California’s First All-Electric Garbage Truck Powers to Sacramento

The City of Sacramento will soon be home to the State’s first all-electric automated left-side loader garbage truck.

The fundamental technology powering the Electric Refuse Vehicle (ERV) is Motiv Power Systems’ scalable and modular All-Electric Powertrain. The Class-8 vehicle will be built on a Crane Carrier chassis, and the body will be built by Loadmaster.

The City of Sacramento aims to run the ERV on residential and recycling routes and expects to save as much as 6,000 gallons of fuel per year. The Sacramento ERV will be one of only two all-electric refuse trucks in operation within North America, both powered by Motiv.

“The City of Sacramento has a very pro-active sustainability policy, showcased by being voted the #1 Government Green Fleet in North America in 2013. Reducing harmful vehicle emissions in the Sacramento region is a primary focus of our Sustainability Policy, and the most effective way to achieve that goal is to implement electric vehicles into our fleet,” said Mark Stevens, Fleet Manager for the City of Sacramento.

Sacramento specified that this ERV must meet the demanding requirements placed on all of its garbage trucks. This includes three routes per day to remove trash, recycling and green waste in a downtown Sacramento neighborhood. To supply enough electricity to move the truck and power the hydraulics all day, the ERV is equipped with 10 battery packs, expandable to 12 packs if needed for future route expansion. Using the Motiv Universal high power Charger, the ERV batteries will easily reach full charge overnight.

“The value of the City of Sacramento’s zero-emission ERV goes beyond lower fuel and maintenance cost and strict payback,” said Motiv CEO Jim Castelaz. “Reducing the amount of diesel-fueled refuse trucks in the city keeps communities safer from toxic diesel emissions. And, in addition to being cleaner, it’s a quieter alternative to conventional trucks – a definite plus for those of us who appreciate peaceful mornings!”

“At Loadmaster, our reputation for innovation sets us apart from our competition. We’re thrilled to further this mission by working with Motiv on another all-electric refuse truck, and in fact, our first truck for Sacramento,” said Al Michaud, National Sales Manager of Loadmaster. “Electric refuse trucks are the future of urban transportation, proving their worth both economically and environmentally. We look forward to moving even more fleets to make the same green transition.”

Currently the only technology of its kind in the trucking market, Motiv’s All-Electric Powertrain uses off-the-shelf batteries and motors, which can be mixed and matched to fit the exact size and duty cycle of the electric truck needed. It can handle EV trucks from medium-duty to heavy-duty, weighing 14,000 lbs. to 60,000 lbs. The Motiv All-Electric Powertrain is designed to be assembled using the existing diesel chassis infrastructure already established throughout the world.

Category: General Update, Green