The event, part of Clean Air Day, was held at the Waterbeach depot of Greater Cambridge shared waste service – a partnership between South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council.
The shared waste service currently has 50 RCVs and 18 roadsweeping vehicles, all powered by diesel, with a fuel bill of around £46,000 every four weeks.
Electric RCV provider Geesinknorba, which took a zero-emission demonstrator to the depot, estimates that running costs for the vehicle are a tenth of those for a traditional diesel-fuelled RCV.
The all-electric vehicle is already operating on a bin collection route in the city of Manchester.
“The speed of technological progress in electric vehicles is breathtaking and it’s good to see that electric bin collection vehicles are part of that progress,” said Bill Handley, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s lead cabinet member for environmental services.
“A battery-powered bin lorry that weighs, fully loaded, 26 tonnes would have seemed impossible only a few years ago. We want to be green to our core at the council and we will look seriously at anything that helps us to achieve our goals.”
The vehicle in Manchester is operating on a shorter city route – but, added Handley, “I am sure that vehicles suited to our rural environment are only a few years away. When they are launched we will give them serious consideration; we will be watching developments closely.”