Westminster City Council and its waste contractor Veolia have unveiled a 60-strong fleet of new and upcycled EVs at Waterloo Place, London.
The vehicles, from e-RCVs to e-trikes and e-sweepers, will make street cleansing services in the city’s West End fully electric for the first time, reducing emissions.
Furthermore, the electric fleet will reportedly be one of the largest operated by a waste and street cleansing contract in any local authority in the UK.
It will allow an 89% reduction of CO2e emissions compared to a diesel fleet, in line with Westminster City Council’s carbon net zero by 2040 plans. It will also help improve air quality and lower noise pollution as electric motors are significantly quieter.
Councillor Rachael Robathan, leader of Westminster City Council, said: “Air quality is one of the most important issues for our residents, and the move to all-electric vehicle fleets is a key step towards our commitment to be carbon zero by 2030.
“This collection of state-of-the-art electric vehicles will transform the way we clean our streets and collect waste and recycling across Westminster.
“Cleaning in the West End is now fully electric – and the rest of the city soon will be as we roll out more electric vehicles over the next 12 months.”
Veolia’s energy teams have supported Westminster in installing smart charging infrastructure across Westminster’s West End depots, with Farm Street depot in Mayfair being fully electric, to ensure vehicles can be charged to meet demand.
Gavin Graveson, executive vice president, Veolia UK & Ireland, said: “These electric vehicles demonstrate our commitment to ecological transformation and working with our partner, Westminster City Council, to lead the transition away from diesel power.
“By making this change we’re cutting carbon, making the city cleaner and greener and ensuring the West End is at the forefront of innovation.”
