The world’s first all-electric line of sanitation trucks was recently launched in Beijing by BYD Company and the Beijing Environmental Sanitation Engineering Group, according to an email sent to CleanTechnica. The line of all-electric sanitation trucks was unveiled at the Beijing Convention Center.
The launch event revealed that the partnership had created 26 models for this lineup. These electric sanitation trucks will replace around 45% of the Beijing Environmental Sanitation Engineering Group’s current diesel fleet by the end of the year. 100% of the fleet is expected to go electric by the end of 2017.
It should be noted here that the Beijing Environmental Sanitation Engineering Group is one of the top sanitation companies in the Chinese megacity. It is responsible for “street sweeping, solid waste transportation and processing, water and air pollution management, consulting and design, vehicle manufacturing, investment and financing, and mining resources development.”
The firm takes part in every area of the industry, and is reportedly one of the most integrated firms in the field.
The recent email provide more: “The 26 models of pure electric trucks — with load capacities ranging from 1 to 32 tons — will be used as sweeping, garbage, and sprinkling trucks, carrying out multiple tasks including sweeping, collecting, compressing and transporting waste, as well as refrigerated transportation for hazardous waste. The truck lineup will cover all operational processes including collection, transportation, and disposal. Amongst the trucks many advantages are low noise, zero emission, efficiency, long driving ranges, and life-time batteries.”
In addition to the use of BYD’s widely utilized iron-phosphate batteries, the trucks make use of the firm’s electric integrated axle assembly technology, which combines the motor with the automatic gearbox and drive axle. The trucks also make use of an independent electric motor for of control the fan, and water, and fuel pumps.
The email continues: “Additionally, an innovative design completely integrates the control systems for both the vehicle’s superstructure and chassis. Another technology is the CAN (Controller Area Network) system, which further improves the vehicle’s reliability. The vehicle body is made of lightweight aluminum alloy which decreases the weight and extends both driving range and life span. The truck is equipped with cameras that grant a 360° view, so that the driver can monitor the whole operational process. The truck features GPS, which renders the vehicle traceable in case of emergency. Furthermore, with its Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) feature, the truck can be used as a charging unit to serve other trucks in need of charging. Moreover, the issue of ‘range anxiety’ is tackled because the vehicles can be fully charged in 2 to 3 hours for a driving range up to 400 km or 8 hours’ heavy-duty operation.”
Aside from cutting noise, greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution, one key benefit of the electric trucks is that operating costs are projected to be nearly half those of comparable diesel trucks.
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