Copenhagen aims for all-electric waste trucks by 2025

With the purchase of 15 fully electric refuse trucks from Scania, Copenhagen residents can look forward to cleaner air and less noise. 

At present, waste management in Copenhagen is outsourced, but as the current contracts expire, waste-to-energy company Amager Resource Center (ARC) will take over the operation and collection of household waste.

The project will see a new fleet of fully electric trucks, with a majority being supplied by Scania. The city aims to have at least 100 trucks in operation and collecting its waste by 2025.

The plan is for the first electric trucks to be in service as soon as next year. The Danish capital has set an ambitious plan to be carbon neutral by 2025. With this new fleet, the city of Copenhagen is one step closer to its goal.

“This is a really exciting project. The trucks are only one part of the transition because it is also about new locations and about the charging infrastructure, which is a huge project in itself. The plan is for the trucks to go out twice a day and charge in the interim period," said Per Fischer, Contract Manager at ARC.

He explained that charging will take place between the two shifts, and regular charging will take place during the night, outside the peak hours, when the power is the greenest and cheapest.

Although the decision to make the major investment in electric trucks was made with a view to becoming carbon neutral, there are also other benefits for Copenhagen residents, Per Fischer noted:

“For the residents in the municipality, this means two things. Firstly, there will be less particle pollution in the air, as the electric engine is completely emission-free. Secondly, the noise from the refuse trucks will be significantly reduced when they are electric because in the future you will only be able to hear the noise of the bins being emptied.”

Scania claims to provide transport solutions to over 100 countries, with a reported 50,000 employees on its payroll. Together with its partners and customers, the company is driving the shift towards a sustainable transport system.

Scania estimates that in 2025 electrified vehicles will account for around 10% of the Group’s vehicle sales in Europe – a figure they expect to increase to as much as 50% by 2030.

In addition, in the coming years, Scania has committed to launching at least one electrically powered vehicle in its bus and truck range each year.

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