Southampton City Council has improved its fleet’s versatility by purchasing six Faun Zoeller Micro HG refuse collection vehicles via the TPPL & NEPO HGV and Specialist Vehicle Framework Agreement.
The versatility of fleet vehicles is increasingly essential in refuse collection for both the public and private sectors. Southampton City Council needed to improve the efficiency of its service, particularly for street litter bin collections and wanted lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles to meet its sustainability commitments.
The council procured the vehicles through the PCR2015-compliant TPPL NEPO HGV and Specialist Vehicle framework. TPPL provides specialist procurement solutions to the public sector, providing access to more than 260 reputable suppliers assessed for suitability and pre-agreed terms and conditions. It also allows local authorities and other public sector organisations to benefit from TPPL’s category knowledge in the fleet sector and the procurement expertise and resources of its in-house tender support team to achieve a value-for-money outcome.
‘TPPL was able to advise and assist Southampton City Council with their requirements for these specialist vehicles,’ says James Brennan, TPPL MD. ‘The Micro HG has been operating in Europe for several years. However, these are the first to have been procured in the UK, and we are proud TPPL was chosen as the first public sector framework to supply these vehicles.’
The Micro HG is a compact vehicle with a robust steel body that is available in volumes from 2.5-6m3 and can be configured to meet a client’s specific requirements. It has a hydraulic compaction and ejection plate to maximise the payload. The Faun Zoeller Micro HG vehicles for Southampton City Council have a body volume of 4m3 and are mounted on a Mercedes Sprinter Chassis with a Gross Vehicle Weight of 3,500kg. The overall vehicle length is just 5,430mm.
Waste is loaded into the body from the sides. The vehicle has a near-side bin lifter capable of lifting EN840-1 compliant containers up to 360 litres. When operated, this actuates a roof hatch to tip the material in. When the lifter is in its stowed position, the roof panel automatically closes, securing the waste inside.
Further versatility is provided by two additional side-loading hatches, one on each side. This is ideal for loading smaller items of recyclables/waste material. Southampton also chose the toolbox option, which provides an additional compartment for crew storage.
‘The flexibility of the vehicles will help us deliver valued street cleansing services with increased efficiency,’ says Councillor Eammon Keogh, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, Southampton City Council. ‘We will be able to reduce fuel usage and emissions with lighter vehicles running new euro VI engines with start-stop technology. We are demonstrating our ongoing commitment to reducing emissions wherever possible, striving to make our city cleaner, greener and a great place to live and work.’
‘Versatility really is the best word to describe the Zoeller Micro HG,’ says Stewart Gregory, Commercial Director for Faun Zoeller UK. ‘Our clients need vehicles that can perform a number of tasks. These are great for collecting in public spaces such as parks; they can collect missed bins, whatever the waste type, due to the compaction system. Plated below 7,500kg, they offer even more flexibility on who can operate them.’
TPPL supports more than 940 UK public sector organisations, including over 90% of local authorities, to procure a range of fleet assets from three-door cars to 44-tonne HGVs, and associated products and services such as specialist commercial vehicle conversions, telematics, EV charging infrastructure, and hydrogen infrastructure and supply. Its frameworks provide for outright purchase, contract hire, leasing, and daily rental.
Pete Vickers, TPPL Business Development Manager for the South, says: ‘We were delighted the council chose to work with TPPL to support the procurement of these specialist vehicles. I would like to thank Southampton City Council for their continued support since becoming a member in 2018, and I look forward to continuing our relationship for years to come.’
