Ipswich Borough Council refuse service are to test an electric Refuse Collection Vehicle (RCV) this week and during World Electric Vehicle (EV) Day on 9 September. The Dennis E-Collect vehicle to be trialled is solely electrical-powered and is claimed to be the world’s first all-electric RCV. The Council will also be testing a further RCV later this year, the Electra.
Ipswich Borough Council will put the vehicle to work to check how it performs on the town’s roads, including when it needs to travel on the A14, as well as carefully examine what it can carry.
Councillor Phil Smart, Ipswich Borough Council's Portfolio Holder for Environment & Climate Change, said: “We are committed to our replacing the Council’s current vehicle fleet with those electrically-powered as part of our Climate Emergency work. We already have 48 electric vehicles and now we are considering how to replace our large vehicles, including Refuse Collection Vehicles, once new legislation about waste collection is known.
"This trial will help us determine how we can best use electric vehicles and evaluate what is on the market. We are investing in state-of-the-art electric charging capacity which will allow us to move towards an all-electrical fleet that is best both for the environment and our services to residents and businesses.”
The E-Collect RCV is in Ipswich from 6 to 10 September and it is pictured arriving into Ipswich at Portman Road.
