Electrifying a municipal fleet is not as simple as swapping a diesel engine for a battery. The duty cycle of a sweeper or vacuum truck is brutal — and that changes everything about how you design an electric version.
Municipal equipment runs hard. A road sweeper might operate eight hours straight, with the sweeping system, fans, and water pumps all drawing power continuously. That's a very different demand profile from a passenger EV that mostly just needs to move.
Why Sweepers Are Hard to Electrify
In a diesel sweeper, the engine powers both propulsion and the working systems. In an electric version, the battery has to do both — and the working systems often draw more power than the wheels. Sizing that battery for a full shift without making the machine impossibly heavy is the core engineering challenge.
Our Electric Approach
- LiFePO4 batteries for safety and cycle life
- Separate power budgeting for propulsion vs working systems
- Zero tailpipe emissions and dramatically lower noise
- Ideal for indoor, airport, and night-time urban operation
Where Electric Wins Today
Full electrification of heavy vacuum trucks is still maturing, but for compact and ride-on sweepers, electric is already compelling. Zero emissions, near-silent operation, and lower running costs make them ideal for indoor facilities, airport terminals, and night-time city-centre cleaning where noise complaints matter.
The first electric machine you build teaches you more than the next ten diesel ones. The duty cycle is the real teacher.
A Realistic Timeline
We see fleet electrification as a staged journey: compact sweepers and bins first, mid-size equipment next, and heavy trucks as battery density improves. Cities that start with the easy wins build the charging infrastructure and operational know-how they'll need for the harder categories later.
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