Dive Brief:

• Chicago has became one of the first cities in the U.S. to use an electric sanitation truck to pick up its waste.
• The Electric Refuse Vehicle (ERV), made by Motiv Park Systems, was used on a residential collection route. 
• Between maintenance and fuel cost savings, the vehicle could save Chicago $11,000 and up to 2,688 gallons of fuel annually. 

Dive Insight:

Motiv Power Systems launched in 2009 in Foster City, CA. The company specializes in designing  electric vehicles for the commercial transportation industry.

Chicago awarded Motiv the contract for the electric truck in 2012. If its trial run is deemed a success, the city plans to acquire 19 more fully electric vehicles for its municipal trash fleet.