Motiv Power Systems brings the country's second all-electric refuse truck to Sacramento

The city of Sacramento has ordered an all-electric automated left-side loader garbage truck powered by Motiv Power Systems’ scalable and modular All-Electric Powertrain. The Electric Refuse Vehicle (ERV) will be built on a Crane Carrier chassis, and the body will be built by Loadmaster.

The city of Sacramento aims to run the ERV on residential and recycling routes and expects to save as much as 6,000 gallons of fuel per year. The Sacramento ERV will be one of only two all-electric refuse trucks in operation in North America, both powered by Motiv.

“The city of Sacramento has a very pro-active sustainability policy, showcased by being voted the No. 1 Government Green Fleet in North America in 2013. 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 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. Using the Motiv Universal high power charger, the ERV batteries will reach full charge overnight, Motiv says.

“The value of the city of Sacramento’s zero-emission ERV goes beyond lower fuel and maintenance cost and strict payback,” said Jim Castelaz, chief executive officer of Motiv. “Reducing the amount of diesel-fueled refuse trucks in the city keeps communities safer from toxic diesel emissions.”