Michigan Puts $4 Million Toward Electric Garbage Trucks
The state will match half the cost of battery-electric refuse vehicles, targeting high-population counties and prioritizing areas with heavy diesel use.
By Carlos Rousseau ·
Michigan communities can now apply for state funds to swap out diesel garbage trucks for battery-electric models. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is distributing more than $4 million in grants to lower the upfront cost for local governments and private haulers.
Each grant covers 50% of the price for a new electric refuse truck. Recipients are responsible for the remaining half of the purchase price. Based on an estimated vehicle cost of $500,000, the state calculates that the available funds will support the acquisition of approximately 20 new trucks.
The program designates Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties as priority areas for funding. Officials cited these regions as locations where long-standing environmental and public health issues are most concentrated due to high traffic and population density.
City of Ann Arbor officials are already operating electric refuse vehicles. Simi Barr, a senior analyst for municipal operations in Ann Arbor, noted that four of the city’s 28 garbage trucks are currently electric. Her department is evaluating the practicality of expanding this fleet.
Barr identified charging infrastructure as a primary hurdle for other municipalities considering the switch. She questioned what is required to ensure vehicles are fully charged and ready for daily shifts. She also pointed to route design as a factor in battery efficiency.
Stop-and-go routes typical of rear-load and side-load trucking generate energy through regenerative braking. This process helps recharge the batteries during collection runs. Haaker Refuse, a California-based dealer for McNeilus Refuse, stated that electric trucks offer lower energy costs per mile and eliminate tailpipe emissions.
