New Vehicle Cuts Fuel Use & Greenhouse Gas Emissions
New Rochelle’s first hybrid-electric sanitation truck is on the job. The truck, which was converted from standard diesel operation, is the only one in our region to utilize a plug-in parallel hybrid system. The public will benefit from this new vehicle in significant ways:
- a 15 to 20 percent reduction in fuel use, with a corresponding savings for the taxpayers;
- quieter operation, which will improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods; and
- dramatically reduced emissions of particulates and hydrocarbons, which will enhance our air quality and help combat global climate change.
No one is under the illusion that a single truck is going to solve the world’s problems or even New Rochelle’s problems, but this is one step among many that, together, can build a more sustainable future. The City’s Environmental Advisory Committee made the recommendation to obtain a hybrid-electric system and deserves credit for this initiative.