Guess watt! Winchester district just got its first electric waste truck
Winchester City Council has taken another big step in driving down carbon emissions, with the addition of a 100% electric vehicle in its waste fleet. The new waste truck will be seen across the district on a number of routes in the coming weeks and months.
Earlier this year, all 17 waste and recycling vehicles within the fleet (operated by BIFFA) switched to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) which is already saving over 600 tonnes of carbon per year compared to diesel (up to 96%).
The new electric waste vehicle will help the council and Biffa plan for the addition of more electric vehicles in the future.
Councillor Kelsie Learney, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency said: ‘Ultimately, it is our ambition to have a fully electric waste fleet when we can be sure this can offer a reliable service for our residents, is affordable and infrastructure allows. The introduction of our first electric waste vehicle is a step towards this and will allow us to plan to bring in more electric trucks in the future. In the meantime, the use of HVO fuel is already allowing us to significantly reduce our carbon emissions and go greener faster.’