Electra launch UK’s first compact 12.5-tonne electric waste platform fleet

After a year-long, country-wide trial of their 12.5-tonne eCargo proved a success with operators, Lancashire-based Electra Commercial Vehicles, has now launched the electric waste vehicle platform onto the market. 

Electra was one of the first companies to put electric HGVs on the road in the UK back in 2018 and earlier this year they had a 19-tonne refrigerated hydrogen truck successfully complete a trial with Sainsburys.

The new waste vehicles are the first in this weight class in the UK and have been designed with an extremely short wheelbase (3.33m), which Electra describe as making them especially well-suited for food waste collections.

The eCargo enjoys 140 kWh of battery capacity and thermally managed batteries, allowing it to operate in temperatures from -30 to 50 degrees.  It has a range of up to 250 km and a 150 KW DC fast charge capability, meaning it can add 100 miles to its range in under an hour.

Ben Smith, MD, of Electra Commercial Vehicles, said: ‘The eCargo is the perfect solution to meet the requirements of the Government’s new food waste collections regulations nationwide, producing zero-emissions and with a lead-time of under a year.

‘We offer strategic solutions for every waste application. We are the first to build electric waste collection vehicles in the 12.5-tonne weight range and size.

‘We recognised that the configuration of different body types significantly impacts the truck’s size, design, and battery size and layout while also requiring an EPTO – all packed into a very short wheelbase. We are delighted that we can now offer our clients zero-emission trucks suited to small and busy roads in city centres and narrow precincts, ideally suited for the stringent demands of operations in ultra-low-emissions zones.’

Last November Electra signed a deal for Guest Motors to distribute their trucks and Rob Spittle, Managing Director at Guest, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see Electra pushing the boundaries with zero-emission vehicles that support day-to-day operations in our cities, meaning that there is an electric option for an ever-increasing range of applications. As a dealer for Electra, we are proud to be part of this innovative project supporting environmental changes.’