Carmaker launches electric refuse truck

BYD Motors, the US arm of the Chinese automaker and rechargeable batteries company BYD Co Ltd, said it had partnered with Wayne Engineering, a waste management equipment manufacturer, to launch a new fully-electric refuse truck for use in cities across the country.

The launch was in Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday and the new 3.9-metric-ton truck, which gets 100 miles (160.9 kilometers) of charge in 2.5 hours, is expected to save private haulers and municipal fleets operating costs by 58 percent per mile due to savings from diesel fuel, fewer moving parts and regenerative braking.

In addition, the electric refuse truck will produce zero tailpipe emissions and greatly reduce noise pollution in neighborhoods.

"This truck represents a new era in waste management, one of the last remaining sectors untouched by green energy and electrification," said Stella Li, president of BYD Motors.

"Only 10 percent of refuse trucks use any alternative fuel at all, pumping our neighborhoods full of expensive and dangerous diesel fumes－or worse, PM2.5 from CNG (compressed natural gas) engines," she said.

"Many are particularly bad on greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter, harming the health of those around them."

Refuse trucks are excellent heavy duty vehicles to electrify, because the routes are defined and short, while traditional diesel vehicles burn unnecessary fuel while idling for lifting.

"This new truck is the chance to finally make cleaning our neighborhoods a clean prospect in and of itself," she added.

Designed with sanitation workers in mind, this all-electric truck has a body that allows for improved visibility and operation on tight roads and alleyways. With 100 miles of range on a single charge, a first for an electric refuse truck, fleets can handle larger routes and distances between sites.