The first electric waste truck has arrived for the City of Cockburn, which will initially be trialled during kerbside recycling collections to help determine if further electrification of the City’s waste truck fleet is viable.
The truck was due to arrive in April 2020, but delivery of some of the components was delayed due to lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
City of Couckburn Waste Manager, Lyall Davieson, said the City would adopt an initial replacement timeframe for the truck of eight years.
“The $630,000 Melbourne-built truck has a higher purchase price than ordinary diesel trucks but will hopefully deliver considerable sustainability and whole-of-life financial savings,” Mr Davieson said.
“It won’t require oil or diesel fuel, or engine servicing, instead charging overnight via a 32amp charger at a dedicated area at the City’s Bibra Lake Operations Centre.
“Manufacturer Superior Pak advises the truck can travel 200kms+ before requiring recharge via the City’s charging point for up to seven hours.”
City of Cockburn Facilities and Plant Manager, Ben Roser, said the City was looking forward to trialling the truck.
“Apart from the truck’s quieter operation, we forecast little to no difference in its overall performance or tyre usage but a far superior performance from a sustainability perspective,” Mr Roser said.
”We forecast significant savings in fuel and major service costs over the life of the truck.”
The electric waste truck trial is included in the City’s Climate Change Strategy 2020-2030.
