Isuzu Tests 3‑Minute Battery‑Swap for Yokohama Electric Garbage Trucks

Isuzu Motors is piloting a battery‑swap system for Yokohama’s electric waste‑collection trucks. The robotic platform removes two depleted batteries and installs fully charged replacements in roughly three minutes, eliminating the need for hour‑long charging stops that can disrupt municipal collection schedules.

The trial, conducted with the Yokohama municipal fleet, will run through March 2028 and is built on the EVision Cycle Concept platform unveiled at the 2023 Japan Mobility Fair. By treating batteries as interchangeable energy modules rather than fixed vehicle components, the system aims to reduce vehicle weight, lower costs and improve operational efficiency for electric trucks that face high energy demand from hydraulic compaction equipment and frequent stop‑start cycles.