City backs EV trash truck despite setbacks

Catch up quick: The City Council agreed to purchase the truck nearly three years ago.

• The custom-order truck was added to the city's fleet in November.

State of play: The electric truck does not hold a charge as long as crews would prefer, Public Works director Jonathan Gano tells Axios.

Zoom in: The electric truck adds as much as 90 minutes to routes, largely due to a slower automated pick-up arm — about 10 seconds behind traditional diesel models, per City Councilmember Carl Voss.

Yes, but: Evaluations are ongoing and there are no plans to retire it early, Gano said.

What we're watching: The truck's long-term performance will help the city determine whether to buy additional large electric vehicles.

• The municipality owns 27 EVs, mostly passenger cars, Chad Stone, the city's fleet services manager, tells Axios.

What's next: The city plans to replace nearly all of its 25 trash trucks over the next two years because its fleet is outdated.