Bangkok plans to lease 1,347 electric rubbish trucks, with Governor Chadchart Sittipunt saying the switch from diesel could save the city about 4.745 billion baht in energy costs over five years.
The project is being considered as part of Bangkok’s 2027 fiscal year budget, which is currently before the Bangkok Metropolitan Council for its second and third readings.
Chadchart said yesterday, September 15, that the move would mark a major transition from diesel rubbish trucks, which Bangkok has relied on for years, to electric vehicles.
He argued that the change would reduce operating costs, pollution and noise while maintaining daily waste collection services.
Bangkok estimates that the 1,347 electric trucks would travel an average of about 200 kilometres per day.
Based on the city’s calculations, diesel trucks would cost about 8.756 billion baht in fuel over five years, assuming diesel costs 39 baht per litre.
Electricity for the EV fleet is estimated at 4.011 billion baht over the same period, based on an electricity price of 6 baht per unit.
That would produce estimated energy savings of 4.745 billion baht, or about 949 million baht per year, representing a reduction of around 54% compared with diesel.
Chadchart also said the proposed EV rental rates would be about 7% to 10% lower than the rates Bangkok paid to lease diesel rubbish trucks in 2020.
Beyond the financial savings, the governor said electric trucks would reduce PM2.5 emissions, carbon monoxide and greenhouse gases. Their lower noise levels would also make them better suited to rubbish collection at night.
Bangkok is working with the Metropolitan Electricity Authority to install charging infrastructure, while the vehicles will undergo performance testing before being put into service.
Chadchart said the project would have several agencies involved in reviewing its details and the procurement process.
He also addressed proposals to outsource rubbish collection, including both vehicles and workers. Chadchart said Bangkok still needed to retain its waste collection staff because rubbish collection is an essential daily service and workers can also be deployed for other duties during emergencies.
Rather than laying off staff, the city plans to gradually reduce the workforce through retirement while improving efficiency over the longer term.
The project remains dependent on approval of Bangkok’s 2027 budget. Chadchart said that if the funding is not approved, the city would be unable to begin procurement as planned and may have to continue leasing diesel trucks for about another two years.
Some of those vehicles have already been in service for five to seven years and continue to create pollution and noise problems, he said.
Chadchart added that the transition would be challenging but argued that Bangkok needed to modernise its rubbish collection fleet while reducing costs and environmental impact.
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