Bradford Council is trialling Econ Engineering’s 100% electric EV gritter, funded by revenue from its Clean Air Zone (CAZ).
The vehicle has a range of up to 170 miles, depending on load and road conditions, can achieve a full charge in less than two hours, and runs near silent, with no carbon or other tail pipe emissions.
The council said it expects that the vehicle, which is leased from Yorkshire-based Econ, will provide operational savings of around 0.13p per mile, based on current cost/KW and current diesel price.
It added that it is looking at replacing its entire vehicle fleet with EV equivalents, and is keen to evaluate how moving to fully EV gritters could be possible.
Lead member for regeneration, transport and planning Alex Ross-Shaw (left of picture) said: ‘It is great to be extending the number of fully electric vehicles in the Bradford Council fleet.
‘It is important that we explore new technology solutions, switching to electric is as an investment for the future, and a powerful tool for reducing CO2 emissions.’
The vehicle will be integrated into the council’s fleet based out of Wakefield Road Depot. During this winter season the trial will explore its attributes on different routes, capturing real-time data from the vehicle such as the location, vehicle performance and battery life.
Principal engineer Callum Mapplebeck (third from left) said: ‘Our drivers have reported that the electric gritter is a lot cleaner to recharge rather than refuelling, has no oil so there are no oil leaks and it a is offers a quiet drive, which is a benefit when gritting in residential areas.’
As part of a competition, school pupils named the vehicle Glittery Ice Machine.
