Hutt City Council’s electrification journey
Working towards a fully electric vehicle fleet is proving to be a smart move for Hutt City Council.
Hutt City Council Head of Climate, Waste and Resource Recovery, Jörn Scherzer.
Hutt City Council’s kerbside service has been on an electrification journey since 2020.
“While this was primarily about decarbonising and reducing operational costs, the current fuel crisis has also made us realise just how important it is to be resilient,” says Jörn Scherzer, Head of Climate, Waste and Resource Recovery, Hutt City Council (HCC).
“We’ve had a long-standing requirement for decarbonisation to be a key consideration for any contracts/procurements with a value of over $1 million,” says Jörn.
HCC’s procurement approach is paying off.
Their rates-funded kerbside collection service, operated by WM New Zealand, relies on a fleet of 22 specialised collection vehicles. Decarbonising the fleet with custom electric vehicles reduces carbon emissions, reliance on fuel and noise pollution.
14 of these vehicles are now fully electric. This includes 9 large side loaders, and 5 smaller rear load and glass collection trucks.
“If HCC’s kerbside service were still fully reliant on diesel, fuel demand would be around 8,500 litres per week. Electrification means we are currently down to 1,900 litres a week,” says Jörn.
The remaining diesel trucks are scheduled for replacement during 2026/27, after which the fleet will be fully electric.
“Our kerbside service won’t be affected in any significant way by current or future fuel supply constraints. The same also applies to our vehicle fleet, which is 95% electric, with only 3 diesel utes remaining.”
“We know that HCC has some way to go to embed decarbonisation into all or other procurements and contracts, but we have active conversations across the organisation for other potential projects.” says Jörn.
One example already in the pipeline is the planned installation of solar panels at Te Ngaengae Pool + Fitness Centre.
Hutt City Council manages local government procurement via the Government Electronic Tender Service (GETS).