Tucson Standard

The City of Tucson, together with its Environmental Services Department, has introduced its first electric garbage truck. This initiative is part of its strategy to transition city fleet vehicles to environmentally friendly options. The unveiling event hosted by Mayor Regina Romero and Carlos De la Torre, Director of Environmental Services, highlighted the city's efforts towards sustainable operations.

At the event, attended by residents and media members, Tucson's leadership discussed the advantages of electrifying municipal vehicles and its community impact. Mayor Romero stated, “Our first electric garbage truck is a major step forward for our City. Transitioning our environmental services fleet from diesel to CNG, or electric is helping us reduce emissions, improve air quality for residents and operators alike, and transition us to more sustainable city operations."

She added, "This is another way the City of Tucson is leading by example. Since Mayor and Council passed the EV Readiness Roadmap in 2021, Tucson is proud to have the largest electric bus fleet in the Southwest and we are working hard to also transition our light duty fleet to electric by 2030."

The newly introduced electric garbage truck is designed to eliminate emissions and noise pollution, while providing cost savings on fuel and maintenance. It will be operational on residential waste collection routes, demonstrating its capability in regular use.