Leeds City Council has taken a major step towards cleaner, greener refuse collection by adding the first three battery-powered Mercedes-Benz eEconic trucks to its fleet.
Supplied via refuse collection vehicle specialist FAUN Zoeller UK, the vehicles are equipped with 22 m3 Variopress compactor bodies and Rotary 3 bin lifters.
These are built onto Mercedes-Benz eEconic 300 chassis, with 27-tonne gross weights and 6×2 drivelines, supplied by local Dealer Northside Truck & Van, which will also provide ongoing maintenance and technical support.
Leeds City Council collects over half a million waste and recycling bins per week from households across its area, sending out 75 trucks and crews on six days every week and running the country’s largest free garden waste collection service under a single local authority.
Charging will take place overnight at the Council’s eco-designed depot at Newmarket House, which means that the trucks will be ready to work each morning when the teams arrive at 6am.
The eEconic 300 has a rear-steer axle and is fitted with three battery packs, for a total installed capacity of 336kWh.
The batteries can be recharged from 20 to 80% in 75 minutes, using a 400A 160kW charger.
Chief Environmental Services Officer John Woolmer said, “Leeds has chosen to be one of the pioneers driving forward the use of electric domestic refuse collection vehicles.
“It is calculated that the council’s household waste management operations across Leeds already contribute an annual carbon saving of 30,000 tonnes and beginning the move of RCVs to electric will not only add to that but also help promote and show leadership for the city on this agenda.”
