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New Haven's electric garbage truck #2?
The fleet of trucks keeping New Haven clean could soon get a little bit cleaner itself, if a state grant supporting electric vehicles comes through.
The city has applied for state funding under the 2023 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act to replace a second diesel-powered trash truck with an electric equivalent.
On Tuesday evening, the Board of Alders unanimously approved a city application for the grant, which the state is likely to decide on this spring.
The grant would pay for up to 45 percent of the electric garbage truck, which is expected to cost about $553,000, according to Office of Sustainability Director Steve Winter.
The city had 14 trash trucks as of the summer of 2022, one of which is about to be replaced with an electric version.
“There are really significant health benefits to electrifying a vehicle that spends virtually all of its time in our neighborhoods polluting and harming our air quality,” said Winter. Diesel trucks are “particularly harmful in terms of asthma, respiratory health, and heart disease.”
The electric truck would have quieter brakes, reducing the oft-decried noise associated with trash pickup, Winter noted.
At the Board of Alders meeting, East Rock Alder Anna Festa said the electric truck would provide “significant operational savings” for the city by way of lower maintenance costs compared to a diesel-fueled equivalent.
The truck would bring the city one vehicle closer to its 2030 goal of electrifying its vehicle fleet, Winter added.