Debrecen4U
September 10, 2026
Electric Waste Collection Vehicle Pilot Project Implemented in Debrecen
The one-year testing period of the Electric Waste Collection Vehicle Pilot Project has come to an end. The aim of the project was to gain experience with public waste management services that could help assess the potential for the widespread use of electrically powered waste collection vehicles.
The project was implemented with the support of the Government of Hungary and APZ Kft., with the cooperation of the Municipality of Debrecen and A.K.S.D. Városgazdálkodási Kft. The total amount of funding for the programme was a gross HUF 713,740,000, with a 100 per cent funding intensity.
During the test period, from 4 August 2025 to 4 August 2026, three electric waste collection vehicles travelled a total of 35,960 kilometres and were involved in the collection of 3,694 tonnes of waste.
The aim of the Electric Waste Collection Vehicle Pilot Project was to gather experience of the operation of electrically powered waste collection vehicles under real operating conditions and to create a database that could provide a basis for an objective comparison between electric and conventional diesel-powered vehicles. The project was launched in 2022, and the Municipality of Debrecen joined the initiative. The vehicles were operated and the data collected by A.K.S.D. Kft.
At the closing event, Ákos Balázs, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen responsible for green affairs, expressed his satisfaction that Debrecen had taken another step towards sustainable, green mobility. He stressed that APZ Kft. is an excellent partner for the city in this field. He said that the Municipality of Debrecen intends to continue its successful partnership with APZ Kft. in the future and participate in further pilot programmes focusing on electromobility and mobility. The experience gained through these initiatives can become part of the city’s everyday life and urban management in the long term.
He recalled that they had previously jointly launched the first rural Green Bus Pilot Programme, thanks to which 12 electric buses now operate on the streets of Debrecen. In addition, fuel-cell and hydrogen-powered buses have also been tested, and an electric waste collection vehicle was previously put into service in the city.
Ákos Balázs emphasised that sustainability is a particularly important priority for Debrecen. In 2019, the city announced its new environmental policy, the essence of which is for the knowledge available locally in Debrecen to form an alliance with nature and for this knowledge to serve the people of Debrecen. An important part of this process is to give an increasingly prominent role to electric equipment in urban management. Electromobility development also has a key role among the measures set out in the Green Codex, the city’s fundamental document for green development.
Under the current project, with a total gross value of HUF 713,740,000 and a 100 per cent funding intensity, a total of three fully electric waste collection vehicles were put into operation in Debrecen.
According to the Deputy Mayor, these vehicles represent state-of-the-art technology. Their range of approximately 250 kilometres can be used efficiently and practically in urban traffic, while charging takes around three hours, allowing the batteries to be recharged in a relatively short time. The vehicles are also easier to drive than their diesel-powered counterparts. As he stressed, perhaps their most important advantage is that their use can reduce harmful emissions, while also reducing noise pollution for Debrecen and the operators of the vehicles.
Ákos Balázs also said that the Municipality’s aim is for an increasing proportion of the vehicles used in urban management to be electrically powered. In his view, this would also represent a significant step towards a greener city.
He noted that Debrecen’s commitment to sustainability was also confirmed by the city’s performance in the competition for the European Green Capital title: with the highest score awarded for sustainability, Debrecen made it into the final three applicants.
“Steps like these strengthen our resolve to lead the way in sustainability,” Ákos Balázs said, while also thanking the Government of Hungary and APZ Kft. for their support, as well as manufacturers Renault Trucks Hungary and STP Technic Kft. for their work.
Further information about the test period
Over the course of one year, the three electric vehicles travelled a total of 35,960 kilometres and collected 3,694 tonnes of waste. The vehicles did not operate solely on test tracks or for demonstration purposes: they performed everyday urban waste management tasks under significant loads.
The fleet used a total of 59,120 kWh of electricity, with a weighted average consumption of 164.41 kWh per 100 kilometres.
The vehicles had an average speed of 23.8 km/h, which clearly reflects the specific nature of waste collection: the vehicles travel short distances, stop frequently and then start again.
Regenerative braking provides a particularly important advantage in urban waste collection. During the one-year study period, the three vehicles fed a total of 19,879 kWh of energy back into their batteries, equivalent to approximately 33.6 per cent of the energy consumed.
At the same time, the experience showed that the energy consumption of an electric waste collection vehicle is not determined solely by the number of kilometres travelled. It is significantly affected by the route, the number of stops and restarts, loading, the operation of the body and compaction system, as well as the type and quantity of waste collected.
One of the most important results of the project was its environmental performance. Calculations indicate that fully electric operation resulted in savings of 37,313.97 kilograms, or approximately 37.3 tonnes, of CO₂ emissions.
During local operation, electric vehicles produce no direct CO₂, nitrogen oxide or particulate emissions. This is particularly advantageous in densely populated urban environments, where waste collection vehicles carry out their work in close proximity to pedestrians and other road users. The CO₂ saving is, however, a Tank-to-Wheel estimate, meaning that it does not include upstream emissions associated with electricity generation.
During the project, the evaluation of vehicle performance was not limited to measuring distance travelled and energy consumption. In addition to data from the Optifleet fleet-tracking system, the operation of the vehicle bodies was monitored using the IQanGo system, making it possible to examine, among other things, the energy requirements of compaction, the operating time of the body, and the number of loading and emptying operations.
The data was also supplemented with route and waste collection data, allowing individual energy consumption figures to be analysed together with the specific routes, working conditions and quantities of waste collected.
Based on one year of operational experience, the three electric waste collection vehicles reliably carried out the urban waste collection tasks assigned to them. The results of the project show that electric propulsion can also be effectively used in the specific operating environment of urban waste collection, which involves frequent stops and restarts.
The most important figures after one year:
3 electric waste collection vehicles
35,960 km travelled
3,694 tonnes of waste collected
59,120 kWh of energy consumed
164.41 kWh/100 km weighted fleet average
19,879 kWh of energy recovered
33.6% recovered energy as a proportion of energy consumed
37.3 tonnes estimated CO₂ savings
23.8 km/h average speed
Continuation of the project
The next important step in the pilot project is a comprehensive evaluation of the results. The impact study to be prepared by Autóipari Próbapálya Zala Kft. will examine the project’s experience and results in detail, based on data from a total of seven electric waste collection vehicles operated in Debrecen, Nyíregyháza and Paks. The physical implementation of the project will subsequently continue with a five-year maintenance period.
The Municipality of Debrecen has announced a competition for ideas for several age groups, aimed at promoting sustainable thinking, environmentally friendly solutions, sustainable waste management, the circular economy, recycling and electromobility.
Residents of Debrecen can present their ideas about sustainability and electromobility in the form of a drawing, video, model or innovative concept.
Entries must be submitted electronically to zoldterulet@ph.debrecen.hu by 18.00 on 27 September 2026. The submitted works will be evaluated by a professional jury, and the winners will receive valuable prizes.
Detailed information about the conditions for each category, the exact prize structure and the submission procedure is available on the www.debrecen.hu website, under the relevant call for applications.
Source: debrecen.hu | Photo credit: Balázs Ákos (Facebook)
