- Electrification pioneers VEV and RVS, and public services
provider Serco, announce the highly successful results of a pilot
scheme for electric recycling and waste collection vehicles (eRCVs)
in Hampshire.
- Two eRCVs completed live collection rounds for thousands of
local residents over eight weeks.
- The eRCVs were converted and repowered from diesel into as-new
electric vehicles by RVS, adding to the carbon emission
savings.
- Drivers reported that the vehicles performed better than the
usual diesel vehicles and they preferred the smooth and quiet
driving experience.
- The trial delivered significant reduction in noise pollution
and 8,898kg in emissions savings – the equivalent of removing two
cars from the road for the entire year.
- Modelling within VEV-IQ demonstrated eRCV total cost of
ownership (TCO) could be between 4 and 14% lower than diesel RCVs
with effective optimisation.
- VEV has delivered a three-phase plan for Serco to roll out eRCV
collection at multiple sites across the UK, with Serco maintaining
the eRCVs operation in Hampshire
post-pilot.
- The full pilot report can be downloaded here, and
high-resolution imagery here.
LONDON, July 16,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- VEV, the e-fleet solutions
provider backed by Vitol – a world-leader in the energy sector
– reveals the results of its highly successful collaboration with
public services provider, Serco, and RVS, following the conclusion
of a pilot programme for electric recycling and waste collection
vehicles in Hampshire.
In an eight-week pilot, VEV, Serco and RVS consolidated their
expertise to support the councils' climate emergency targets by
demonstrating the powerful capabilities of electric refuse
collection vehicles (eRCVs) to reduce the substantial carbon
footprint created by recycling and refuse collection.
Across 69 collection rounds balancing distance, bin-quantity and
weight, the two RVS-repowered eRCVs completed refuse and recycling
collections for thousands of local residents. The specialised
vehicles significantly reduced noise pollution and delivered
8,898kg in emissions savings, removing the equivalent of two cars
from the road for an entire year just over the 8-week period. The
carbon footprint was further reduced during the manufacturing
process by using vehicles converted from diesel to electric.
Crucially, the drivers of the eRCVs lost their scepticism about
electric vehicles early on and concluded that they preferred the
new vehicles. One said, "I like how quiet it is, I can hear the
crew working behind me much easier, it feels much safer."
Building on the extensive benefits for local communities and the
environment, the pilot proved the case for operational efficiency
using eRCVs for fleet operators like Serco. Under different
scenarios blending the impacts of energy price, vehicle efficiency,
mechanical optimisations, fuel price changes and maintenance
strategies, TCO savings of between 4 and 14% compared to diesel
RCVs, could be achieved in the short term. These models were
generated by VEV's bespoke management platform, VEV-IQ, which is
used to optimise EV fleet operations.
From increasing range by up to 20% with driver training, to
managing energy consumption through smart charging schedules and
vehicle performance monitoring, pilot data was utilised to showcase
how an optimised eRCV operation can be a cost-effective solution
for operators, without additional financial burden on the local
population.
Analysing the real-world data from the daily collection
operations, VEV has delivered a TCO-optimised, three-phase plan for
Serco to roll out eRCV operations across multiple sites in the UK,
starting with the two Hampshire
depots. The plan encompasses a grid upgrade, solar power
installation, optimisation stream, and the VEV-IQ analytics
platform. VEV-IQ will facilitate smart charging and operations
optimisation based on monitoring and trialling operational
changes.
Assessing the electrification readiness of Serco's fleets in the
two Hampshire councils, VEV
identified that multiple vehicles are prepared for a cost-effective
switch now, with a second wave to follow.
VEV CEO, Mike Nakrani, said:
"A critical objective for VEV, Serco and RVS in this project,
was to prove that electric recycling and refuse collection can be a
significant step in reducing carbon emissions and improving air
quality, in a way that makes commercial sense for fleet operators
and local councils.
"By saving nearly nine tonnes of emissions in just eight weeks
and proving that eRCV costs can meet or even improve on their
diesel counterparts, this real-life project has delivered a ringing
endorsement for electrifying all kinds of commercial fleets. We
thank each of our partners for their commitment and rigour in this
project, and we look forward to helping Serco make a cost-effective
switch across even more of its eRCV fleet moving forward."
Spencer Law, Founder & CEO
of Refuse Vehicle Solutions Ltd. said:
"Repowering refuse collection vehicles enables fleet operators
like Serco to reap a swathe of environmental and efficiency
benefits. The converted eRCVs we delivered consistently completed
their routes with enough battery charge on return to the depot to
cater for unplanned, extra rounds.
"The drivers adapted well to the vehicles after the initial
coaching, and reported stronger vehicle performance than their
diesel equivalents, with many preferring the comfort and quietness
of the electric operation. We're delighted with the performance of
the eRCVs that this pioneering project has helped us put in the
spotlight."
George Roach, Performance and
Compliance Director for Serco Environmental Services
said:
"Establishing the business-case for electrifying Serco's
recycling and refuse collection fleet was key for us throughout
this pilot scheme. We're maximising the huge success of the project
and continuing to run the electric RCVs on their routes in both
Hampshire councils.
"The operational efficiency gains that VEV and RVS have helped
us achieve, have played a critical role in proving the
business-case for electrifying even more of our collection
contracts across the UK, allowing us to deliver cleaner air and
quieter streets for local communities."
The full pilot report can be downloaded here, and
high-resolution imagery here.
VEV's media kit is available here.
About VEV
VEV helps organisations deliver on their carbon reduction
ambitions with an end-to-end fleet electrification solution that
integrates across vehicles, charging infrastructure and power. VEV
is owned by Vitol, a world leader in energy, which to date has
committed circa $2 billion to
sustainable energy initiatives worldwide.
VEV navigates the complexities of EV transformation to design
and implement cost-effective EV fleets optimised for specific fleet
requirements. It supports EV fleet operations to guarantee
resilience and keep mission-critical fleets running at scale.
Bespoke, scalable business solutions are designed around the
customer's own fleet data analysed by a powerful assessment tool,
VEV-IQ, and VEV's experts in energy and sustainable e-mobility. VEV
sets businesses up for success in an electrified future.
More information at VEV.com
About RVS
Refuse Vehicle Solutions (RVS) is the UK's leading independent
supplier of New, Quality Used, Refurbished and Electric Conversion
refuse collection vehicles.
Combining over 100 years of experience, RVS possess a complete
understanding of the waste sector's demands and requirements,
enabling our success in all aspects of RCV provision and
maintenance.
RVS are proud to be at the forefront of the waste fleet
electrification movement, helping the industry meet its
sustainability goals, and evolving together towards a cleaner,
greener future.
For more information, visit refusevehiclesolutions.co.uk.
About Serco
Serco brings together the right people, the right technology and
the right partners to create innovative solutions that make a
positive impact and address some of the most urgent and complex
challenges facing the modern world.
With a primary focus on serving governments globally, Serco's
services are powered by more 50,000 people working across defence,
space, migration, justice, healthcare, mobility and customer
services.
Serco's core capabilities include service design and advisory,
resourcing, complex programme management, systems integration, case
management, engineering, and asset & facilities management.
Underpinned by Serco's unique operating model, Serco drives
innovation and supports customers from service discovery through to
delivery.
More information can be found at www.serco.com
About Serco in Environmental Services
Serco's Environmental Services business provides refuse and
recycling collection, street cleansing, vehicle maintenance and
landscapes services to UK local authorities. We also operate fully
integrated waste and recycling contracts which include waste and
recycling treatment, processing, recovery and disposal. The company
works in long term partnership with 16 local authorities, bringing
together our expert knowledge and experience to drive positive
social outcomes for the environment, our customers, communities and
colleagues.
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