Electra Commercial Vehicles has provided Scotland’s first entirely operational electric RCV to North Lanarkshire Council. Electra’s strategic partner Riverside Truck Rental will be supporting the new truck from its Bells Hill Depot with its HV4-trained technicians.
North Lanarkshire’s Electra has been built on a Mercedes-Benz Econic glider platform and has been equipped with an NT H4 hydraulic body and bin lift. The 27-tonne refuse truck produces zero tailpipe emissions, barely any noise, and its performance easily surpasses diesel equivalents.
The lack of vehicle emissions contributes significantly to North Lanarkshire Council’s strategy to tackle air pollution in its communities and move towards net zero emissions by 2030.
North Lanarkshire’s RCV will collect an average of 28 tonnes of waste each, day – 1,800 bins. It only uses a single overnight charge to its 300kwh battery.
The daily diesel cost to operate a traditional vehicle is around £100 – the electricity to charge the new RCV adds up to £12.
Chairman for Electra Commercial Vehicles Sid Sadique commented: ‘Electra Commercial Vehicles is delighted to work with North Lanarkshire Council to provide Scotland’s first zero-emission full-electric refuse collection vehicle.
‘We are leading the charge in Scotland to help deliver clean air environments to the local taxpayers and residents. Working in partnership with Electra, the council has specified a 300KWHR battery pack which will enable the most demanding of duty cycles and rounds to be met on a single charge.’
Strategic partner – maintenance and servicing
Electra Commercial Vehicles and North Lanarkshire will be working with strategic partner Riverside Truck Rental (RTR), part of the NRG Fleet Services Group. RTR will be maintaining the vehicle on a full-service contract from its Bellshill maintenance facility just outside Glasgow. It is RTR’s largest depot in the UK, and it employs over 63 people. The staff has been High Voltage Level 4 trained, enabling it to provide the highest possible service levels. North Lanarkshire will also be benefitting from RTR’s Mobile Service engineers for body servicing; bin lift diagnostic repairs and even LOLER inspections.
‘The Bellshill team are critical in delivering the service for the fleet of EV trucks we hope to be operated in the future. High Voltage (HV) training and product training has already been completed and will be an ongoing feature as we change the workshops from mechanical to electrical engineering skills,’ explained Sid.
Going green
North Lanarkshire has increased the number of electric vehicles in its fleet. The council has now 41 cars and vans in operation and another 20 on order.
North Lanarkshire has been increasing the number of charging points at council depots and offices. Through the PACE project, the local authority is expanding the number of charging points in local communities. It means more residents have the opportunity to ‘go electric’ and lower their carbon emissions.
‘Traditional RCVS have a low mileage but a high fuel consumption, and they operate every day in all our towns and villages,’ said John Stewart, Fleet Resource Manager at North Lanarkshire Council.
‘So, this new all-electric truck is an exciting development for North Lanarkshire, as it’s significantly cheaper to operate and is much more environmentally friendly.
‘The council is already increasing the number of electric vehicles in our fleet, with 41 cars and vans now operating across our services and another 20 vehicles ordered. As well increasing the number of charging points at council depots and offices, through the PACE project we are increasing the number of charging points in local communities. This means more residents have the opportunity to ‘go electric’ and lower their carbon emissions.
‘Our use of electric vehicles, along with partnership working with bus operators, tackling vehicle idling and a range of traffic measures are all important elements of our strategy to reduce air pollution across North Lanarkshire.’
The PACE Project is a partnership between Transport Scotland, Scottish Power Energy Networks, North and South Lanarkshire Councils to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure at over 40 sites across Lanarkshire by April next year. The first charging hub was installed at Strathclyde Country Park last month.
For anyone that wants to find out more about Electra and its journey, please, sign up to OWL Scotland on October 29 and OWL Midlands on November 12.
