Yonkers tests electric garbage truck

Yonkers ended the year by peeking into the future with a test of an all-electric garbage truck. Made by Mack Trucks, which is part of the Volvo Group headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, the vehicle was provided to Yonkers as part of a demonstration program enabling municipalities like Yonkers to test the technology on an actual garbage collection route. The truck was used along Yonkers”™ west side between Lake Avenue and Ashburton Avenue.

New York City first tested one of Mack’s electric demonstration trucks in September 2020 and recently purchased seven of the all-electric vehicles.

“We want to continue to move the City of Yonkers forward with greener alternatives like this one. Zero-emissions trucks will promote cleaner and healthier air for our city and less noise in our communities, especially during those early morning collections,” said Spano. “I”™m happy to report the vehicle performed well on our noteworthy hilly terrain. While we haven”™t made a determination on purchasing a vehicle like this, we know it will be cost-effective when it comes to fuel and maintenance costs.”

The truck’s drivetrain is powered by two electric motors producing a combined maximum total of 536 horsepower. The hydraulic system that operates the garbage compactor in the rear is electrically powered. The electricity used by the truck comes from four rechargeable NMC lithium-ion batteries. The letters NMC designate the batteries as containing the metals Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt in addition to Lithium.

Thomas Meier, the city’s public works commissioner, said, “This demonstration program has shown that electric vehicle technology can be effectively applied to our heavy-duty refuse collection operations. I am excited about the opportunity to bring cleaner, healthier and quieter refuse collection to Yonkers neighborhoods.”

In 2020, Spano put into place a policy requiring the replacement of gas-powered city vehicles with low- and zero-emission alternatives.