Councils throughout the UK are making the switch to greener waste removal collections by switching to electric vehicles. Not only does the switch reduce carbon emissions and take the UK a step closer to net-zero targets, but it also saves an average of £91 per day equalling an estimate of £23,000 saved every year.
Electrifying the waste fleet throughout the UK does come at a cost but local Governing authorities are finding ways to reduce costs by utilising the existing diesel vehicles. The wagons have their engine, gearbox, fuel etc replaced with a lithium battery and associated components. This helps reduce the number of vehicles that are scrapped as part of the new fleet.
Further savings are incurred due to a lack of servicing requirements for electric vehicles and the removal of fees when entering low emission zones. Electricity is far cheaper than diesel so the money will be saved by charging the fleet instead of re-fuelling. Each electric wagon can carry an extra 500KG of waste per collection compared to diesel-fuelled wagons.
The first electric bin wagon was deployed in Crawley. Additionally, Sheffield Council have acquired 2 electric vehicles to trial the switch to greener waste collection.
The City of London has also become the first UK authority to fully electrify its waste collection fleet. As of 2020, they have a total of 7 electric wagons on the road. It will be interesting to see how the market develops for larger electric vehicles such as HGV’s, skip wagons etc.
UCS Renewables are dedicated to supporting the UK’s switch to electric travel by supporting the expansion of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure. We are OZEV approved installers for a variety of chargers for commercial and domestic use. Whether you are a business or homeowner, we can recommend and install the right charger for you.
If you are interested in making the switch to greener travel, enquire today.
