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Isuzu Launches Pilot Project for Battery Swapping in Electric Garbage Trucks
Image: (c) Isuzu Motors Limited
Isuzu Motors is testing a battery-swapping system for battery-electric garbage trucks in Japan. In collaboration with the City of Yokohama, the commercial vehicle manufacturer is conducting a study through March 2028 to determine whether automated traction battery exchanges can increase the operational readiness of municipal electric vehicles.
As part of the pilot project, the electric vehicles' two depleted batteries are swapped for fully charged ones at specialized exchange stations. According to the company, the replacement process takes about three minutes, allowing the vehicles to get back on their routes without long charging delays.
Isuzu Motors is testing a battery-swapping system for battery-electric garbage trucks in Japan. In collaboration with the City of Yokohama, the commercial vehicle manufacturer is conducting a study through March 2028 to determine whether automated traction battery exchanges can increase the operational readiness of municipal electric vehicles.
As part of the pilot project, the electric vehicles' two depleted batteries are swapped for fully charged ones at specialized exchange stations. According to the company, the replacement process takes about three minutes, allowing the vehicles to get back on their routes without long charging delays.
Faster Operational Readiness in Municipal Service
With this pilot project, Isuzu is responding to the unique demands of battery-electric garbage trucks. These vehicles require relatively long charging times, even at fast-charging stations. On top of that, their energy-intensive compaction systems consume extra power during operation, which reduces their overall range.
Battery swapping is designed to significantly reduce this downtime and boost vehicle availability during daily operations. The goal is to make the continuous deployment of municipal electric vehicles more cost-effective.
Part of a Broader Electrification Strategy
The battery-swapping initiative is part of Isuzu’s overarching electrification strategy. Earlier this spring, the company announced the development of a light-duty fuel cell truck in partnership with Toyota. While fuel cell vehicles can be refueled in just a few minutes, battery swapping aims to deliver similarly fast energy replenishment for battery-electric commercial vehicles, eliminating the need for lengthy charging breaks.