Neath Port Talbot Council’s growing fleet of electric and low-emission vehicles now numbers 50 as it continues its drive towards a cleaner, greener future.
As well as light vans and pool cars, the green vehicles now include a 16-tonne road sweeper and a 12-tonne recycling vehicle with the fleet serving a wide variety of departments from waste and recycling to social services.
And the council now has a solar powered charging park at its offices in The Quays on the Baglan Energy Park with public EV charging facilities also available at the Neath Multi-Storey Car Park and Afan Forest Park.
The charging park at the Quays is powered by a large solar canopy.
Cllr Wyndham Griffiths, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Transport and Connectivity, said:
“This milestone demonstrates our commitment to a carbon zero future and to following our DARE (Decarbonisation and Renewable Energy) Strategy.
“Our staff have to move around the county borough whether that be collecting recycling, making social services visits or in delivering the huge range of other services we deliver week in and week out.
“We are now moving towards a cleaner, greener way of getting out staff on the move. Lower carbon dioxide emissions and no air pollution at point of use and other benefits such as lower insurance costs and lower vehicle excise duty for pure EVs means we are contributing to a cleaner, greener Neath Port Talbot.”
Cllr Scott Jones, the council’s Cabinet Member for Streetcare, added:
“As we obtain more and more electric and low emission vehicles our daily waste collections from residents’ homes will have a lower and lower carbon footprint.
“The fact most of our vehicles can recharge under a solar canopy is also good news for the environment and for the county borough as a whole.”
