New York City is testing electric garbage trucks

A new garbage truck making the rounds on Brooklyn streets might look similar to the thousands of other garbage trucks in New York City. But it’s nearly silent, and there isn’t a tailpipe belching diesel emissions. Huge letters on the side of the truck spell out the difference: “Fully Electric.”

“This is an environmental justice issue and a quality-of-life issue,” says Joshua Goodman, a spokesperson for the New York City Department of Sanitation, explaining that moving to electric heavy equipment is a key way for the city to reduce emissions. Electric garbage trucks, like other electric vehicles, can help reduce air pollution that’s linked to thousands of premature deaths in the city each year. The technology could also help the city work toward its goal to become carbon neutral by 2050. By 2040, the city is planning to electrify its entire fleet.

For now, the vehicles cost more than their diesel equivalents, though they’re cheaper to operate. “The electricity required to ‘fuel’ the truck is cheaper than the equivalent amount of diesel, and we also anticipate savings from reduced maintenance needs, including no engine oil changes and no after-treatment maintenance,” says Jonathan Randall, senior vice president for sales and commercial operations in North America from Mack Trucks.

If the pilot is successful, New York may not immediately be able to order more trucks. Like other cities, it’s taken a budget hit from the pandemic (the Department of Sanitation is facing a $106 million cut this year). That will slow down the adoption of electric trucks. Because the upfront cost is higher, cities will also need some support in general. “In the early phases of deployment, given the very high upfront costs, it is essential for federal, state, and regional governments to incentivize vehicle and infrastructure purchases to increase the penetration rate,” says Randall. “As the market develops, these incentives can be phased out.”