J&M Sanitation, a family-owned business serving Kuna, Idaho, has deployed two all-electric Class 8 refuse trucks, the first such battery-electric, zero-emission vehicles in Idaho. The trucks are replacing two current diesel vehicles. J&M is the first company in Idaho to own and operate electric refuse trucks and now operates two of only ten in North America.

The BYD 8R heavy-duty trucks feature BYD’s proprietary electric propulsion system designed specifically for refuse collection. With 295 kWh of battery capacity, the trucks are built to support a full day’s operations. The cabs, chassis, and propulsion systems were built by BYD and are equipped with 31-yard automated side-loader bodies made by Amrep, a refuse truck body manufacturer.

The all-electric trucks feature an all-Hardox 450 body shell, providing strength and durability with a 175k psi rated hopper and body—offering an exterior 4x stronger than ordinary mild steel grades—while weighing 20% less than a traditional refuse truck.

J&M Sanitation trucks run each weekday, each serving about 800 Kuna homes resulting in 1,065 lifts of the arm daily and approximately 18 tons of refuse collected. Without opportunity charging, each of the trucks can return following a completed route with 18% remaining State of Charge (SOC). J&M plans to utilize opportunity charging to maintain additional SOC throughout their routes.

Our company made this investment to not only serve the community we love but also preserve the community. We are a small, family-owned business. We care enough about our environment that we wanted to make the switch to zero-emission, electric vehicles. It is time for our industry to make changes to help preserve the natural beauty of our world. We can make a difference and we wanted to be a catalyst for change.

—Chad Gordon, operations manager of J&M Sanitation