Enfield Council has announced that their entire small van fleet is going electric to help the council reach its climate action targets.
The 34 small vans are used to support a number of services including parks operations, street cleansing, environmental crime investigations, highways and housing maintenance and pest control.
In addition, the council is acquiring six electric cage tipper vehicles and two electric maintenance vans. In total, fleet services will buy 50 vehicles and 12 items of plant and parks equipment; 42 of the 50 vehicles (84%) will be electric.
Enfield Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Ian Barnes, said: ‘Our Climate Action Plan includes a switch of the council’s vehicle fleet to electric with a target of 60% by 2026 and 100% by 2030. In addition, we have already begun a programme of installing charging points at council offices for our fleet, a lamppost EV charging trial across certain areas of the borough for residents and we are continuing with our roll-out of rapid chargers in town centres and at strategic locations in Enfield.
‘Emissions from transport in Enfield account for an estimated 39% of the borough’s total emissions. These changes, along with ongoing support for walking and cycling, will help to achieve the Mayor of London’s targets for active and sustainable travel and will help deliver the UK’s commitment to have net zero emissions by 2050.’
Enfield Councils’ cabinet member for Environment, Cllr Rick Jewell, added: ‘Where possible electric vehicles will be our first choice when it comes to replacements. Vehicles and equipment that are not electric will meet all current and future emission regulations - giving us a fleet of clean and efficient vehicles.
‘This will ensure our carbon footprint is reduced and kept to a minimum and we will also see an increase in efficiency. On top of that, the Council has found that acquiring vehicles is far more cost effective in the long run than leasing them, so we are also saving money for our residents as well as improving air quality.’
