Electric Fleets Study Endorses Switch
With several U.S. cities considering converting their fleets of waste vehicles from diesel-powered to electric, a recently released report may convince them to make the switch.
Research from Eunomia, a UK-based consultancy, shows that switching the country’s fleet of diesel-powered refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) for electric trucks would have multiple benefits. Among those benefits would be reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 290,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
The report, “Ditching Diesel: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Electric Refuse Collection Vehicles,” states that although switching from diesel to electric RCV requires higher upfront capital costs, it delivers lower operational costs when monetized emissions are taken into account.
“Likely up to 40 percent less than a diesel equivalent,” says Sarah Edwards, head of the New York office for Eunomia Research and Consulting. “A diesel RCV results in five times more environmental externalities than an equivalent electric vehicle. Switching to electric vehicles leads to lower levels of air pollution, fewer CO2 emissions, and a much quieter atmosphere when operating than diesel RCVs. Electric RCVs are also easier to maintain, as they have fewer moving parts than traditional diesel RCVs, leading to easier and simpler mechanics when operating the machinery.”
The research focuses on fleets in the UK.