City to Deploy Electric Garbage Truck & Hop Bus
Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the City of Hoboken today announced the official arrival of the City's first fully electric garbage truck and two HOP shuttle buses, marking a major milestone in Hoboken’s transition to a cleaner and more sustainable municipal fleet. Funded in part through a nearly $700,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), the new vehicles are now part of Hoboken’s growing lineup of 30 electric or hybrid vehicles that comprise the municipal fleet.
The electric garbage truck, which will replace an existing diesel hauler, is significantly quieter than its predecessor and will begin servicing Hoboken neighborhoods in the coming weeks, along with the two new Hop shuttle buses. In addition to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing noise pollution, the electric vehicles are expected to improve overall air quality while offering a smoother, quieter experience for residents
Over the next 15 years, the three electric vehicles are projected to save the City over $1.1 million in fuel costs, while also reducing maintenance expenses associated with traditional diesel engines. Together, they will eliminate the annual consumption of over 17,500 gallons of diesel fuel.
Electric waste management vehicles and shuttle buses offer significant environmental advantages. Traditional diesel models are inefficient, often achieving less than 15 miles per gallon, and are major contributors to noise and air pollution. The electric alternatives will dramatically reduce noise pollution and cut nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, which are a leading factor in ozone pollution, by an estimated 150,000 grams per year, totaling nearly 2.3 million grams over their useful lifespan.
The rollout of the electric garbage truck and buses directly supports the City’s Climate Action Plan, launched by Mayor Bhalla in January 2019, with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero energy by 2030. Phasing in electric and hybrid vehicles is one of eight priority actions identified for reducing emissions from City operations.
To date, Hoboken has transitioned 30 vehicles in its municipal fleet to electric, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid models.
City Announces 2025 Youth Climate Action Fund recipients
Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the City of Hoboken today announced 17 recipients of this year’s Youth Climate Action Fund, awarding each youth-led project a $5,000 microgrant to implement innovative, community-centered climate solutions. Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, this year’s total of $85,000 in grant funding supports a variety of youth-led projects.
The Youth Climate Action Fund empowers local youth aged 15 to 24 years old to design and lead climate-related initiatives. This year’s projects address a wide range of environmental issues, including reducing light pollution, promoting composting, developing clean energy prototypes, and running educational campaigns to spur change. This is the second round of awards. The City first participated in 2024 awarding 11 youth-led projects $50,000 through Bloomberg Philanthropies.
The 2025 Youth Climate Action Fund recipients are:
- The Eel Mop Project – Jacob Tennenbaum
- Light Pollution Reduction – Anya Vasudevan
- Computers 4 People – Dylan Zajac
- Fusor Prototype – Martin Gendell
- ChargeSafe – Daniel Coppola
- Recycle Coach @ Stevens – Olivia Conner-Bennett
- The Stevens Sorting Project – Fiona Shi
- Pollination Education – Hershey Revolinsky
- LeanPath @ Stevens – Olivia Conner-Bennett
- Everything is Climate Change Film Festival – Julia Saltzman
- Residential Compost Bins @ Stevens – Lia Mehr
- Climate Action Week @ HoLA – Lisbeth Acosta
- Clothing For Care – Ekansha Tabhane
- Recycle My Battery – Mihir Parcha
- Repair Café – Julia Saltzman
- Sustainable Bites – Myckie Weng
- These Words Save Birds – Otys Train
To learn more about each project, visit www.hobokennj.gov/resources/youth-climate-action-fund.
The Youth Climate Action Fund is made possible through a global initiative led by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with United Cities and Local Governments and the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University. C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy are collaborating as learning partners. The program supports youth-led climate solutions through grant funding and technical assistance at no cost to taxpayers.
