Blacktown City Council in Western Sydney has begun trialling an electric garbage truck as part of its efforts to reach net-zero emissions by 2030.
Blacktown City Council declared earlier this year in February “a state of climate emergency” and set itself a target of 100% renewable electricity for all Council operations by 2025, and an aspirational target of net-zero carbon emissions for the community by 2040.
Part of the Council’s move towards net-zero emissions was revealed last week – though early risers throughout the community may have been able to make a guess themselves in recent weeks.
“Street cleaning and waste collection operations have been a lot quieter and more environmentally friendly over the past couple of weeks in parts of Western Sydney,” the Council says in a press release.
The new electric garbage truck is a Hino FE truck and is fitted with an SAE electric motor and battery, boasting a 10 cubic metre rear loading waste compactor.
“Earlier this year, Council committed to a target of zero-net emissions by 2030 for our operational electricity, fuel and gas use,” said Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale, OAM. “This electric truck creates just 17% of the carbon dioxide emissions that a similar diesel truck would produce.
“Council is in the process of doubling its rooftop solar energy generation and has a target of 100% renewable electricity use for our operations by 2025, making the electric garbage truck a perfect fit for our strategy.
“So far, our drivers have all been impressed with the quietness and ease of operation of the electric truck. We anticipate that Council will add more electric and alternate fuel vehicles to our fleet in the near future.”
Blacktown is not the first Australian council to test and implement electric waste collection vehicles.
In 2018, Melbourne’s City of Casey introduced the state’s first all-electric garbage truck, designed by Superior Pak, Australia’s leading manufacturer of waste collection equipment, in collaboration with Australian automotive technology company, Sea Electric.
Melbourne’s Yarra City Council followed its neighbours lead in September of 2019 with an all-electric tipper truck for use in curbside rubbish collection. Again, make by Sea Electric, the tipper truck was built on an Isuzu body using a Sea Electric drivetrain and 100kWh battery.
Across the border in South Australia, the first all-electric curbside garbage collection truck began operating in metropolitan Adelaide in February of this year.
Operated by waste and resource management company East Waste, the electric truck was again made by Sea Electric. And, though the truck cost $A150,000 more than a diesel alternative, the electric truck will cost less to run over its lifetime.
“It will deliver financial gain to better manage the cost of kerbside collections of recyclable resources and waste,” said East Waste general manager Rob Gregory, back in February.
“We conservatively project that our new electric vehicle will save more than $220,000 over the seven-year life of its diesel predecessor. Even with the extra $150,000 purchase price, that is a $70,000 saving.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.