Street cleaning teams in Bristol are improving productivity after investing in an all-electric truck.

The Bristol Waste Company purchased an Alke ATX 200E utility truck from ePower Trucks, one of the UK's leading independent suppliers of EVs. It replaces a 10-year-old petrol-powered vehicle.

The electric truck is predominantly used by the company's street cleansing team to empty bins in pedestrianised areas of the city, such as Harbourside, The Centre and the Broadmead shopping quarter.

Iain Fortune, fleet manager for Bristol Waste Company, said: 'We wanted an electric vehicle that had a modern look and feel to it, had excellent carrying capacity and was efficient to run.

'The Alke utility truck was the only vehicle we looked at that met all of our criteria. As a battery-powered vehicle it is very economical to run and a lot less noisy than the previous petrol-powered truck we had'

In addition, Iain's team also deploys the truck to clean up hard-to-access areas, such as the subways leading to St James Barton Roundabout, affectionately known locally as the Bear Pit.

'The Alke was the only suitable vehicle for us that can access the Bear Pit,' added Iain.

'The compact dimensions of the truck mean that our team can drive down the inclines, park up and use a power washer or clean off graffiti. It makes the whole process much quicker, making us even more responsive'

The ATX 200E is a road-legal electric truck that is quiet, emissions-free and economical to run.

Bristol Waste Company's vehicle has a flat bed, providing a payload of 635kg. The powerful electric motor offers an additional towing capacity of 2,000kg. Independent MacPherson front suspension struts and a De-Dion rear axle help to ensure permanent wheel grip and reduce the risk of skidding.

The Alke range is available from ePower Trucks, a leading UK distributor of electric utility and industrial vehicles.

Based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, ePower Trucks provides nationwide product support including new and used vehicles, finance, warranty, service, repair and replacement parts.