trash-truck_EDUMT_69

Eco Factor: Truck powered by electricity generated from trash.

Trucks with their massive engines are the main culprits of air pollution in urban cities. Greening these beasts is an utmost necessity for cities battling bad air quality. The latest green truck development in British town Huddersfield can be taken as a stunning example of electrifying trucks. The town boasts of a new trash collecting truck that is powered by nothing other than trash itself.

The truck, which actually is a Smith Edison-modified 3.5 ton Transit, is incorporated with a 40KWh lithium-ion battery pack, which provides a top speed of a decent 50mph and an effective range of 100 miles after an 8-hour charge time. The process goes as follows: electric trucks collect trash from the various newly installed “Split-bins” and take it to the Energy From Waste (EfW) power station-cum-recycling center. Trash there is burnt to produce electricity, which is then used to power these trucks for next day’s collection.

The Dark Side:

The silent engines of these trucks are causing safety issues in the town. Some of the drivers mentioned that they have had several near misses each day, since people there don’t usually look both ways before crossing the road.

Via: RegHardware