Southampton City Council has taken delivery of the first of four all electric compact sweeper vehicles, helping to meet the council’s environmental objectives under the city's Green City Plan 2030.
The zero emission sweepers will contribute to the council’s sustainable energy and carbon reduction objectives.
Included in these objectives is the pledge that all of the council’s corporate assets will have a net zero carbon footprint and 90% of their fleet will be zero emission by 2030.
The council is making a major investment in its entire fleet, with many types of municipal vehicles moving to lower or zero emission technology as part of the wider green transport commitments.
The seven diesel-powered sweepers that the council currently operates will be replaced with new electric versions as they come to the end of their working lives, helping with the transition away from fossil fuels.
A pilot test of one of the vehicles was undertaken last year, which demonstrated that the electric sweeper was easily capable of working a nine hour shift, but still leaving between 43-54% of battery life available, while also operating at extremely low noise levels.
Charge points have been installed at council depots across the city and have been supplied by a charging specialist who are a major supplier under the Central Southern Regional Framework agreement for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Commenting, Southampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Green City & Place, Councillor Steve Leggett said: “We’ve set ambitious, challenging goals to help tackle climate change, this includes being a carbon neutral council by 2030. We are leading the way with our Fleet Modernisation Plan.
“We are encouraging residents and business to review their impact on the environment, we know that small, simple changes can make a difference to our carbon footprints.”
