Islington Council has completed works that it says will eventually support the electrification of its entire vehicle fleet.
JoJu Solar has installed hundreds of electric vehicle (EV) chargers at the council’s waste and recycling centre over the past three years.
Islington said the completion of the £5.7m project, which it funded with a £1.5m contribution from the Mayor of London, means it can now convert its entire fleet to electric ‘in the coming years’.
The council has so far introduced 80 ‘full battery’ EVs to its fleet, including cage tippers and electric minibuses.
It aims to have an all-electric fleet by 2030 and reduce the size of its fleet.
Executive member for environment, air quality and transport Rowena Champion said: ‘Through our work to electrify Islington’s vehicles, we’re lowering the impact of our fleet on climate change, and we’re ensuring that local people see quieter, less-polluting vehicles driving down their streets.
‘In doing so, we can help improve air quality across the borough, which in turn delivers a huge range of health and wellbeing benefits including a lower risk of developing respiratory illness.
‘EVs are also cheaper to run than diesel-alternatives, which is especially important at a time when council budgets are coming under increasing pressure.
‘The completion of the electrification work at the waste and recycling centre is another major milestone in our efforts to create a more environmentally-friendly fleet.’
London’s deputy mayor for environment and energy, Shirley Rodrigues, said: ‘This project demonstrates that, with commitment and vision, it’s possible to convert even larger and more specialist vehicles to electric and to improve the air Londoners breathe, as we work to build a greener city for everyone.’
