Over 2,000 electric garbage trucks on Beijing roads by year end

Beiqi Foton Motor Co Ltd, one of the major electric commercial vehicle manufacturers in China, will deliver 1,000 sanitation vehicles for the Beijing government by the end of June, the China Daily reported today

By the end of 2012, Foton will deliver a total of 2,084 electric sanitation vehicles to be used for trash pickup, road cleaning and sprinkling to the city, according the company said.

Tian Bin, a senior engineer at the Foton Research Center, said these electric trucks runs at a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour, and can last a range of 150 kilometers per charge.

The 8-tonne truck carries four battery sets which weigh nearly one tonne in total. To make the cleaning works more efficient, drivers can either recharge the truck with a charging pole, or simply change the battery sets at a battery station.

Foton Vice-President Zhao Jingguang said that compared with conventional combustion vehicles, these sanitation trucks eliminate CO2 emission as well as noise, which has become a common complaint among residents since the trucks usually work in the early morning when most people are sleeping.

Lu Jinjun, deputy director of the Foton Research Center, said as the Chinese government is making harsh requirements on automakers in terms of energy-saving and emission standards, they have to adapt to this policy.

"We are under great pressure to achieve these environmental goals. To live up to the government's requirements, we have to turn the company's direction to electric and hybrid."