- Lunaz and Buckinghamshire Council: upcycled EV trucks transform diesel vehicles into electric refuse trucks
- Upcycled EV trucks save 82% of embedded carbon compared to new vehicles, offering significant environmental benefits
- Economic advantages include potential savings of over £1 million and the creation of 300 skilled jobs
Transforming waste to green: Upcycled EV trucks driving sustainable innovation
Lunaz, a leading clean-tech company in the UK, has joined forces with Buckinghamshire Council to accelerate fleet electrification through an innovative concept: upcycled EV trucks. Together, they are transforming existing diesel-powered vehicles into fully electric refuse trucks.
Lunaz’s upcycling expertise revives petrol and diesel vehicles through meticulous refurbishment and electrification, granting them new life. The council’s fleet will soon welcome a transformed 26-tonne refuse truck, aided by a grant from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs in autumn.
Lunaz’s approach stands out for its commitment to the principles of the circular economy. Instead of discarding perfectly functional vehicles, Lunaz dismantles them, inspects the components, and replaces any necessary parts.
This not only reduces waste but also yields remarkable environmental benefits. Each upcycled electric vehicle saves an impressive 82% of embedded carbon, compared to replacing it with a new vehicle.
The environmental impact is truly noteworthy, with Lunaz’s Silverstone-based factory alone saving the equivalent weight of the Eiffel Tower every year in embedded carbon emissions through upcycling efforts.
Gareth Williams, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment said:
“This is a very exciting moment for Buckinghamshire Council and a big milestone in our journey to cutting our carbon emissions and meeting our climate change strategy ambitions.”
“It marks the first step in our desire to run a more sustainable fleet of vehicles by using a renewable energy source and has multiple additional benefits including improving air quality and saving money both in terms of cheaper everyday running costs, and the retention of more than 80% of the embedded carbon versus scrapping an existing vehicle and replacing with new.”
Beyond the environmental advantages, upcycled EV trucks bring considerable economic benefits to local authorities.
Choosing these vehicles over new electric equivalents can save taxpayers over £1 million for every 20 vehicles. Furthermore, Lunaz’s circular practices generate employment opportunities, with more than 300 highly skilled positions expected by 2025.
The Lunaz-Buckinghamshire Council partnership embodies an innovative approach to decarbonisation in the waste management industry. By repurposing and electrifying existing vehicles, Lunaz is making significant strides toward meeting the industry’s urgent need for zero-emission solutions. This collaboration could serve as an inspiration for other councils and organizations seeking sustainable alternatives to conventional fleet vehicles.
