Wakefield Council has been trialling using an electric rubbish collection truck
A council has announced plans to replace its "ageing" bin lorries with a new fleet of diesel vehicles after attempts to go electric were unsuccessful.Wakefield Council began trialling an electric rubbish collection vehicle four years ago as part of efforts to become a carbon neutral authority.
But Lou Redpath, the council's service director for environmental services, told a meeting that manufacturers had been unable to find "anything sustainable enough" to allow the council to switch to an electric fleet long-term.
Members of the council's environment scrutiny committee described the move as "disappointing", especially during the ongoing global fuel shortage. The council declared a climate emergency in May 2019 and pledged to be fully carbon neutral by 2030. In 2022, senior councillors agreed to spend £4.9m to introduce zero-emission battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and an additional £1m on charging infrastructure.
At the time, a report said about 12% of the authority's greenhouse gas emissions were produced by its fleet of 1,100 cars, vans and other equipment.
The document also said bin wagons and gritters would continue to use diesel due to "uncertainties with technology and performance" of larger vehicles, but pledged to keep trialling an electric refuse vehicle. More of this article (BBC) - link - more like this (Council waste EVs) - link - more like this (electric waste vehicles) - link - more like this (Carbon Neutral) - link
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