Islington’s new electric street sweeper named ‘Sweeping Beauty’

One of Islington Council’s new fully electric street sweepers has been officially named ‘Sweeping Beauty’ after a six-year-old pupil won a borough-wide competition.

Adele, from Thornhill Primary School, came up with the winning name with help from her sister Aylin. Their entry was chosen following a public vote that attracted more than 240 responses after more than 130 suggestions were submitted by pupils from 16 schools.

The vehicle is one of three new electric street sweepers set to clean the borough’s streets, helping to cut emissions and reduce diesel consumption by more than 7,000 litres a year. The switch is expected to save around 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually and cut fuel costs by approximately £6,000.

Cllr Rowena Champion, executive member for environment, air quality and transport, said it was ‘fantastic to see local children getting involved in shaping a more environmentally friendly future for Islington”.

The sweepers, developed with Bucher Municipal, are designed to be quieter and less polluting than traditional diesel models.

For more on Islington Council’s fleet transformation journey, check out our interview with Chris Demetriou, Assistant Director of Corporate Fleet, Transport & Accessible Community Transport.   

Photo: Council leader Cllr O’Halloran and a student from Thornhill Primary School. © Islington Council.