BYD Motors, the US arm of the Chinese automaker BYD Co Ltd, and Wayne Engineering, a waste management-equipment manufacturer, launched a fully electric garbage truck on Thursday.

The 3.9-ton truck, which can go 100 miles after being charged for 2.5 hours, is expected to save private haulers and municipal fleets operating costs by 58 percent per mile due to savings from diesel fuel, fewer moving parts and regenerative braking.

The truck will produce zero tailpipe emissions and greatly reduce noise pollution.

"This truck represents a new era in waste management, one of the last remaining sectors untouched by green energy and electrification," Stella Li, president of BYD Motors, said at the even in Phoenix, Arizona.

"Only 10 percent of refuse trucks use any alternative fuel at all, pumping our neighborhoods full of expensive and dangerous diesel fumes - or worse, PM2.5 from CNG (compressed natural gas) engines," she said.

"Many are particularly bad on greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter, harming the health of those around them," she added.

Garbage trucks are excellent heavy-duty vehicles to electrify because the routes are defined and short, while traditional diesel vehicles burn unnecessary fuel while idling for lifting.

"This new truck is the chance to finally make cleaning our neighborhoods a clean prospect in and of itself," she added.

Designed with sanitation workers in mind, the truck has a body that allows for improved visibility and operation on tight roads and alleyways. With 100 miles of range on a single charge, a first for an electric refuse truck, fleets can handle larger routes and distances between sites.

"We've been proud to design and manufacture innovative equipment for the waste management sector for half a century and are thrilled to be a partner with BYD for this huge step into the future," said Kevin Watje, CEO of Wayne Engineering.

"Refuse trucks are a part of every community in the country and these all-electric trucks will start making a difference right away," he said.

The truck's cab, chassis and power train will be assembled at BYD's facilities in Lancaster, California, and then delivered to the body manufacturer Wayne Engineering at its facilities in Phoenix and Cedar Falls, Iowa. The production schedule will be based on sales orders.

The Los Angeles-based BYD Motors began introducing all-electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks in early 2015, focusing on three markets: urban delivery, goods movement and refuse trucks.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com