Wakefield Council looking to spend £11m on electric cars and vans but keep bin wagons and gritters diesel-powered

Draft proposals suggest funding could be released to ensure the local authority meets low emission targets by 2030.

A report being prepared for senior councillors is expected to recommend that they agree to releasing funds to replace diesel-powered ‘light-duty vehicles’ with battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

The draft report also recommends that the Council’s bin wagons and gritters continue to use diesel due to “uncertainties with technology and performance” of larger vehicles.

A “corporate fleet asset replacement strategy” document is currently being prepared for the Council’s Cabinet.

The draft report recommends spending £11.4m to “address current under-funding of the existing fleet and provide additional investment to replace vehicles and other assets with low or zero emission alternatives.”

The Council operates over 500 vehicles to deliver essential services to the public.

In 2019, the Council declared a Climate Emergency with a stated aim of becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2030.

In September 2020, Cabinet approved the Climate Change Action Plan, which sets out what needs to be done to achieve carbon neutrality.

The draft report states: “The Council’s fleet emits over 4,000 tonnes of Co2 each year and accounts for around 12 per cent of the Council’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“Reducing emissions from fleet operation is a key strand to achieve the carbon neutral goal and helps to position the Council as leading the fight against climate change.”

The report states that the most suitable alternative fuel technology currently available for the Council’s vehicles to become carbon neutral is the use of BEVs.

It does not recommend switching to BEVs in relation to larger goods due to higher costs and technology being in its “infancy”.

Currently, a diesel bin wagon costs around £190,000.

An equivalent BEV would be around £400,000 and a hydrogen alternative around £800,000.

The report states: “Specialist large duty vehicles, such as refuse collection vehicles, gully tankers and gritters are also something of an unknown quantity when considering alternative fuels and technology and further research and testing is required to ensure operational performance is not compromised.”

An electric bin wagon is currently being trialled by the Council to help better understand operational performance.The draft report contains an option to spend £25m replacing both light and heavy vehicles.

That option looks unlikely to be recommended due to the greater financial cost and uncertainty about the performance of heavy vehicles

The draft report is to be considered by members of the Council’s Climate Change and Environmental Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday (September 26).

A final copy of the report is expected to be put to Cabinet in November.