The Newberg City Council recently approved the purchase of a large, all-electric continuous chain-style lift truck that will replace two aging diesel-powered rigs in the city’s inventory.
The Newberg City Council recently approved the purchase of a large, all-electric continuous chain-style lift truck that will replace two aging diesel-powered rigs in the city’s inventory.
The city of Newberg’s foray into the world of electric and hybrid vehicles will literally continue in a big way in the coming months thanks to city government and a state agency.
Last week the City Council approved the purchase of a large all-electric continuous chain-style lift truck that will replace two aging diesel-powered rigs in the city’s inventory. The truck is capable of lifting 10- to 40-cubic-yard bins and is similar to the trucks used in the area by Waste Management to pick up and deliver large Dumpsters. All manner of bins and other attachments can be fitted to the truck as well, including flat beds, water tanks, fuel tanks, leaf vacuums, concrete mixers and a knuckle crane, according to city documents.
“The ability to switch between attachments will be a game changer for public works,” a city official noted in the council packet. “This set-up will help the crews accomplish more with less and allow us to add potential services to the citizens in the future.”
The city will pay $782,500 for the vehicle, but once it arrives the city will be reimbursed at least $682,500 from an Oregon Department of Environmental Quality grant it applied for in early 2022. The grant was designed specifically to encourage replacement of diesel-powered vehicles to decrease fossil fuel emissions; it requires that those diesel trucks not be resold and must be rendered inoperable and disposed of as scrap metal.
In addition, under the state’s current zero emissions programs, the city can also earn carbon credits that can be sold on the open market. City officials estimated the credits could generate $5,000 to $6,000 annually, further decreasing the cost of the truck’s purchase.
Public Works Director Russ Thomas explained that the vehicle, made by Battle Motors and called a LET II Electric Truck, is the same basic chassis the city will use for its all-electric street sweeper, whose delivery has been held up due to global supply chain issues. As such the sweeper isn’t expected to be delivered until next year, but the chain-style truck is expected to arrive in two to three months.
Thomas said the city’s plans for employing EV vehicles have come about for several reasons.
“Many countries and states have moved to restrict or eliminate the use of gas- or diesel-powered vehicles,” he said. “With the recent mandate by Oregon DEQ that all new cars and pick-up trucks sold in Oregon must be EVs by 2035, it is just a matter of time before the city of Newberg will be required to introduce EVs to the fleet.”
He added that by using the DEQ grant now the city has more control over the process and “can significantly reduce the cost of moving to EVs …”
Thomas added that the DEQ grants will continue to be offered through an annual statewide application process until the funds are exhausted, meaning the city could apply for future grants as well.
Long-term maintenance is also a reason for the city to migrate toward EVs.
“The EV trucks have fewer moving parts, reducing downtime and reducing maintenance and fuel costs,” Thomas said, adding that the truck’s standard range (172 miles when fully loaded) is more than sufficient for the day-to-day uses to which it will be applied.
But not all city vehicles will be substituted for EVs, at least not yet.
“As of today it is not the public works department’s plan to convert all vehicles or equipment to EVs,” Thomas said. “Our goal is to strategically pick where it makes economic sense to introduce EVs and how to accomplish this with minimal financial impact.”
He added that previous council’s goals were “for the city to continue looking for ways to become more environmentally friendly in areas that still allows us to maintain the level of service we currently provide.”
“The DEQ grants have allowed public works to become more environmentally friendly while replacing outdated equipment at little cost to the city, and to be fiscally responsible as we manage the installation of the necessary charging infrastructure that will be needed for new EVs that we will be required to purchase in the future,” Thomas said.