Nanaimo Eyes Electric Garbage Truck as City Eyes Fleet Electrification
The city is evaluating an electric refuse truck for potential addition to its solid waste fleet
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin ↗
The City of Nanaimo, B.C., evaluated a fully electric McNeilus Volterra ZSL side-loader over four days on active residential-collection routes, as city staff weigh zero-emission options for its solid waste fleet.
“The costs of the fuel to be used was not such an issue at that time,” said Taaj Daliran, Nanaimo’s manager of sanitation, recycling and cemeteries, reflecting on the earlier decision to run the fleet on natural gas. “Who could have foreseen the challenges that we are facing today?”
During the trial, operators received hands-on training and ran the American-built truck on live routes, collecting two days of recycling and two days of solid waste. Staff found that the electric collection system performed effectively throughout the four-day period and that battery capacity exceeded the operational demands encountered on those routes.
Nanaimo currently runs 12 garbage trucks fuelled by natural gas, with two additional natural-gas units ordered two years ago expected to be delivered within the next few months. Daliran said no electric refuse trucks are in service, and the city has no current plans to purchase any.
The city does operate some electric vehicles in other parts of its fleet. The garbage trucks are a distinct case: Daliran said the earlier choice of natural gas has proved advantageous because North American natural gas markets remain largely insulated from the international pressures that have pushed diesel in B.C. to C$2.60 to C$2.70 per litre as of Sept. 17, up from roughly C$1.70 the previous year.
No purchase decision or next procurement step has been announced following the demonstration.
