One year fueled by electricity
When it comes to electromobility and sustainability, the market town of Arnoldstein is not only a pioneer in Carinthia. The town in the border triangle of Austria, Slovenia and Italy has been an “e5 municipality” for 20 years. e5 is a program that supports municipalities in structured and sustainable climate protection work, carries out regular audits and evaluates the measures. Arnoldstein was recently ranked among the top 300 out of more than 1900 participating municipalities from all over Europe.
Electric cars have been an integral part of the Arnoldstein fleet for almost as long, for more than 15 years, and in 2024 the car fleet got its first “big brother” in the form of a fully electric waste collection vehicle. The decision to opt for an electric solution was an obvious one for Kurt Bürger, head of the environmental department of the market town of Arnoldstein: “The routes can be planned and even if a collection vehicle is in use for around 2,000 hours a year, the kilometers driven are limited. On an average tour, the collection vehicle and team cover around 100 kilometers. Ideal conditions for an electric truck. According to Bürger, the decision to opt for the MUT body from Steyr Automotive was also an obvious one: “As a long-standing customer of MUT, the consistently positive experiences made the decision easy for us. The swift availability was also a key reason for the decision.”
Double the comfort, half the fuel consumption
Ordering is one thing. It is even more important that the vehicle proves its worth during operation. How do Kurt Bürger and the waste management team in Arnoldstein rate their new vehicle after a year in use? “The expectations of the new vehicle body were very high,” Bürger states at the beginning. Despite the high expectations, they are very satisfied with the body. Because the new all-electric body is very similar to the previous model in terms of operation, the familiarization period for the team was pleasantly short. The Volvo FE Electric's ability to precondition the cab is also a pleasant feature. A feature that nobody would want to do without, especially in winter!
But do you also have to expect high electricity bills if you preheat the cab in the cold Carinthian winter? Kurt Bürger gives the all-clear here too. An average tour requires around 300 kWh, which represents a saving of around 50% compared to the diesel-powered predecessor. What's more, the municipality generates most of the energy required for its new vehicle itself!
Remarkably quiet
On its tours through Arnoldstein, Hohenthurn and Feistritz an der Gail, the new waste collection vehicle still attracts many interested glances even after a year. This is partly due to its eye-catching design and sheer size: with a container volume of 21 m³ in the stainless steel rotating drum and a permissible total weight of 27 tons, the three-axle vehicle is hard to miss. The many positive responses from the 8,700-strong population of Arnoldstein and its partner municipalities were not to be overlooked either. Above all, passers-by were impressed by how quiet the chassis and body are in operation. An advantage that makes waste collection much more pleasant for both residents and the collection team.
However, there were also critical questions, e.g. whether the range was sufficient or whether battery damage would not mean a total loss of the new vehicle. For the waste management team of the municipality of Arnoldstein, such concerns are not an issue. The maintenance effort is comparable to all previous vehicles and in 2,000 operating hours, in which more than 2,000 tons of residual and organic waste were collected, neither the vehicle nor the driver ever ran out of juice. After the first year “under power”, Kurt Bürger therefore finds it easy to recommend both Volvo and MUT to other municipal waste disposal companies. In turn, it is easy for us to recommend Arnoldstein as an excursion destination to all travellers. For a year now, it has one more attraction!
About the waste management department of the municipality of Arnoldstein
The waste management department of the market town of Arnoldstein serves a total of 8,700 residents in Arnoldstein and its partner municipalities of Hohenthurn and Feistritz an der Gail. The fleet of the waste management department consists of a total of three vehicles. The VOLVO FE electric residual and organic waste collection vehicle with ROTO MUT body, the IVECO Trakker small container vehicle and the MAN TGS hook vehicle for large containers. The residual and organic waste collection vehicle is in use for around 2,000 hours per year, collecting around 1,910 tons of residual waste from the three partner municipalities and around 130 tons of organic waste from the Arnoldstein municipal area.
Contact
For inquiries, please contact:
Mail: info@steyr-automotive.com
Phone: +43 7252 585-0