Zero-emission bin lorry lands in Birmingham

The 2022 Commonwealth Games host city is trialling all-electric refuse vehicles for three weeks in a bid to determine feasibility and impact of the scheme. 

Birmingham City Council has launched a new era of bin lorries, with the arrival of a Dennis Eagle eCollect vehicle operating for three weeks within the Clean Air Zone (CAZ), collecting waste and recycling material until 12th August. 

According to the local authority, the electric refuse vehicle creates ‘no harmful nitrogen oxide gases, no climate changing carbon gases’ and will not incur a charge for entering the CAZ. Five battery packs and an electric motor power the model, which can pick up around 11 tonnes of waste on each round, with two rounds possible each day without the need to recharge. Comparable performance to a full-sized conventional bin lorry, it is estimated that switching to electric alternatives could save between 25 and 35 tonnes of CO2 emissions per vehicle, per year.

‘Birmingham is making the bold transition to zero-emissions operations to help fight climate change and to create clean air for people who live here, work here or visit our city. We know of the benefits that electric vehicles bring and we can now look more closely at how this vehicle performs and the services it can deliver,’ said Cllr Majid Mahmood, Cabinet Member for Environment. 

‘With our proud heritage in engineering in the city and wider West Midlands, it is also quite fitting that this ground-breaking vehicle was designed and built just down the road in Warwick. It shows how we are continuing to lead the way in technical innovation,’ he continued.

‘We are delighted to be able to help Birmingham trial our all-electric vehicle. At lot of work has gone into making it very efficient and cost-effective and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved,’ added Richard Taylor, Dennis Eagle’s Sales and Marketing Director. ‘Making the transition to a zero-emissions future is vitally important to all of us and as we already have close relationships with Birmingham City Council, we’re keen to help them achieve it.’

Last month, the Birmingham Clean Air Zone marked its first anniversary. 

Image credit: Birmingham City Council