The power for Frankfurt’s new electric waste trucks will come from burned trash

The city’s carbon-neutral fleet is one of the biggest in Germany

Yesterday, authorities in Frankfurt announced that six electric heavy-duty waste trucks are joining the city’s vehicle fleet. According to the city, this is the biggest electric waste vehicle fleet in Germany. Moreover, the city is expecting an additional two trucks to bring the total fleet to eight.

In addition to carbon-free waste trucks, the waste management utility claim that they have developed a circular charging mechanism, where the trucks will use energy generated from waste incineration.

According to Daniela Kluckert, Parliamentary State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport, one of the most important aspects of the electric waste fleet is that it will be visible.

She was quoted in a press statement explaining that that would prove to the public that heavy-duty electric vehicles are not a fantasy but are fact – something Frankfurt is working on to reduce CO2 emissions.

Heavy-duty electric trucks are more expensive than regular EVs

Like many German cities, Frankfurt pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2035 and that year is fast approaching. Consequently, local authorities are trying to reduce emissions wherever they can and traffic is one of the biggest sources for any city.

However, heavy-duty electric vehicles like those used in waste management are much more expensive than consumer cars and the battery technology needed to power them is still quite new. This usually translates to higher purchase costs.

In this case, the eight waste trucks cost 2.55 million euros with the German Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport footing a majority of the bill. At the same time, they would help to reduce emissions by around 460 tons of CO2 annually, according to the city.

This impressive savings figure comes from combining the carbon footprint of conventional vehicles, coupled with the circular system for charging the waste vehicles. According to the city, the charging stations will use electricity generated through the incineration of waste that cannot be recycled.