Lunaz has announced the next phase in its fleet electrification partnership with Buckinghamshire Council.
Following the conclusion of a competitive tendering process, Lunaz has committed to the first phase of up-cycling and electrification of a municipal refuse fleet.
The first Buckinghamshire bin lorry to become fully electric will begin its up-cycling and electrification process as part of the partnership, with the 26-tonne refuse vehicle converted from its existing diesel power to electric, with delivery in the autumn.
The work, funded with a grant from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, sees all Lunaz vehicles completely stripped down and all components inspected, up-cycled and replaced as required. This includes the removal of the current diesel engine and replacing it with a fully electric drivetrain. Driver functions, the cab and bin-lift equipment will also be fully refurbished and upgraded to latest technological and safety standards.
Gareth Williams, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment oversaw the delivery of the first diesel refuse vehicle to the team at Lunaz’ HQ on the Silverstone Technology Park.
He said: “This is a very exciting moment for Buckinghamshire Council and a big milestone in our journey to cutting our carbon emissions and meeting our climate change strategy ambitions.”
“It marks the first step in our desire to run a more sustainable fleet of vehicles by using a renewable energy source and has multiple additional benefits including improving air quality and saving money both in terms of cheaper everyday running costs, and the retention of more than 80% of the embedded carbon versus scrapping an existing vehicle and replacing with new.“
The news follows the signing in April 2023 of a seven-year fleet electrification programme between Biffa and Lunaz confirming a commitment to allocating a significant proportion of its 1,110 vehicle per year production capacity.
A Lunaz UEV represents a significant Total Cost of Ownership saving versus either existing diesel equivalents or new EVs. This accelerates the adoption of clean air vehicles by creating a more economically viable route to fleet transition.
David Beckham, Lunaz investor, said: “This is a strong endorsement of Lunaz’ innovative approach to finding sustainable solutions and I’m delighted to be an investor in this fast growing and exciting British company”.
Image courtesy of Lunaz
