Two South Coast AQMD funded battery electric heavy-duty refuse trucks have been delivered to the City of Los Angeles for demonstration. Meritor (an Accelera by Cummins company) led the development of the two trucks in partnership with Rush Enterprises, Inc., Amrep Inc., and the Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment (LASAN).

With a battery capacity of 396 kWh, the refuse trucks are expected to have a range of 80 miles and capable of 900 bin cycles under a full charge. These zero-emission, quiet trash collection vehicles will be in service for a one-year demonstration period. The trucks’ performance will be tracked and evaluated for improvements and modifications, and feedback from the drivers will be collected. Testing and evaluation kicked off on February 20, 2024 in LASAN’s North Central Yard.

Currently, there are limited options for battery electric refuse trucks on the market. The development of Meritor eAxle-powered refuse trucks expands the options for end-users and will help ease the transition to zero-emission fleets as California’s Advanced Clean Fleet Regulation takes effect.

Refuse trucks historically have run on combustion engines which contribute air pollution known as NOx in the South Coast Air Basin. Switching to battery electric refuse trucks will eliminate emissions of NOx and other tailpipe pollutants from these sources.