Parking services team go all-electric to cut emissions

16 January 2024

St Albans City and District Council has switched its parking services team to all-electric transport, replacing two fossil fuel vans with electric vehicles (EVs). The team now utilizes two electric cars and battery-powered e-bikes for patrols, intending to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030.

St Albans City and District Council’s parking services team have moved to all-electric transport to cut back on harmful emissions.

They have taken delivery of two electric vans for use by Civil Enforcement Officers as well as maintenance crews. The vehicles, an MG4 hatchback and a Peugeot e-Expert replaced two other vans which were petrol and diesel-fuelled.

In addition, the team has been supplied with two electric cars and CEOs have also been equipped with battery-powered e-bikes for patrols. The switch to all-electric is in keeping with the Council’s commitment to tackling climate change by cutting emissions to net zero across the District by 2030.

Councillor Helen Campbell, Chair of the Public Realm Committee, had a look at the new vehicles and talked to staff.

I am delighted that our parking services team is reducing emissions with this move to sustainable all-electric transport. Our priority as a Council is to improve the District’s environment and this is one of dozens of measures we are taking to fulfil that goal.
I know from talking to the staff that they are right behind this policy. They want to do their bit to tackle the climate emergency by driving cleaner, eco-friendly vehicles.

Councillor Helen Campbell, Chair of the Public Realm Committee

St Albans City and District Council’s parking services team go all-electric to cut emissions

The initiative follows a move to all-electric vehicles and equipment by the Council’s grounds maintenance contractor John O’Conner.

They ditched petrol-driven machines for battery-powered ones last year for use in maintaining the Council’s green spaces including Verulamium and Clarence parks.

Cllr Campbell said: “I am sure our residents will support this effort to move away from fossil fuels towards all-electric equipment and transport.

“We would encourage other local organisations and businesses to do the same if they have not done so already. We surely all want to improve our environment.”

EV fleet consultants and leasing company DriveElectric delivered the parking service vehicles.

Mike Potter, CEO of DriveElectric said: “We are delighted to be working with St Albans City & District Council to de-carbonise its fleet. Not only does it help reduce the Council’s carbon emissions, these vehicles also don’t contribute to local air pollution, and for the drivers they’re much easier to drive.”

For a trial period, the Civil Enforcement team has also been equipped with body-worn cameras while out on patrol.

The cameras should deter people from verbally or physically abusing CEOs as they will provide police with evidence of any serious incidents and the film from the cameras can also be used to investigate any complaints of misconduct levelled at the CEOs themselves. These are often unfounded.

Police, other local authorities, the security industry and many businesses have used body-worn cameras for some years.

Measures to protect people’s privacy and uphold data protection rules are fitted onto the devices.

DriveElectric is an electric vehicle leasing company that has been helping organisations and individuals to adopt EVs to save money, lower emissions and transition to low-carbon energy since 2008. DriveElectric aims to make the switch to electric cars and vans simple for business fleets.