Des Moines' vehicle fleet charges toward electric future

The big picture: Truck makers began testing electric garbage trucks in the last year or so, promoting them as zero emissions and quieter than the typical diesel counterpart.

• New York City and Toms River, New Jersey, are among the first local governments to use them.

By the numbers: Diesel-powered garbage trucks generally cost between $200K to $350K, while electric trucks cost around $550K, according to the Asbury Park Press.

• DSM's electric cars cost about $5K more than a gas-powered one.
• Yes, but: Maintenance and fuel/energy costs are lower and produce long-term savings.

Between the lines: DSM's first opportunity to buy electric trash, snowplow or dump trucks will likely be in 2025 or later, based on the city's purchasing process, finance director Nickolas Schaul told Axios.

• In the meantime, new technology allows the city to retrofit some of its larger trucks with systems that use B100, a 100% biodiesel fuel.

Of note: DSM's 726-vehicle fleet currently has four electric cars, and the city plans to add 14 more in the next year.

🎸 Thought bubble: Does anybody else think "The Electric Trash Trucks" could be a good band name?