
With electric garbage trucks becoming more common in larger cities, especially in Finland, it is clear that this is a trend that is here to stay. As cities across the country set ambitious carbon neutrality goals, electric garbage trucks are a strategic part of the plan, offering a practical solution for a cleaner, quieter, and more cost-effective future.
[1] Louisville, Colorado Transitions to Fully Electric Garbage Truck Fleet [2] Mack Trucks Delivers First LR Electric Refuse Truck to Royal Waste Services [3] Fulton Fish Market Cooperative to Deploy Four Electric Mack MD Medium Trucks [4] Louisville, Colorado Transitions to Fully Electric Garbage Truck Fleet [5] Madison, Wisconsin Adds Two Class 8 Mack LR Electric Trucks to Refuse Fleet
- The deployment of electric garbage trucks in Louisville, Colorado, signifies an evolution in environmental-science and technology, as they switch from compressed natural gas trucks to a fully electric fleet, aiming for a cleaner and quieter lifestyle.
- In the realm of urban sustainability, cities like Madison, Wisconsin, are incorporating technology into their waste management systems by adopting electric Class 8 Mack LR trucks, integrating these advancements with the lifestyle choices of residents and fostering a greener environmental-science for future generations.
