Clunker. Old. Beast. That’s how City of Lafayette employees described their previous diesel-powered bucket truck; it had become a burden to operate and relied on the dying art of stick shift. A bucket truck is essential to city operations, used for tasks like maintaining flag poles, lights, and trees. Yet for all the work it did, the diesel-powered truck was cumbersome, unsafe, and likely older than some of the folks operating it. It was also noisy and emitted diesel exhaust, which, with prolonged exposure, can contribute to health problems such as asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
New bucket trucks, however, are expensive—especially in the nascent electric-powered equipment market. Luckily for Gil Torrez, the City’s transportation supervisor, the Colorado Clean Diesel Program (CCDP) offered a way to offset the cost, as long as the City replaced its aging ’90s Ford F800 rig with a cleaner hybrid-electric model. CCDP provides grants to businesses and municipalities to help replace older diesel equipment with hybrid or fully electric alternatives.
“It’s free money towards a new piece of equipment. Why not take advantage of [CCDP]?” says Torrez.
Since its inception, CCDP has helped dozens of municipalities and businesses in Colorado replace aging diesel equipment with cleaner, safer vehicles, reducing emissions and protecting worker health. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the department that oversees CCDP, diesel emissions significantly contribute to air pollution and respiratory risks, making cleaner alternatives like hybrid-electric vehicles an important public-health improvement.
In 2024, the City was awarded a grant for $51,842 to purchase a Ford/Altec hybrid-electric bucket truck. The Ford/Altec F-550 hybrid uses a gasoline engine for driving and powers the Altec bucket, boom, and other work systems with a battery, reducing idling, noise, and emissions while crews work. It includes an auto-shutdown function, a battery-powered HVAC system for operator comfort in hot or cold weather, and can be driven without a Commercial Driver’s License, allowing more employees to operate it safely and quietly.
“It was easy to learn, easy to pick up. For the guys who never ran it, we were just able to get out there and go,” says Torrez.
Nate Bolinger, senior fleet mechanic, says that from his perspective, the ease of operation is much better, the ride is smoother and cleaner, and in general, a huge improvement according to the workers operating it. Charging hasn’t presented a problem either. The manufacturer advised charging when the battery is low, rather than leaving it plugged in all day, helping preserve battery life and efficiency. Because Lafayette is a relatively small city, range hasn’t presented issues either. All the new bells and whistles were exciting, and it was a welcome change.
“The only learning curve was the auto shutdown and start function. It was just completely different,” Bolinger says.
In 2024, the City of Lafayette adopted a Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that slow the effects of climate change, among other priorities like community resilience and adaptation.
“Investing in a hybrid bucket truck has been an important step in lowering the City’s emissions while reducing idle time and fuel use, without sacrificing the performance staff rely on,” says Elizabeth Bocon, sustainability director for the City. “It’s an investment that strengthens both our workforce and our community’s air quality.”
The Colorado Clean Diesel Program makes grants to businesses to help offset the cost of replacing certain off-road diesel equipment with all-electric or hybrid-electric equivalents. To learn more about current grant opportunities, visit our homepage.
