Electric sweeping: a piece of the puzzle for a better, fairer future for all
The Council is working to reduce carbon emissions as part of its strategy to become a net zero borough by 2030. This focuses on a number of priorities, including buildings, transport, sustainable and affordable energy, green economy and planning, and natural environment and waste, with action plans for each area.
In terms of transport, the Council has been transitioning towards a greater proportion of electric power and now has over 100 electric vehicles on its 530-strong fleet. This comprises around 50 cars, 240 light commercial vehicles, 45 buses, and 20 minibuses, with the remainder heavy commercial and specialist vehicles, such as refuse trucks and sweepers. The Council introduced an eSwingo compact sweeper to the mix in January last year and has now added another.
Chris Demetriou, Assistant Director of Corporate Fleet, Transport & Accessible Community Transport, said: “Our second eSwingo replaces an existing diesel sweeper, saving 4,000 liters of diesel and £4,500 per annum, and further reducing CO2 emissions by around 10 tons a year. It will also contribute to delivering our commitment for a greener and healthier environment for the borough’s residents as part of our Islington Together 2030 strategy which aims to deliver a fairer, more equal future for all.”
A gain in working comfort without compromising on performance
“Our drivers love the eSwingo and this was a factor in our decision to add another.” Demetriou added. “Feedback has been very positive with favorable views on how easy it is to operate; how quiet it is and how powerful the suction power is. Our drivers find it easy to maneuver and, by switching to electric power, there has been no discernible loss of payload,” he added.
Mechanized Services Operative, Manuel Morais, said the eSwingo had ‘been absolutely fantastic to drive.’ “It has been extremely reliable over 1,500 working hours and 3,500 driving hours with no issues at all. “This winter was the first I had used the eSwingo during the busy leafing season and it performed brilliantly with no loss of power. I was able to operate the vehicle for a seven-hour shift without having to return to depot to charge it. And from a personal perspective, I feel a lot healthier driving this vehicle compared to the previous diesel sweeper I used to drive,” he said.
Electric sweeping helps to reach local authority green goals
Matt Elderkin, area sales manager at Aebi Schmidt, said: “Islington Council is committed to a greener, fairer future for its residents and the eSwingos will play a key role in helping deliver that. We are seeing increased demand from local authorities for the eSwingo and a growing order bank, as councils across the country underline their carbon-free commitments for the future.
Image caption: Islington Council has added another eSwingo to its increasingly electric fleet. Left to right: Alfred Caddle, Chris Demetriou, Manuel Morais
