City of London trials electric refuse truck

A trial of a fully-electric refuse truck has begun in the City of London.

The 26-tonne truck, named Electra, runs on lithium-ion batteries and can complete a full 10-hour shift.

The trial will last for two months in the Smithfield area of the Square Mile. The vehicle will also be trialled in two other UK cities later this year.

City Corporation refuse vehicles collect over 1,500 tonnes of household waste and more than 850 tonnes of recycling a year.

Jeremy Simons, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Environment Committee, said: “This vehicle is the is the first vehicle in the UK that is a fully electric, low entry refuse collection vehicle. It’s fully electric, both for compression of the waste and for powering the vehicle, and crucially - no diesel emissions.

“Our ambition is to have a full fleet of clean refuse vehicles. We are taking responsibility for the cleanliness of all our vehicles, encouraging the use of low and zero emission models with our partners.

“It complements the work we are doing to help City businesses cut back on vehicle deliveries and use more hybrid models.”

Russell Markstein, Commercial Director of NRG Fleet Services said: “We are excited about the Electra, having worked with the City Corporation its development over the last 12 months.

“This truck can deliver zero emissions rubbish collection in the Square Mile and long term, it could be a big step forward.”