The Truck Body of Choice for Electric Vehicles

By the model year 2027, the refuse industry needs to reduce its fuel consumption by 24% and making the switch to electric garbage trucks can help achieve this. As companies nationwide race to deliver on thousands of pre-ordered trucks, companies such as J&M Sanitation in Kuna, Idaho, are ahead of the game by owning and operating two Amrep-bodied electric refuse trucks.

As a family-owned operation, J&M Sanitation wanted to lead by example to show that the technology and engineering of all-electric refuse trucks are ready to hit the roadways.

The challenge of delivering all-electric series-8 vocational trucks is complex. The battery needs to power the truck to get from stop to stop and maintain enough energy to do the job and return home. J&M Sanitation’s Amrep electric trucks do that.

J&M Sanitation trucks run weekdays, each serving about 800 homes, resulting in 1,065 lifts of the arm daily and approximately 18 tons of refuse collected. Without opportunity charging, each of the trucks can return following a completed route with 18% remaining state of charge.

Selecting the proper truck body is critical in delivering an electric truck that can complete the job without opportunity charge. J&M Sanitation’s trucks use Amrep’s all-Hardox 450 body shell, providing the toughest body in the industry and a vehicle that weighs 20% less than a traditional refuse truck.

“It’s clear that as the route progresses, the weight of the truck becomes greater and results in additional strain on the battery to perform,” said Alan Blanchard, regional sales manager of refuse bodies for Amrep. “Using a lighter truck provides a smaller range of weight for the battery to power throughout the route.”

Amrep is among the first refuse truck makers in North America certified to use the premium steel in the entire body shell. Hardox 450 steel provides unparalleled strength and durability with a 175k psi rated hopper and body, offering an exterior 4x stronger than ordinary mild steel-grades.

More than its hard exterior, Amrep trucks offer the technology and features to keep you up and running – designed to be easier to maintain, reduce downtime, and lower the cost of ownership. Its trucks offer the latest features, such as:

The J&M Sanitation all-electric refuse truck includes BYD’s proprietary electric propulsion system, designed for refuse collection. With 295 kWh of battery capacity, the trucks are built to support a full day’s operations. The cabs, chassis, and propulsion systems were constructed by BYD and are equipped with 31-yard automated side-loader bodies made by Amrep.

As more companies work to deploy all-electric vocational trucks, selecting the right OEM partner to complete the project will continue to be pivotal to the success of the vehicle. Working with companies such as Amrep – who have successfully delivered high-quality and dependable trucks while hitting zero-emission mandates – is the future of the industry and will continue to be the standard moving forward.