Council Moves Towards Electric Vehicles Amid Hire Cost Challenges
Merthyr Tydfil council aims for more electric vehicles but faces high hire costs
Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, Electric Vehicles, Council, Fleet Decarbonisation
Merthyr Tydfil: The council is making strides with electric vehicles, currently having 24 out of 120 in their fleet. They’re looking to boost this number as leases on many vehicles are ending soon.
However, there’s a catch. Electric vehicles are about 65% pricier to hire than diesel ones. So, while they want to go green, the costs are a big hurdle.
They’ve found that smaller electric vehicles work well without any issues. Drivers seem to like them, which is a good sign. But for the larger vehicles, especially those used for waste collection, they’re not as efficient as diesel. They plan to test these larger models more before making any big decisions.
On the bright side, the council has enough charging stations to handle 74 vehicles at once. They’ve got a system in place to quickly fix any charging problems, which is a relief.
Still, the council’s fleet is smaller compared to others, and buying all electric vehicles might not be the best long-term plan. They’re looking into grants from the Welsh Government to help with the transition.
Currently, they hire about 75% of their fleet and are on the hunt for ways to hire electric vehicles at diesel prices. Their goal is to generate and use their own energy for these vehicles, which sounds pretty ambitious!
Back in 2021, when they kicked off their fleet decarbonisation project, they knew having reliable charging was key. But they faced a bunch of challenges, like not enough power, no chargers, and some staff were hesitant about the change.
Good news came in January 2024 when they snagged a grant of £436,000. This will help install more chargers at various locations, making their electric vehicle project one of the best in the region.