Emterra Environmental Launches Largest Fleet Of Mack LR Electric Trucks In North America For Waste Collection In BC

Emterra Environmental has unveiled its first fully electric vehicle fleet for recyclables, waste, and organics collection in the Comox Valley.

"Our commitment to environmental sustainability and climate action is not a choice. It's a necessity,” says Emmie Leung, Founder and CEO of Emterra Group.

“We are thrilled to lead the charge in deploying electrified transportation technology in British Columbia. This is a monumental moment for Emterra Environmental and for the waste management industry in Canada.”

The EV fleet, consisting of eight Mack LR Electric trucks, will be the largest fleet of its kind in North America.

The trucks were unveiled at an event yesterday in Comox.

The investment aims to reduce the carbon footprint of Emterra’s operations, reduce the emissions of the City of Courtenay and the Town of Comox, and provide residents with cleaner, quieter collection services.

The Province’s CleanBC Program aims to reduce climate-changing emissions by 40% by 2030 and Emterra says its transition to electric will help Courtenay and Comox achieve their net-zero goals for GHG emissions.

The group says the fleet will help reduce emissions by approximately 480 tonnes of CO2e each year - the equivalent of taking 104 cars off the road for a year.

The EV trucks, manufactured by Mack Trucks, are specially designed for waste collection and offer several advantages over diesel trucks, such as zero emissions and lower noise levels. The trucks provide a range of 113 km and can be fully charged in 90 minutes.

With support from BC Hydro, the charging station, located at Emterra's material recovery facility in Cumberland, will be equipped with six EV chargers that will power up the trucks overnight.

The new fleet is expected to begin operations in August, servicing approximately 25,000 households and businesses throughout the Comox Valley.