Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the City of Hoboken today announced that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is providing nearly $1.2 million in State funding for the purchase of the City's first electric garbage truck and HOP shuttle bus. The new garbage truck and bus will bring the City to a total of 19 electric or hybrid vehicles and will provide significant cost and environmental benefits as part of Hoboken's Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"Replacing our older, fossil fuel dependent bus and garbage truck with electric vehicles is yet another step we're taking to achieve the goals of our Climate Action Plan," said Mayor Bhalla. "Not only will this reduce our own contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, but it will also improve the quality of the air we breathe and result in quieter vehicles, all of which improve the quality of life for our residents. A big thanks to NJDEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette, Governor Phil Murphy, and our state legislators for providing Hoboken with this much-needed grant funding."
By replacing the garbage truck and bus with electric alternatives, the City will save an estimated $1.1 million in fuel over the next 15 years based on current usage rates, as well as additional cost savings through reduced maintenance and operations compared to the current vehicles. By switching to the two new electric vehicles, the City will also eliminate the consumption of roughly 17,500 gallons of diesel fuel on an annual basis.
Waste management trucks and shuttle buses are notoriously inefficient, achieving an average fuel economy of less than 15 miles per gallon as they drive slowly, make frequent stops, and contribute to noise and air pollution.
The electric vehicles will produce substantially less noise pollution compared to diesel-fueled vehicles and will also reduce nitrogen oxide emissions – a lead contributor to ozone pollution – by approximately 150,000 grams of NOx pollution per year, or almost 2.3 million grams of NOx over the useful life of the electric vehicles.
Mayor Bhalla initiated Hoboken's Climate Action Plan in January 2019, with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and net-zero energy by 2030.
One of the eight priority climate actions identified to address Hoboken's climate action goals for City operations is to phase in hybrid electric and electric vehicles into the City's vehicle fleet. The City has already replaced 17 vehicles with electric, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Hoboken's recent Climate Action Plan initiatives have also included an expansion of Hoboken's residential composting drop-off program, the purchasing of 100 percent renewable electricity for all municipal operations, providing renewable energy options for homeowners, and launching a new community solar program with the Hoboken Housing Authority. Next year, the City will also increase its electric vehicle charging infrastructure to more than double the amount of publicly accessible charging ports across the City through a partnership with Volta.
