Nottingham City Council Admits Electric Bin Lorries Not a Best Value Option

Strategic Insights -

Nottingham City Council's ambitious plan to become carbon neutral by 2028 has been marred by the adoption of electric bin lorries, which have proven to be a costly and unreliable option. The Labour-led council had expected the vehicles to save £32,000 per year in running costs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 52 tonnes annually. However, a Freedom of Information request revealed that the council spent £8.7m on its fleet of 20 electric bin lorries, which have encountered a series of problems since their adoption.

Key Takeaways:

  • The council spent £8.7m on 20 electric bin lorries, which have encountered charging faults, reliability problems, capacity concerns, and range issues when collecting garden waste.
  • Councillor Linda Woodings (Lab) admitted that the council should have waited before adopting the new technology, citing lessons learned from being one of the first adopters of brand-new electric refuse vehicles.
  • The authority now plans to run its larger, heavier diesel vehicles on HVO fuel, which is considered the most cost-effective approach to carbon reduction.
  • An electric bin lorry costs £560,000, weighs 26 tonnes, and has a 12-tonne capacity for waste on the back, while a diesel bin lorry costs £265,000, weighs 32 tonnes, and has a 20-tonne capacity for waste on the back.
  • The council's head of fleet, Ken France, stated that running diesel vehicles on HVO fuel is the single most cost-effective approach to carbon reduction, saving the council a significant amount of capital.
  • Electric vehicles do not represent best value for the council due to maintenance and running costs that even out, and the council should consider diesel vehicles with HVO as the best choice.

Statistics:

  • £8.7m: The total cost the council spent on its fleet of 20 electric bin lorries.
  • £32,000: The expected annual savings in running costs from adopting electric bin lorries.
  • 52 tonnes: The expected annual reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from adopting electric bin lorries.
  • 11,675: The number of missed bin collections in just three months in 2023 due to charging faults on electric lorries.
  • 20: The number of electric bin lorries owned by the council.
  • £560,000: The cost of an electric bin lorry.
  • £265,000: The cost of a diesel bin lorry.
  • 26 tonnes: The weight of an electric bin lorry.
  • 12 tonnes: The waste capacity of an electric bin lorry.
  • 32 tonnes: The weight of a diesel bin lorry.
  • 20 tonnes: The waste capacity of a diesel bin lorry.

Sources:

  • A Freedom of Information request from 2024.
  • A People and Communities Scrutiny Committee meeting on Wednesday, September 3.
  • Data published in 2023.
  • Interview with Councillor Linda Woodings (Lab) after the meeting.
  • Interview with Councillor Andrew Rule, of the Nottingham Independents and Independent opposition group.