Electric Garbage Trucks, Another New Normal?
Nikola Motor Company, a pioneer in zero-emission trucks, announced their largest order yet for 2,500 battery-electric waste trucks from Republic Services. The order can be expanded to up 5,000 units, all depending on the demand of the electric garbage trucks. Republic Services is the second largest recycling and solid waste provider in the United States and this order proves their dedication to zero-emission vehicles. Electric garbage trucks will wave goodbye to dirty assets and wave hello to a cleaner, more sustainable infrastructure. This all-electric battery powered garbage truck will not use hydrogen fuel-cell to generate electricity for the long haul but will rely on a massive battery and latest charging capability. Although they come at a much higher initial cost, are electric garbage trucks going to be the new it-thing?
When Will the Trucks be Ready?
Nikola said on-road testing will begin in 2022, meaning the garbage truck industry is about to see a big shift. Full production deliveries are set to begin 2023. According to Nikola, the electric platform offers up to 150 miles or 1,200 cans of garbage on a single charge. This new powertrain is said to be limited to 1,000 HP and is expected to outperform diesel or natural gas options. The zero-emission trucks are anticipated to carry an industry-leading 720kWh of energy storage, which is 7.2 times larger than a current Tesla Model X SUV capacity.
Electric garbage trucks will result in a much quieter and emission-free collection experience. Will conventional garbage trucks disappear for good? No, at least not for another couple of decades. The initial price point is too high for all companies to immediately make the change, but as the price lowers and the technology improves, battery-electric trucks may take over for good. If you are interested in learning more about our used garbage trucks for sale, contact Route Ready Trucks today to get your garbage truck quote. All of our trucks come with an OEM garbage truck warranty.