King county rolls out battery-electric heavy duty trucks

Battery-electric heavy duty truck for King county solid waste division
Photo courtesy King county

King County became the first organization in the state to roll out a new model of battery-electric heavy-duty trucks manufactured at Kenworth’s assembly plant in Renton, opening a new market for zero-emission fleets.

It will be one of the first Class 8 battery-electric trucks in North America operated by a waste management agency. Along with King County Metro’s progress toward electrifying its bus fleet, King County is a leader in the transition to zero-emission vehicles that reduce air and noise pollution.

“We are once again catalyzing new markets to accelerate the transition to zero-emission fleets, this time with reliable heavy-duty trucks built right here in King County,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. 

“By leveraging the purchasing power of one of the nation’s largest counties, we are proving to manufacturers that there is strong demand for vehicles that cut greenhouse gas emissions, lower maintenance costs, improve air quality, and reduce noise pollution.”

King County’s Solid Waste Division will use the new zero-emission commercial truck to haul materials from its Enumclaw Recycling and Transfer Station to the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill in Maple Valley. 

The pilot project will provide staff members with operational experience while measuring the performance of the battery-powered tractor-trailer combination for transferring solid waste.

More information here