Bristol’s Meals on Wheels to go electric

Bristol’s Meals on Wheels team has agreed a deal that will see electric vehicles replace older diesel vans on the daily rounds.

The council-run service provides over 100,000 lunchtime meals a year and the drivers also check in on vulnerable residents to ensure they have what they need.

The new vehicles will cover routes across Central Bristol and will join the Community Meals service fleet in the coming few weeks. Bristol City Council has said that as charging infrastructure improves, the number of electric vehicles delivering community meals will increase.

Helen Holland, cabinet member for Adult Social Care and Integrated Care System, said: “We are delighted to welcome these new vehicles into our fleet to continue the service’s vital work of supporting vulnerable residents, safe in the knowledge they’re also doing their bit for the climate. Tackling the twin challenges of climate and ecological emergencies means everyone playing their part which is why services across the council are scrutinising every aspect of their work to find ways in which they can reduce their carbon footprint.

“For several years we have wanted to upgrade to electric vans but until relatively recently the technology had not been available to be confident in what was out there. We know that battery life is a key factor in switching to electric vehicles, but in the case of these vans, the battery also needs to power ovens to keep meals warm, and a refrigeration unit to keep cold and frozen foods fresh. I applaud the efforts of the Community Meals team and colleagues in Fleet Services for their work to identify the technology and negotiate the necessary deal to ensure these specialist efficient vehicles are also equipped with ovens powered by electricity for the first time.”