Veolia and its partner Westminster City Council have unveiled a 60 strong fleet of new and upcycled electric vehicles. The vehicles will make street cleansing services in the West End fully electric for the first time, 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. It’s a step towards ‘Imagine 2030’, a strategy that aims to build a sustainable future for the city.
This fully electric 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, with Farm Street depot in Mayfair being fully electric, to ensure vehicles can be charged to meet the demands of a service that never sleeps.
By making this change we’re cutting carbon, making the City cleaner and greener and ensuring the West End is at the forefront of innovation
The full range of vehicles, from e-RCVs to e-trikes and e-sweepers were displayed at Waterloo Place, London which was reimagined as “Electric Place” for the event. Representatives from key stakeholder groups, Councillors and businesses were invited to view the vehicles and even test out the recycling collection e-trikes.
Speaking at the launch event, Gavin Graveson, Executive Vice President Veolia UK & Ireland said: “These electric vehicles demonstrate our commitment to ecological transformation and working with our partner, Westminster City Council to lead the transition away from diesel power.
“By making this change we’re cutting carbon, making the City cleaner and greener and ensuring the West End is at the forefront of innovation.”
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 by 2030.
“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.
“We are proud to be working in partnership with Veolia to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and make Westminster a greener and cleaner City for All.”
