Stopping and starting across relatively short distances and with minimal weight concerns, waste collection vehicles seem a ready candidate for electrification.
There’s been some movement in this space in Australia, I got the privilege of putting an electrified Iveco ACCO through its paces several years ago, it seemed like a ready and willing powertrain for the application.
In the UK, where the push towards electrification and reduced emissions is a little more intensified than Australia, electric waste collection vehicles are starting to come to the fore.
But there are calls for the change over to happen a little more urgently.
VEV, a leading provider of fleet electrification solutions, and software solution provider, Whitespace, are urging local councils in the UK to transition refuse collection vehicles to electric power.
They say that while many councils in the UK are on board with cleaner technologies, without robust data analysis, complex EV transitions risk expensive mistakes or miscalculations.
Mike Nakrani, CEO of VEV, says that’s where telematics and energy data are crucial to inform decisions.
“Whilst petrol or diesel powered RCVs (Refuse Collection Vehicles) are efficient at collecting and transporting waste, we must also prioritize leaving behind clean air in the communities that they serve.
“Every fleet needs a different approach to electrification because every fleet is unique. And data-led planning enables bespoke configuration based on real fleet duty cycles and routes.
“There’s still time to get it right, and we believe the combination of VEV and Whitespace provides the expert support councils and waste contractors need to make the move to EVs. ”
“By uniting with VEV to emphasize the significance of data-driven approaches for the electrification of council fleets we hope to empower local authorities to make more informed decisions, benefitting both the environment and operational efficiency.” – Mark Garvey, CEO of Whitespace
The partners say that using telematics and energy data at the planning stage can help fleets design a bespoke, accurate EV configuration around the right mix of vehicles, chargers, and energy sources.
