Westminster City Council in London and its waste contractor Veolia have unveiled a 60 strong fleet of new and upcycled electric vehicles. The vehicles will make street cleansing services in London’s West End fully electric, reducing emissions and “leading the way towards carbon neutrality”, Veolia says.
The new electric fleet will be one of the largest operated by a waste and street cleansing contract in any local authority in the UK.
The fleet 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, the local authority says.
Veolia’s energy teams have supported Westminster in installing smart charging infrastructure across Westminster’s West End depots, to ensure vehicles can be charged to meet the demands of a service that operates 24/7.
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.
“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.
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