NYC Trash Trucks Go Green

This is an effort I can wholeheartedly get behind. New York City is experimenting with new hybrid sanitation trucks that will get 25-30% more miles per gallon than the existing models. This has the ability to save the city over the long term as the current sanitation trucks get 3 mpg.

The main drawback is that the new vehicles cost significantly more than the existing trucks. The hybrid trucks, which are currently in development phase, cost $500,000 each. The federal government is kicking in $250,000 to defray the costs of buying the trucks that will be tested under real world conditions to see if they can hold up to the demanding workload.

The trucks, produced by Mack and Crane Carrier, will look essentially the same as existing New York City sanitation trucks, but will be two feet longer to accommodate the additional hybrid equipment.

The trucks use two distinct types of technology. The Mack truck uses hybrid electric technology akin to the system in the Toyota Prius, in which the energy from braking is stored in batteries. The two from the Crane Carrier Corporation use hybrid hydraulic technology, which stores energy in a cylinder of compressed gas instead of in a battery. (A technical description of the two technologies is here.)