Saitama City has been promoting the E-KIZUNA Project, a policy to promote the spread of electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the transport sector. In May 2022, the city signed an agreement with JFE Engineering and have been working on creating energy cycle waste collection system.

Beginning in April 2024, the city will start a demonstration test of electric garbage trucks equipped with swappable batteries, which EV batteries are charged and automatically exchanged at battery-swapping stations installed at waste incineration facilities in the city. In the demonstration, electricity generated by the waste incinerator will be used to charge swappable batteries at the battery-swapping station.

The battery swapping station installed at waste incineration facilities

In this demonstration, two EV garbage trucks will be operated for the first time in the country, and a station capable of changing batteries in approximately 58 seconds will be introduced to verify its performance and environmental impact reduction effects.
Prior to the start of the demonstration, a ‘departure ceremony of EV garbage vehicle’ was held on 7 March.

Saitama City is actively promoting initiatives to decarbonize and improve resilience in the region.

For more information, see the official Saitama City website (Japanese).