Automotive: Electric Snow Plow Trucks fail miserably

New York is staying with traditional diesel-powered snow plows after electric Mack Trucks failed miserable for plowing snow.

Just over three years ago the New York Department of Sanitation bought several Mack electric trucks to be set up for double duty as part of a goal to become CO2-neutral.

New York differs from many cities in that its garbage trucks double as snow removal vehicles when and if required.

Primarily intended to clean streets and remove garbage, one of these Mack trucks had been fitted with a snow plow as part of an experiment. Essanews reports the move has been a failure. The reason was given as a simple lack of power:

The plow, dragging across the road and the snow buildup in front of it, created substantial resistance. Moreover, the plow required almost constant movement, eliminating the option for loading pauses.

Consequently, the electric vehicle’s power supply was insufficient for the demands of a New York winter, known for its heavy snowfall.

The report further detailed that after nearly two hours, the electric plow had to discontinue the route for recharging.

While the truck was efficient for garbage collection, its performance significantly dipped when faced with the snow removal tasks.