The Municipal Corporation Shimla on Monday rolled out a fleet of electric waste-collection vehicles, becoming the first urban local body in Himachal Pradesh to begin converting its waste-management fleet to electric mode in a phased manner.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu flagged off the fleet of 10 electric vehicles from the Himachal Pradesh State Secretariat. The move is part of the state government’s broader push towards promoting e-mobility and reducing carbon emissions.
The Chief Minister said that prior to the formal launch, trial runs of the vehicles were conducted by the civic body between November 10 and 14, 2025. The vehicles performed successfully in Shimla’s challenging terrain and operational conditions. Each vehicle has a waste collection capacity of one tonne and has been procured at a cost of Rs 13.98 lakh.
To support the new fleet, charging infrastructure has been installed at the Municipal Corporation’s parking facility. On a full charge, each vehicle can travel approximately 130 to 150 kilometres, making them suitable for daily waste collection operations across the city.
Sukhu praised the initiative of the Municipal Corporation and said the state government has been actively promoting electric mobility, a vision outlined in its first budget. He said the government is working on multiple fronts to make Himachal Pradesh a green state, and such steps will significantly contribute to environmental conservation.
He also pointed out that shifting to electric vehicles will help reduce operational costs for the civic body in the long run, especially in the context of rising petrol and diesel prices.
