J&M Sanitation in Kuna, Idaho, deployed two all-electric Class 8 refuse trucks, the first such battery-electric, zero-emission vehicles in Idaho. The trucks replace two current diesel vehicles, resulting in cleaner air and a lower carbon footprint. J&M is the first company in Idaho to own and operate electric refuse trucks. The business now operates two of only 10 in North America.
The BYD 8R heavy-duty trucks feature BYD’s proprietary electric propulsion system designed specifically for refuse collection. With 295kWh of battery capacity, the trucks support a full day’s operations. BYD built and equipped the cabs, chassis, and propulsion systems with 31-yd automated side-loader bodies made by Amrep.
The all-electric trucks feature an all-Hardox 450 body shell, providing strength and durability with a 175k-psi-rated hopper and body. This offers an exterior four times stronger than ordinary steel grades while weighing 20% less than a traditional refuse truck.
J&M Sanitation trucks run each weekday, each serving about 800 Kuna homes resulting in 1,065 lifts of the arm daily and approximately 18 tons of refuse collected. Without opportunity charging, each of the trucks can return following a completed route with 18% remaining State of Charge (SOC). Additionally, J&M plans to use opportunity charging—plugging in during routine downtime—to maintain additional SOC throughout routes.
DOING THEIR PART
“Our company made this investment to not only serve the community we love but also preserve the community,” says operation manager Chad Gordon of J&M Sanitation. “We care enough about our environment that we wanted to make the switch to zero-emission, electric vehicles. It is time for our industry to make changes to help preserve the natural beauty of our world. We wanted to be a catalyst for change.”
“As the waste management industry seeks to provide zero-emission trucks for the communities they serve, J&M Sanitation is demonstrating with BYD that battery-electric trucks are ready to fully support their operations,” says Aaron Gillmore, BYD’s vice president of truck business. “Our trucks
are hard at work every day, proving that electric is the new standard.”
BYD electric trucks are clean and quiet, with fewer moving parts than carbon-burning trucks. With fewer vibrations than conventional vehicles, the BYD trucks provide the operator with a better driving experience.
“As a small, family-owned company, we were able to make the change from diesel to the electric waste removal vehicles long before legislation mandated the change,” says J&M Owner and CEO Tim Gordon. “I want to encourage legislators from across the country and government officials from the energy department to consider legislation that encourages other waste removal companies to make this change sooner. If a small company like ours can make the change, larger companies can too.”
Find out more, visit www.en.byd.com and www.amrepinc.com.
