The City of Sacramento, Calif., will soon be using the state’s first battery-electric automated left-side loader garbage truck. The Class 8 electric refuse vehicle (ERV) is powered by Motiv Power Systems’ scalable and modular electric powertrain and will be built on a Crane Carrier chassis, with a Loadmaster body. The city aims to run the vehicle on residential and recycling routes and expects to save as much as 6,000 gallons of fuel per year.

“Reducing harmful vehicle emissions in the Sacramento region is a primary focus of our sustainability policy, and the most effective way to achieve that goal is to implement electric vehicles into our fleet,” said Mark Stevens, fleet manager for the City of Sacramento. “We are excited to partner with Motiv Power Systems to design and build the first all-electric left hand automated refuse truck in North America. The City of Sacramento intends to prove that all-electric refuse trucks are the future of the industry, and we anticipate igniting that trend.”

Sacramento specified that this ERV must meet the demanding requirements placed on all of its garbage trucks. This includes three routes per day to remove trash, recycling, and green waste in a downtown Sacramento neighborhood. To supply enough electricity to move the truck and power the hydraulics all day, the ERV is equipped with 10 battery packs, expandable to 12 packs if needed for future route expansion. The batteries will be fully charged overnight using the Motiv universal high power charger.