British Town Demonstrates World's First Garbage Truck Powered by Garbage

(PhysOrg.com) -- A town in Britain has recently demonstrated its new "'leccy vehicle" - an electric garbage truck that is fueled by the garbage it collects. The Kirklees Council presented the waste-powered Ford Transit garbage truck at Huddersfield town center last week.

The vehicle will collect garbage from 25 newly installed split bins and take it to the Energy from Waste power station and recycling center nearby. The power station burns the garbage to generate electricity, and the truck recharges at a charging post to be ready for the next day's route.

The garbage truck is a modified Smith Edison 3.5-ton Ford Transit with a 40 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The vehicle has a top speed of 50 mph, a 100-mile range, and takes about six to eight hours to charge. The only reported downside is that the quiet electric truck may present safety issues for unsuspecting pedestrians.

Besides powering the garbage truck, the Energy from Waste station also pumps about 10 megawatts of electricity into the grid per day. All the power is generated from burning local garbage.
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via: Register Hardware