EV Waste Transport
“Ko te ala te pō, ko te ala te ao—every path of night is also a path of dawn.”— Traditional proverb guiding our logistics philosophy
Purpose & Vision
Electric waste transport links every Whispering Bin, household cluster, and Resource Recovery Node (RRN) without burning a drop of imported diesel. It embodies our covenant to move taoga (resources) with dignity, silence, and zero‑emissions—powered by Tuvalu’s own sun and stewarded through Guardian oversight.
Vehicle Platform
Base chassis | 7.5 t battery‑electric cab‑chassis | 60 kWh LFP pack · 100 km island range · 11 kW AC & 50 kW DC charging |
Body | 14 m³ aluminium box with dual rear roller doors + left‑side service door | Interior anchor rails for swap‑bin trolleys |
Electric loader crane | Electric loader crane | 4.8 t @ 3.4 m · 1.54 t @ 12.9 m outreach |
Battery swap drawer | 24 V / 5 kWh LiFePO₄ auxiliary pack | Powers crane & body hydraulics while propulsion pack fast‑charges |
On‑board Guardian node | Edge TX2 module + LTE/LoRa | Real‑time load monitoring, tyre pressure, route replay, and public dashboard feed |
Climate armour | IP65 stainless electronics bay; 316 SS fasteners | Survives salt‑spray |
Lift Workflow
Approach
Vehicle positions within 2 m of the Whispering Bin pad.
Battery swap drawer
Operator deploys stabilisers; Guardian confirms solid ground & PTO interlock.
On‑board Guardian node
the electric loader crane lifts a full 660 L bin (≤ 400 kg) from curb or jetty and slews into box bay racks.
Climate armour
RFID on bin registers weight, contaminant score, and steward ID to Guardian.
Routing & Charging
Daily loop
Funafuti main island → outer islet clusters → RRN (“Te Fenua Fakafoou”) → maintenance bay.
Distance
≤ 45 km round trip, well inside single‑charge envelope.
Charging
75 kW DC solar‑buffered station at the RRN; top‑up in 45 minutes during sorting window.
Emergency
22 kW AC fallback at Te Puka Loloa hybrid comms node.
EV Battery Emergency Tie-In Overview
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Purpose | Use EV truck battery to temporarily power or support loads during outages |
Connection Type | Manual or automatic vehicle-to-load (V2L) or vehicle-to-grid (V2G) port |
Location | Junction box with dedicated inlet and interlock |
Safety | Protected by a manual disconnect switch, relay, and voltage matching |
Use Case | Power comms nodes, emergency shelters, lights, or desal units |