MADISON, Wis. — The public has spoken and the votes are in for the official names of Wisconsin’s first electric trash trucks.
Voters chose “Trash Gordon” and “Vin No Diesel” for the names of the side loader electric trash trucks that will help with sanitation in Madison. The City of Madison Streets Division acquired the vehicles in September, and wanted to engage the public to craft names that would represent “Madison’s character, wit, and charm”.
Once the public submitted names for consideration, a ranked choice election was hosted by Wisconsin Clean Cities.
The trucks are part of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway’s efforts to find alternative fuels for city operations. On average, a collection vehicle used by the Streets Division uses approximately 17 gallons of diesel a day. The city says that over the course of a year, the carbon savings from one electric truck is equivalent to the energy use of six homes.
The city also says that the new electric trash trucks are also significantly quieter than the standard diesel-powered truck. While emptying a cart will always cause a ruckus, the truck itself is whisper quiet compared to its noisier diesel brethren.
