Belgium's first fully electric rubbish truck enters service in Brussels

The first fully electric waste collection truck in Belgium is now in service in northern Brussels, Bruzz reports.

It has been collecting rubbish in the neighbourhood of Neder-Over-Heembeek since the beginning of July, according to Bruxelles Propreté, the capital’s waste collection company.

While the vehicle is safer and cleaner, it is a lot more expensive, according to the organisation, which has also said it will be completing a final evaluation “before deciding how to proceed”.

The truck has a range of about 200km thanks to four batteries - and recharging can take up to 10 hours.

It is also equipped with a safety system that calculates the risk of a collision with cyclists or pedestrians on the basis of various parameters measured around the vehicle.

But those benefits come with a price. The new vehicle is about 60% more expensive than a classic model.

"Thanks to the lower maintenance costs, that difference will even out in the long term," said Bruxelles Propreté spokesman Adel Lassouli.

For now, the company has only ordered one model and will decide on ordering more based on performance.

Bruxelles Propreté is aiming to have a completely emission-free fleet by 2038. It wants to put another electric truck, a slightly smaller one, into use in September. It will mainly be used to collect glass.