TRIALS on an electric bin lorry have been started by Redditch borough Council as part of work into alternative fuel options.
Bin crews put the battery-powered truck through its paces on their rounds as part of the authority’s commitment to further cut its carbon emissions.
The trial truck was a ‘converted’ electric vehicle, a once diesel bin lorry retrofitted and refurbished for a new lease of life.
The borough’s portfolio holder for environmental services, Councillor Brandon Clayton, said: “From bin lorries to lawnmowers we’re looking into what alternative fuel options could be practical across the council’s various vehicles.
“You can see how far electric, for example, has come since this council bought its first electric utility vehicle back in 2011.
“We are going to be very interested to see the feedback from this trial.”
Every week staff collect waste or recycling bins from over 30,000 homes in Redditch using nine bin lorries.
Key to the council’s ambition of decarbonising that fleet is ditching petrol and diesel for alternative fuels, which currently range from electric to hydrogen, gas, hybrid engines and others, depending on the demands of the task.
Portfolio holder for climate change Coun Anthony Lovell said: “We’re looking into all the options, as all fuels have their pros and cons.
“With the clock ultimately ticking on fossil fuels it’s less a question of if we will do it, and more a question of when and how we will do it.”
