Public works officials say even when it's been in service, it can only handle a little less than half the load of a standard diesel-powered garbage truck.) - The city bought an electric garbage truck in 2022 as part of an effort to go green, with expectations of saving thousands of dollars a year in gas.that invited the public to vote, the vehicle was the first electric garbage truck in the fleet. But based on its performance over the past year and a half, it may be the last for a while.
It went out of service again in April so Mack Trucks could install a second-generation battery with a larger charging capacity, according to city officials. Still, they acknowledged, it handles less than half the load of a standard diesel-powered garbage truck. A state grant from the proceeds of a nationwide settlement of a lawsuit alleging Volkswagen cheated on emissions tests paid roughly half of the approximately $600,000 purchase cost. In addition to the feel-good environmental story, the truck brought expectations of another type of green benefit – cash.
“We don’t want to keep going back and forth,” she said. “‘Cause we know that a lot of citizens are excited to see Lightning McClean actually get out and be about. So we’re trying to work with them to get it done.” “Right now, there are major challenges with battery electric vehicles including the weight, the range that they can move, the charging infrastructure,” he told FOX10 News.