Blacktown City Council says it’s getting positive feedback from drivers after trialling an electric garbage truck for street cleaning and waste collection.

Blacktown is the latest council to explore replacing heavy waste services vehicles – which are major emissions contributors for councils – with more environmentally friendly options.

Blacktown’s Hino FE truck is fitted with an electric motor and battery from Australian automotive technology company SEA Electric, and has a 10 cubic metre rear loading waste compactor.

It creates 17 per cent of the carbon dioxide emissions that a similar diesel truck would produce, Mayor Tony Bleasdale says.

Cr Bleasdale says use of an electric truck is in line with targets set by Council’s earlier this year, to achieve zero net emissions by 2030 for operational electricity, fuel and gas use.  

Council is also in the process of doubling its rooftop solar energy generation and has a target of 100 renewable electricity use for our operations by 2025.

“It makes the electric garbage truck a perfect fit for our strategy” Cr Bleasdale said.

“So far, our drivers have all been impressed with the quietness and ease of operation of the truck.”

The truck also means the streets are quieter and more peaceful for residents, Cr Bleasedale said.

He says councils plans to add more electric and alternate fuel vehicles to its fleet in the near future.

Early adopters

It comes after City of Sydney announced in March that it was trialling its first electric truck.

“We have been testing whether the quiet trucks would fit through our laneways and perform as efficiently as diesel vehicles – so that one day soon, our garbage truck fleet can also be emissions free,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said on Facebook.

Sutherland Shire Council also agreed last year to a range of initiatives to electrify its fleet, including the introduction of four Hyundaai Ioniq electric vehicles into its car pool fleet and trials of a fully electric garbage truck and electric compact sweeper.

The first fully electric rubbish trucks hit Australian streets last May in the City of Casey, and in January the City announced several new electric trucks had joined the fleet at WM Waste Management as part of a new waste contract. 

The trucks are powered solely by battery power and can operate five hours before needing to be recharged.

WM Managing Director Mark Jeffs said it was vital that essential services lead the way in going carbon neutral.

“Electric trucks are a key demonstration of our support for renewable energy as they significantly reduce our environmental footprint and improve the sustainability of residential hard waste collection,” he said in a statement.

Technological breakthrough

Each electric truckload of waste will save approximately 180 kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere when operational as compared with an equivalent diesel truck, WM says.

WM says it hopes to move to more battery-powered vehicles in the future. READ MORE

Article by Government News, 20 August 2020

The Jemena Electricity Distribution Network in Victoria has just received its first electric Hino truck with Elevated Work Platform (EWP) in Australia.

Made by Melbourne’s SEA electric in collaboration with Niftylift, the elevated work platform truck will help reduce the operational carbon output of Jemena, which delivers electricity in Victoria and pipes gas in Victoria, ACT, Queensland and NSW, by 30 tonnes per year.

To make the truck, SEA electric took a Niftylift diesel cherry picker and converted it using one of its patented electric drivetrains and equipped it with a 138 kilowatt hour battery.

This gives it around 200 km of range for each single charge and the battery also powers the elevated work platform.

In addition to the reduced carbon emissions, benefits of switching to an all-electric work platform truck are less noise, for the workers and residents in suburban areas, particularly when fixing network faults at night, and the absence of toxic diesel emissions during operation.

“SEA Electric are a Melbourne-based manufacturer of electric vehicles and leader in converting commercial vehicles from diesel to electric” said Jemena’s executive GM for electricity distribution, Shaun Reardon.

“The cherry picker was converted into an electric vehicle as part of a major reconstruction over a 12-month period.”

SEA Electric says the electric cherry picker is an industry first, and is already in service.

“It’s been a special and historical project for the management and engineering staff at SEA Electric to partner with Jemena in the development of this Australian-first 100 per cent electric Elevated Work Platform service truck,” said SEA Electric sales director for Australia and New Zealand Joe Di Santo.

“Not only is this electric powered cherry picker the first step in greening our fleet, it will also benefit our customers with a quieter operation and zero exhaust emissions,” said Reardon.

“We will look for new ways to further reduce the carbon emissions across our electricity network in the future.”

The addition of the truck to Jemena’s fleet follows just days after Jemena announced a deal with Hyundai to supply green hydrogen for the car maker’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Jemena is also implementing other sustainable measures including rolling out 500 LED ‘smart street lights’ that use up to 75 per cent less energy than traditional lighting. READ MORE

Article courtesy of The Drive, by Bridie Schmidt, August 13 2020

Foodstuffs and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) have partnered up to build New Zealand’s first electric powered refrigerated heavy duty truck.

From the tailgate to the engine and the fridge-freezer unit that sits on top, everything on the vehicle is powered by a battery.

It is the latest of several projects between Foodstuffs and EECA as they collaborate in the drive towards a carbon neutral New Zealand by 2050.

The full cost of the truck hasn’t been totalled yet, however EECA funded $400,000 towards the project which also included two other ambient trucks with all three now on the road.

It followed Foodstuffs’ successful application to the Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund for co-funding support.

Foodstuffs NZ sustainability manager Mike Sammons says it’s “a huge feat of Kiwi ingenuity”.

“We couldn’t purchase a fully electric refrigerated truck, because it didn’t exist, so we had the idea to custom build one,” he says.

With carbon emissions from transport currently at 18% in New Zealand, Sammons is optimistic this new innovation will have a role to play in transport carbon reduction.

“We’re 100% committed to playing our part in creating more sustainable transport solutions, building a fully electric refrigeration truck is a massive leap towards a carbon-free future for New Zealand,” he says.

Sammons says data on the truck will be collected over the next 12 months “to really get an understanding of the potential for electric trucks as a viable alternative to the status quo”.

EECA transport portfolio manager Richard Briggs says they could see the potential immediately.

“Heavy vehicles make up less than 5% of the national fleet, but are responsible for 29% of land transport emissions, so decarbonising the heavy fleet as much as possible will have a huge, positive impact.”

EECA had previously co-funded Foodstuffs to deliver 61 fast charge stations and 28 electric delivery vans.

“Foodstuffs has developed a great track record in this space, proving the viability of electrification,” Briggs says.

With EECA’s backing, Foodstuffs pulled together some of the country’s brightest and best transport, electrical and refrigeration engineers to convert the standard Isuzu FVY, 24 tonne, 6-wheel diesel truck to be 100% electric powered.

The electric truck will operate from the Foodstuffs distribution centre in Grenada, Wellington, under the stewardship of Foodstuffs North Island Transport.

Fleet and safety manager Blair Inglis played a big role in driving the project forward.

“We knew from the start building a fully electric EV truck would be a challenge and we had our fair share of them along the way, including COVID-19, but we always knew if we could pull it off, this innovation could set the direction for the future of commercial transport in New Zealand and that’s very exciting,” Inglis says.

After extensive testing and driver training, the electric truck recently set out on its first official delivery run to New World Miramar, a 60 km round trip.

With a range of between 150 and 200km and capable of transporting 14 pallets of product at temperatures as low as minus 15 degrees centigrade, the truck completed its inaugural journey with ease.

Foodstuffs North Island Transport driver Bagish Bansal gave the truck its first official run and says he “really liked it”.

“The ride was smooth, it was really quiet in the cab and it’s great to know that you’re helping the environment while doing your job, that feels really good. I really hope this is the shape of things to come for my occupation,” Bansal says.

Automotive technology company SEA Electric carried out the EV conversion on the Isuzu truck featuring its SEA-Drive 180 power system.

SEA Electric NZ general manager Stephen Fairweather says it’s the first heavy refrigerated truck that’s hit the road, however a smaller EV refrigerated truck for Countdown home delivery was the first project.

He says the company has been involved in a number of EV projects from waste collection, home delivery, daily freight and elevated work platform trucks.

“This vehicle’s requirements is certainly the largest refrigeration unit we’ve tackled in New Zealand, although it has been done prior in Australia. With the correct auxiliary equipment it is manageable,” Fairweather says.

“SEA Electric’s drive system is ideally suited to the metropolitan delivery model where this type of requirement comes into play. Being able to configure the SEA Drive system to customers usage, GVM and range requirements enables endless possibilities,” he says.

The company also worked closely with transport refrigeration specialist Thermo King and Fairweather says alignment between both parties is “critical” to getting the job done.

Earlier this year, New Zealand fishing company Sanford also unveiled an all-electric chilled van as part of its Auckland deliveries.

READ MORE, Article appeared in the July Issue of TransportTalk, by Nigel Moffiet, July 21 2020

What’s said to be South Australia’s first zero-emissions electric-powered kerbside garbage and recycling collection truck went into service in Adelaide last week.

The truck was supplied by Queensland-headquartered Superior Pak and uses drivetrain technology from Victoria’s SEA Electric, which is enjoying significant success with its commercial EV solutions both locally and overseas.

Zero emissions are great, but this truck is also expected to save East Waste a chunk of change.

“It is much more than a terrific environmental initiative by East Waste,” said General Manager Rob Gregory . “It will deliver financial gain to better manage the cost of kerbside collections of recyclable resources and waste.”

Valued at approximately $550,000, the EV cost $150,000 more than a diesel truck, but East Waste has conservatively projected it will save more than $220,000 over its seven year life compared to a diesel truck – so net savings of $70,000 or $10,000 a year. This is due in part to the difference in “fuel” costs, and maintenance costs reduced by at least two-thirds. East Waste points out the savings could be higher if the cost of diesel goes up and the truck lasts more than seven years, which is expected.

What’s Charging It?

Electricity used for recharging the truck is being offset by a 36kW solar power system at East Waste’s Ottaway depot. Details weren’t provided on how much energy the truck will consume over a typical day or whether the solar panels will generate equivalent to its requirements, but the solar system should crank out somewhere in the region of 56.8 megawatt-hours of electricity annually.

Even if the solar panels don’t cover all its energy use (and my guess is they won’t, making the zero emissions claim debatable), South Australia’s electricity supply is becoming increasingly cleaner – more than half of the state’s generation is from wind and solar energy.

Emissions reduction and financial savings aside, another advantage of using electric trucks for rubbish and recycling runs is they are much quieter. This means you’ll be able to hear the emptying of the neighbour’s recycling bin full of empty stubbies more clearly.

East Waste is a subsidiary of seven metropolitan Adelaide councils: the cities of Burnside, Campbelltown, Mitcham, Norwood, Payneham & St Peters and Prospect, the Town of Walkerville and Adelaide Hills Council.

Other Electric Waste Collection Trucks In Australia

Among other electric rubbish trucks in use across the country are Cleanaway’s “EVie” vehicles and a tipper truck used for hard rubbish collection by Victoria’s Yarra City Council.

Another electric recycling truck featuring SEA electric drivetrain technology, this one for SUEZ in Western Australia, has a 230kWh battery providing more than 200 kilometre driving range before recharge – but there’s lots of stopping and starting with this sort of activity. SEA Electric says it will be capable of 1,200 bin lifts a day.

SolarQuotes Blog, February 25,2020 by Michael Bloch