Peterborough’s first ever electric refuse collection vehicles are currently hitting the city’s streets.

Peterborough City Council has introduced two 26 tonne Renault Trucks E-Tech to its fleet which are estimated to cut carbon emissions by more than 60 tonnes per year compared to the previous diesel vehicles.

Operated by Aragon Direct Services, Peterborough’s Local Authority Trading Company (LATCO), which manages the council’s environmental services, the vehicles will provide cleaner, greener and quieter waste and recycling collections.

They are also part of the council’s commitment to making its activities net zero by 2030, which includes replacing vehicles with low carbon alternatives.

The vehicles will initially work on garden waste collections and will be trialled on other waste streams in the coming months.

They are fitted with four 94kW battery packs, offering up to 40 per cent more capacity - ideal for longer running times, multiple bin lifts and waste compaction demanded by the intensive refuse collection operation.

They are expected to cover 120km and up to 1,300 bin lifts per day, over a 10-hour shift.

Aragon has named the new vehicles to tie in with the rest of the fleet – joining the likes of Dame Vera Bin and Bin Diesel, you can now keep a look out for Usain Volt and Electric Boogaloo on their rounds.

The vehicles are charged overnight at Aragon Direct Service’s Fengate depot, where all maintenance is carried out in-house.

Ian Spence, director of operations at Peterborough Limited, of which Aragon Direct Services is part, said: “These new Renault Trucks E-Tech eRCVs are the first step to a greener fleet for Peterborough City Council, delivering for our residents almost silently with zero tailpipe emissions.

"As we transition to a decarbonised fleet, our vehicles need to keep up with the demands of our operation, and the increased capacity of the Renault Trucks 94kW batteries makes the difference.”

Councillor Nigel Simons, cabinet member for infrastructure, environment and climate change, said: “We are fully committed to reducing carbon emissions in everything that we do as a council and these new electric vehicles will play a key role in this.

"Residents may notice the new vehicles by how quiet they are. It’s fantastic to have them in our fleet and we look forward to monitoring their progress over the coming months."