Wrexham County Council will use the new vehicle as part of their fleet to collect domestic refuse across the county.
Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said, "We are very pleased that this vehicle has come into operation and we hope it will be the first of many. We are committed to reducing our carbon emissions and to enable and encourage residents and businesses to join us to secure a cleaner and greener future for everyone. We are grateful to the Welsh Government for their support in obtaining this vehicle and we look forward to working with them in future to secure similar vehicles as part of our electric fleet of vehicles."
The refurbished six-year-old RCV was given a new lease on life thanks to RVS detailed refurbishment process. Every nut and bolt has been assessed to make sure the vehicle is in the best condition to guarantee it will last longer with no loss in reliability.
"Recycling existing RCVs into electric vehicles is now a reality thanks to RVS & EMOSS combined technology and expertise. "
"Our company has been working diligently on the problem of what to do with end of life RCVs. Instead of scrapping them, we have delivered the best possible solution: refurbish and convert for use as electric vehicles," says Spencer Law, managing director at RVS. "This will help councils all over the country achieve their ambitious net carbon-zero goal."
Powered by lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, the vehicle can produce up to 280kW of power with no independent charging system needed and comes with a five-year/3,000 charging cycle battery warranty. RVS estimates an electric conversion will save up to £100,000 when compared to purchasing a new vehicle direct from a manufacturer.