Manchester City Council is set to replace half of its refuse collection lorries with pure-electric models. An initial 27 bin lorries have been ordered by Biffa, which holds the contract for waste collection and street cleaning for the city.
These new electric refuse collection vehicles (e-RCVs) will replace diesel-powered models that have erached the end of their lifespan. The move contributes towards the council’s zero carbon action plan, which aims to halve its direct carbon emissions by 2025, and make Manchester zero carbon by 2038.
The switch to e-RCVs will save around 900 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, accounting for 4% of the council’s annual direct carbon emissions.
It will cost £9.757 million for the 27 vehicles, marginally more than if the existing trucks had been replaced like-for-like with diesel models. The cost difference is expected to be largely off-set by energy savings and the availability of grants.
The vehicles have been ordered from Blackburn-based Electra, and will start operating in the autumn. An e-RCV has been on trial with the council for the past 18 months, with stipulations for a switch to electric vehicles requiring no compromise on payload or daily operation.
