London borough of Lewisham has welcomed the arrival of the new Mercedes-Benz Econic 1830 4×2. The truck has an electric tipper and crusher body meaning that it operates quietly and efficiently without bothering residents, market staff and market visitors.
The first Econic truck was purchased by the Lewisham Town Council in 2013. Today, Econics are all that the borough of Lewisham use for waste collection and operating a fleet of around 40 trucks.
“The Econic combines high performance with first-class reliability and an outstanding total cost of ownership record that outperforms all competitors,” says Noel Everest, service group manager of the urban fleet management.
The Mercedes-Benz Econic also features a ‘high-visibility cab’, allowing for good visibility for both the driver and other road users. This is due to its high and wide-opening driver’s door, panoramic glazing of the front and side windows. There is also a sophisticated mirror and camera system in place to reduce the blind spot. Overall the Econic has a very high safety standard, and Everest is confident that the new refuse collection vehicle will achieve a five-star rating once the London mayor Sadiq Khan’s “Direct Vision Standards” directive is put into motion.
