The council's fleet
- 64 Vehicle Fleet
- Refuse, Recycling, Garden waste, Street Cleaning, Greenspace maintenance and more
- Approx. 350,000 miles per year
- 590 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year= 34 per cent of total council emissions.
We must decarbonise our fleet to achieve net zero carbon by 2050.
This will require careful consideration of all the zero emission fuel options available particularly since the Government is committed to withdrawing the sale of new internal combustion engine cars and vans by 2030.
No deadline has yet been set for the withdrawal of new diesel LGV and HGV sales.
Alternative fuel options:
- Electrification with electric battery powered vehicles and electric vehicle charge point infrastructure
- Hydrogen fuel cells where hydrogen + oxygen = water (H2O) - (the chemical reaction releases energy naturally) generating electricity as a by-product
- Use of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) - a biodiesel made from plant-based oils.
Our Task Is:
- To review our options and determine the most suitable option for Erewash Borough Council
- To determine what the necessary requirements and changes will be
- To ensure a smooth transition for all council services.
The council is working on schemes to build local electric vehicle charge point infrastructure, and other sustainable travel improvements across Erewash:
Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI)
LEVI is a capital funding scheme for local authorities to provide electric charging infrastructure across the UK. Locations for these charging points are being considered.
Expanding Sustainable Travel
While we grow the electric charging network, other modes of transport will also be invested in to help us reduce our carbon emissions and live a healthy active lifestyle. We will be exploring options to develop a sustainable travel strategy for Erewash, to encourage wider use of buses and trains, and more cycling and walking. Please see: Active Environment Network - Making Our Move & Active Travel England.
In exploring these options, we will be looking at the following:
- Bus shelter maintenance & potential upgrades
- Whether goods and services are accessible and affordable locally
- Improving transport connectivity to reduce wait times between buses, and with trains
- Encouraging taxi companies to transition to electric vehicles
- Providing safe walking and cycling routes.
Erewash Borough Council will also be encouraging its staff to evaluate the need for travel, and transition to sustainable travel options where practicable. These might include:
- Zero emission pool cars for staff use
- Car sharing
- Workplace EV charging
- Incentivised bus and train use.