Remondis Puts Mercedes-Benz Electric Garbage Truck to the Test in Brisbane

Remondis Australia has finished trialling a fully electric refuse truck at its Brisbane operations, evaluating whether the technology can eventually replace part of its 600-strong rubbish collection fleet across the country. The vehicle tested during August was the Mercedes-Benz eEconic 6x2, a purpose-built electric waste truck whose 300 kWh battery pack delivers a range of roughly 150 kilometres.

The eEconic’s drivetrain layout does away with a conventional propshaft by using an integrated e-axle, which Remondis says makes the truck almost silent in operation. Regenerative braking also plays a useful role in a stop-start collection round, recovering energy each time the vehicle slows at a bin stop.

Remondis Australia CEO and managing director Björn Becker described the trial as a logical step given the company’s long-standing ties with Mercedes-Benz, both in Australia and internationally. He noted that the group’s parent Rethmann, Remondis and Mercedes-Benz are all German businesses, and that the relationship helped make the trial possible. Becker added that fleet operations sit at the heart of circular economy goals, and that with 600 collection trucks on Australian roads there is plenty of room to lower emissions, whether through electric, hydrogen or hybrid solutions. The company says it is already engaging several truck suppliers on that path.

The eEconic tested locally was configured around Australian mass and dimension rules, with bodywork from Superior Pak and adaptations for local conditions. Remondis says the data gathered from the trial will now be shared and reviewed with Mercedes-Benz and other participants. The exercise follows earlier work by the company, which added a hydro-powered residential collection truck to its Illawarra operations in New South Wales in 2023.