Electric Refuse Collection Vehicles (eRCVs) are to be rolled out in Kingston, as part of the council’s wider goals of improving air quality and cutting CO2 emissions.
As it works its towards its target of net-zero carbon by 2030, Kingston Council has partnered with Veolia to introduce the fully electric trucks for the first time in the London borough.
Additionally, the cleaner and quieter vehicles will be designed for urban environments, meaning collection routes will easily be completed on one charge. As well as improving air quality, noise pollution will reduce as the eRCVs are quieter than diesel-run engines.
Cllr John Sweeney, portfolio holder for business and leisure at Kingston Council, said: “As a council we are committed to providing essential services to residents while limiting the impact we have on the environment.
“By introducing an electric waste fleet, we’ll help improve the borough’s air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly.
“Kingston will be one of the first boroughs to do this and want to lead by example as we move toward our objective of being a carbon neutral council by 2030.
“As well as being better for the environment, the vehicles are also smaller and quieter, which will lead to less disruption for communities while the waste crews complete their rounds.”
