Enfield Council launches first fully electric refuse truck

Enfield Council has taken delivery of its first fully-electric 26 tonne Renault Trucks E-Tech D Wide Low Entry Cab rear steer axle refuse truck.

The new electric E-Tech D Wide, equipped with CP Davidson Titan refuse body, is the first of four to be delivered and will service the households of the London Borough of Enfield with the remaining three vehicles expected to be on the road by the summer.

Powered by four lithium-ion batteries, its two AC synchronous electric machines provide power for the vehicle and recovering regenerative energy with permanent magnet technology delivering maximum power of 370 kW peak, continuous power of 260 kW and maximum torque of 850Nm.

The refuse trucks will be joined by a further five 3.5 tonne Renault Trucks E-Tech Master 33kWh Cage Tippers for its parks operations. 

One of the new vehicles has been allocated to Enfield Council’s fleet services and converted to a service van to provide on-site repairs and servicing for its fleet and commercial customers.

Depending on operational requirements, the new electric vehicles will cover between 50-100 miles per day: refuse collections clocking up around 50 miles per day and the street cleaning team covering around 30 miles.

The new electric vehicles will be charged at The Civic Centre in Enfield Town or the Morson Road depot, all of which are fitted with dedicated charging points.

Explaining the decision to select the Renault Trucks E-Tech electric vehicles, Enfield Council’s cabinet member for environment, Cllr Rick Jewell, said: “Where possible, electric vehicles will be our first choice when it comes to fleet replacements. This will result in a fleet of clean and efficient vehicles. Moving to electric vehicles will ensure our carbon footprint is reduced and kept to a minimum.”

He continued: “Enfield Council has been working in partnership with Renault Trucks UK for more than a year on the development of the electric refuse truck.

“Prototypes went through extensive testing and road trials right here in Enfield.

“We were extremely happy with how the vehicles performed in our waste collection operations, demonstrating high performance and reliability, even along our longer routes, and very good battery life. This performance is critical for a large, busy, London borough.”

Enfield’s Climate Action Plan includes a switch of the council’s vehicle fleet to electric with a target of 60% by 2026 and 100% by 2030.

In addition, Enfield Council has a programme of installing charging points at council offices and depots for fleet vehicles, a lamppost EV charging installation programme is currently underway across selected areas of the borough and a roll out of rapid chargers in town centres and at strategic locations in Enfield.

Carlos Rodrigues, managing director of Renault Trucks UK and Ireland, said: “It has been a privilege to work alongside Enfield Council in the development of their first fully electric refuse vehicle.

“Renault Trucks is a pioneer of electric mobility and we are delighted to utilise our knowledge and experience to partner with Enfield Council on their fleet decarbonisation journey.”

The E-Techs will be maintained by Renault Trucks dealer Norfolk Truck and Van, Enfield, on a full R&M contract.