This news update is brought to you by the City of Long Beach. To find out more about City programs, projects, initiatives and services, please visit longbeach.gov. To find events near you, please visit the City calendar at www.longbeach.gov/events. And follow us on social media @longbeachcity.
Long Beach Tests Electric Trash Trucks
By Staff Writer
Published on Thu, May 7, 2026
Long Beach is talking trash—that is, about the rollout of cleaner, greener zero-emission refuse trucks.
In April, the City deployed its first two electric collection trucks, giving the green light to a pilot program that aims to take out the trash with less waste. One larger truck is handling regular neighborhood routes, while one smaller truck is cruising alleyways.
City officials say this is a test drive, not a full fleet makeover just yet.
Before Long Beach potentially trades in all of its compressed natural gas trucks for electric models, staff want to know whether the battery-powered trucks can handle all that junk in the truck. They’ll be measuring how much trash each truck can haul before it needs to unload, how long the battery lasts on a single charge, whether routes can be completed without interruption and whether the trucks can survive the demanding daily grind.
The City currently operates about 90 refuse trucks, so switching the whole fleet and building enough charging infrastructure would be a major undertaking with a hefty price tag. That’s why City leaders say they’re starting small and gathering data before making bigger moves.
The effort is a partnership between the City’s Fleet Services Bureau and the Energy & Environmental Services Department, and it ties into Long Beach’s broader climate goals, as well as state regulations pushing cities toward cleaner fleets.
City leaders say the goal is simple: cleaner streets, cleaner air and service that keeps up with the times.
