We are FCC - Nº7

FCC Environment (the international brand of FCC Medio Ambiente), is touring the United Kingdom with the first the all-electric, zero emissions (ZEV) and nearly noiseless refuse collection vehicle that eliminates the inconveniences for users during the night shift. This is a four-axle waste collection vehicle with plug- in electric engine and, if necessary, an ancillary compressed natural gas (CNG) thermal engine for self- loading. This technology allows a saving of 60% of energy compared to conventional collection trucks. This vehicle is part of the fleet that has been serving FCC Medio Am- biente’s top-level operations in Spain over the last few years. For many years the company has had a long-term research program- me underway for the development of alternative fuel vehicles suitable for providing environmental services. This truck, developed exclusively by FCC Medio Ambiente, is one of the few zero-emission vehicles capa- ble of carrying out the same waste collection tasks as a conventional diesel-powered vehicle without loss of performance, both in terms of au- tonomy and power as well as load capacity. “FCC has been trialling this ze- ro-emissions RCV in Spain for a number of years,” said David Simp- son, UK Head of Fleet, FCC En- vironment. “With the backdrop of government pressure to phase out diesel, now is the right time to highli- ght the potential of electric vehicles for the UK’s waste and recycling in- dustry.” This technology addresses the logi- cal concerns about local air quality and the influence on climate change. Road transport accounts for about 22% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United Kingdom. Research indicates that although less than 1 in 20 vehicles on Europe’s roads are commercial, they account for almost 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. As to the budget, “the greatest be- nefits of electric vehicles are to be found in commercial fleets. Swit- ching from diesel to electric vehicles Touring the United Kingdom with the first all-electric refuse collection vehicle This vehicle is part of the fleet that has been serving FCC Medio Ambiente’s top-level operations in Spain over the last few years. I N N O V A T I O N 44 I N N O V A T I O N