Green light for Council trucks

Inner-city residents may soon notice a cleaner tinge to work vehicles, with the City of Sydney in the process of rolling out hybrid trucks. Set to service City parks, footpaths and roads, the Hino hybrids are said to use nearly 40 per cent less fuel than their predecessors.

“The City is committed to reducing greenhouse emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 as part of ‘Sustainable Sydney 2030’, and that means embracing cleaner technology,” said Garry Harding, Director City Community and Cultural Services. “These trucks will make a contribution towards our target, and together with our existing fleet of [Toyota] Prius hybrids, will create one of the greenest fleets in Australia.”

In addition to an electric motor which works in conjunction with the diesel engine, the new trucks also have ‘stop-start’ technology, which turns the engine off while sitting stationary in traffic.

But it’s not all about being green – the new additions to the fleet are also ratepayer-friendly, with each truck expected to save up to $120 a month in fuel costs. There are plans to introduce up to 40 of the eco-friendly trucks, saving up to 129 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and nearly $60,000 a year in fuel.