Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Dundee cleans up with new electric green machines
“The fact that we have reached the point where we can produce a 26-tonne vehicle for such an energy-demanding role also speaks volumes about how far electric vehicles have developed in recent years and how much more widespread they will become in the near future.”
Having the addition of two electric bin lorries is yet another positive step towards the Drive Dundee Electric campaign that is being run by Dundee City Council in partnership with SWARCO. And they help bolster the growing number of EVs at the council, as it already has two minibuses, more than 100 cars, and a large mechanical street sweeper that are all powered by electricity. Each vehicle also contributes towards the council’s commitment to cleaner air for Dundee. for public vote – the new electric lorries are named: Bin Diesel and Leonardo Di Charge-io!
Transport Scotland funded the project. On behalf of Transport Scotland, Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, said that the Scottish Government was delighted to provide over £350,000 to Dundee City Council, through the Switched on Fleets initiative, to support the purchase of these vehicles.
He said that it “assisted the council in the transformation of their heavy vehicle fleet toward a zero emission future; and in-turn providing a cleaner, healthier environment on the streets of Dundee.”
Barry Will, Head of Connections for the North at Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), explained: “As the electricity distribution network operator serving Dundee, we are proud to play our part in supporting Dundee City Council with the installation of a new substation and network connection to facilitate the electrification of transport in the city.”
He added that SSEN is ready to “support and accelerate vital green investment” that enables cities like Dundee to achieve its net zero ambitions.
DUNDEE is considered to be one of the ‘greenest’ cities in the world thanks to its growing electric vehicle infrastructure.
To date the council, along with a number of partners including Urban Electric, Urban Foresight and Ember, has introduced a number of incentives to encourage sustainable travel across the city including introducing stateof-the-art underground car chargers (pictured above, which we revealed last month in the Courier); a new electric bus service to/from Edinburgh; new charging hubs throughout the city (like the one Council Leader John Alexander is pictured at, below); electric taxis; switching more than 100 council cars to electric as well as introducing special incentives for business owners who switched to electric at the start of the Drive Dundee Electric campaign.
The eletric bin lorries, Bin Diesel and Leonardo Di Charge-io are the latest move in a whole host of positive changes to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and work towards its net zero emissions target.
Look out for the new bin lorries in a street near you this month.
For more information on the project, which is driven by Dundee City Council and SWARCO, visit www.drivedundeeelectric. co.uk