Delivered by truck manufacturing company Dennis Eagle, the eCollect vehicle is claimed to have an overall battery life of ten years, and a battery that costs approximately £20 to charge overnight.
According to the council, eCollect offers a 100 percent reduction in air quality pollutants and annual reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) of approximately 25-35 tonnes per vehicle.
The move will support the council’s plan to replace all of its heavy goods vehicles with electric, gas, or hydrogen variants. This initiative is part of Bradford Council’s aim to improve health and air quality in the district. Improvements over the next two years are projected to reduce emergency respiratory admissions at Bradford Royal Infirmary by ten percent. It also complements Bradford’s commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2038, with progress by 2030.
Dennis Eagle’s regional sales manager Andrew Christie said: “Operationally, it will provide exactly what they are looking for and it will do it with zero emissions. This is totally in line with the council’s Sustainable Development Action Plan and will help combat the climate emergency as well as improving local air quality.”
The eCollect vehicle is based at the Harris Street depot. It will be used in the city centre and within the Clean Air Zone, where the air pollution levels are said to be the worst. Looking further ahead, the vehicle will be trialled across various routes in Bradford and Keighley, with a view to potentially purchasing additional electric vehicles.