Hyperdrive
The Humble Urban Garbage Truck Gets a High-Tech Battery Makeover
- Volvo and Daimler are working on variants to replace diesel
- Short routes, frequent stops make haulers suitable for upgrade
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Automakers from Tesla Inc. to Ford Motor Co. are developing ever-sleeker, futuristic-looking electric cars. Volvo AB has something a little chunkier in the race: the battery-powered garbage truck.
The Swedish company will start producing electric versions of its brawny trash haulers next month starting with Europe, with cities from Hamburg to Gothenburg to Zurich already signed up to buy. Volvo says it expects its two new electric models, which can be used for a variety of heavy-duty urban jobs, to do well because they’re emissions-free and much quieter than diesels, whose engines fire up when they lift a dumpster.