AN Oxford City Council-owned company is expanding its fleet of electric vehicles.

More than 15 per cent of Oxford Direct Service's fleet is now fully electric and the expansion comes as the city prepares to introduce the Zero Emission Zone Pilot, which is set to start this August.

The company, which takes out the bins in Oxford and carries out other services in the city, has a variety of electric vehicles such as cars, small to medium vans and tippers, as well as specialist park vehicles, a sweeper, a digger and a refuse collection vehicle.

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ODS has a target to make at least 25 per cent of its fleet electric by 2023, and to include many more specialist vehicles within it.

Owain Pearce, transport manager at ODS, said: “ODS has been at the forefront of the green vehicle revolution for many years. Evolving our fleet to all-electric power underlines our commitment to preserving and enhancing Oxford.

"The introduction of our new Renault, Peugeot and specialist EVs allows us to improve air quality, reduce noise pollution and contribute to Oxford City Council’s action on climate change, particularly in conforming to the proposed Zero Emission Zone, with no impact to the effectiveness of our operations.”

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