Hambleton District Council is introducing new electric vehicles to replace its conventional fuel vans, with a view to moving to a 100% electric fleet in the future.

The two brand-new Nissan eNV200 vehicles were delivered in September and will be carrying out a range of services including the enforcement of fly-tipping, waste management, and street cleansing. They were supplied by the council’s vehicle partner, contract hire and fleet management company, Specialist Fleet Services Ltd (SFS), as part of a 10-year contract signed in 2016 to supply and maintain the council’s waste, recycling and street cleansing fleet.

Stephen Watson, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Health, Waste and Recycling, said: "Technology has improved significantly in recent years, enabling us to enter into an agreement that can provide us with electric vehicles with a vision of running a 100% electric fleet in the future. If we want to encourage residents to be more mindful of the effects their own vehicles have on our local environment, then it's right that we look at our own fleet and do something about it.

“We would hope that other organisations and individuals would think about how they too can contribute to the transition from fossil fuels to alternative forms of transport. We should all recognise the importance of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and minimising climate change. These vehicles give us the opportunity to show how we can tackle emissions from the mileage our staff need to do to provide services across the district and I look forward to watching how this progress.”

Bob Sweetland, Managing Director, SFS: “We are delighted to be able to introduce the latest electric vehicle technology to the Hambleton District and excited to be able to help the council move towards its vision of a 100% electric fleet.”

For more information about Specialist Fleet Services tel: 01604 234601; email [email protected]

SFS on social media: Facebook - @SpecialistFleetServices; Twitter - @SpecialistFleet

ENDS.