Blue Mountains City Council trials electric vehicles

Council is considering quieter, cleaner rubbish collection with the recent trial of a fully electric garbage truck.

In September, Council’s Fleet Services teamed up with the Council’s Waste Services to trial an innovative electric vehicle that provides quiet operation, making it perfect for litter bin collection.

“Council is always striving to minimise our carbon footprint where possible and this means identifying new opportunities to save energy,” Mark Greenhill said. “We are also investigating options to use renewable energy to charge future electric vehicles.”

The rear loader garbage truck is 100 per cent electric, so that it requires no other fuel. It has a range of up to 190km with full charge, and automatically charges every time the brakes are applied. It can be fully charged in eight hours.

“This trial will assess how much energy and costs can be saved and how well the truck can handle our Blue Mountains terrain,” Chief Executive Officer CEO Dr Rosemary Dillon said. “It will provide valuable information to assist in future vehicle purchasing decisions.

“Council will continue to seek initiatives that address climate change and save money, by moving towards energy efficient technologies,” Dr Dillon said. “We are also investigating a range of options to increase the amount of renewable energy council uses.”

Council manages a fleet of over 300 vehicles, trucks and plant. The fleet supports the maintenance and repair of all Council’s infrastructure. 

Photo: Joseph Conry and Kevin Heeley with Mayor Mark Greenhill.