Council might just have an electric vehicle before you.

South Australian waste contractor Cleanaway is piloting the use of an electric garbage truck across metro Adelaide. The project utilises an existing truck and retrofits an electric motor, batteries and control system providing enough range to complete a days pick before recharging. These super quiet machines only make a fraction of the noise of a regular truck and can only really be heard when lifting and placing a bin (check out the video below).

If successful the project could see the replacement of the existing diesel fleet with the new setup. Not only does this provide the sector with an opportunity to decarbonise an intensive part of its operations but also provides an operational cost saving.

We are excited to watch how this project develops as it provides an opportunity for local government to rethink how it delivers the service. Due to the low noise, these trucks could be run at night allowing operators to charge during the day and capitalise on lower cost power and smoothing out daytime power consumption. These trucks pave the way for maturing electric vehicle technology like VTOL mobile power supply functionality which could turn these trucks into rolling power plants, bolstering emergency management capability. This could lead to major innovations in service delivery and reduction in operations costs, leading to better community outcomes. Plus, your 4 year old won’t be the only one in the house who is excited to see the truck go past on collection day!

If you would like to know more about how you can turn your climate change declaration into action get in touch with us.