Lunaz signs Local Authority electrification agreement with Buckinghamshire Council

By Tom Kilkelly

12 June 2023

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Silverstone-based electric vehicle maintenance and remanufacturing company Lunaz has announced the next phases of its landmark fleet electrification partnership with Buckinghamshire Council.

Lunaz has committed to the first phase of up-cycling and electrification of a municipal refuse fleet following the signing of a Fleet Electrification Agreement at a COP Event hosted at the company’s Silverstone HQ.

As part of this partnership, the first Buckinghamshire bin lorry to become fully electric will begin its up-cycling and electrification process following the vehicles conversion and up-cycling from diesel to electric power.

For UK councils, the procurement of these vehicles represents a dramatic saving for the taxpayer, with more than £1 million in public money saved for every 20 vehicles upcycled and electrified versus buying new EV equivalents.

Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment Gareth Williams 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.

''In this regard, our partnership with Lunaz represents the best possible outcome for both the planet and the taxpayer. It also reflects our commitment as a council, to supporting local business and employment in the area.”

This announcement follows the signing in April 2023 of a seven-year fleet electrification programme between Biffa, a sustainable waste management company, and Lunaz, confirming a commitment to allocating a significant proportion of its 1,110 vehicle per year production capacity.

Manchester United footballing legend and Lunaz investor David Beckham said: “This is a strong endorsement of Lunaz’ innovative approach to finding sustainable solutions and I’m delighted to be an investor in this fast growing and exciting British company”.

By Tom Kilkelly

Tom Kilkelly started working as a freelance journalist for The Business Magazine following his graduation from UCL in 2022.

During his studies Tom became very interested in the works of Irish authors including Samuel Beckett and Flann O'Brien (Brian O'Nolan).

His current role as a freelance business reporter is his first exposure to the world of business journalism. Working at TBM has given Tom the chance to really get to grips with the goings-on in the business hive that is the South East.