Depot Projects

Since the launch of the first electric vehicles into its fleet in 2011, Dundee City Council has become a pioneering force in expanding its fleet with electric cars, vans and even RCVs. Following the city-wide climate emergency declared in 2019 and in line with the Council’s 2038 net zero target, the previous fleet composition has been carefully revaluated. Currently, the council boasts over 700 vehicles, 35% of which are fully electric, which is one of the highest compositions of local authorities in the UK.

To support the large-scale electric vehicles deployment, Dundee has invested in its depot EV charging infrastructure, which now includes a variety of slow and rapid chargers distributed across the city and planned according to various depot requirements.

Marchbanks Depot

The Marchbanks depot, home to the council’s main workshop, is the base for many fleet vehicles including all electric RCVs. Through introducing these fully electric RCVs into the council fleet in 2021, Fleet employees have been able to engage with a UK first cutting-edge technology comprising of five packs of 60kWh batteries. Community engagement played a vital role in the promotion of the new RCVs in Dundee through a campaign shared in schools and the local press to name the new RCVs, and as a result, all eight RCVs have obtained their famous names, including Leonardo DiCharge-io and Ohm Alone.

Eight fast chargers (25kW) were installed for electric RCVs and street sweepers whose batteries recharge overnight for the next morning's service. To accommodate the depot’s everyday requirements, slow chargers were installed for office workers using cars and vans to support daily operations, while rapid chargers on the site are used for topping up carpool vehicles.

Marchbanks was recently expanded with a 118kWp photovoltaics system along with a battery storage unit. Solar panels installed on the workshop's roof supply all mechanical work with electricity during the day, and the dynamic load management system enables the council to switch the distribution flow between the energy storage system and the electric vehicle chargers at night.

Clepington Road Depot

The Clepington Road depot, which we believe is the first of its kind of any local authority, is a key component of Dundee’s electrification reform. Formerly used for coal storage and fuelling ICE vehicles, the site has recently undergone significant renovations. The fuel tanks and contaminated soil were removed and replaced with 25 fast (7kW) chargers available for overnight and weekend charging and 3 rapid (2x50kW and 1x100kW) chargers for topping up and quick charging of emergency callout vehicles. This is enough to power 200 electric vans located at the depot.

The depot along with the public rapid charging hub, which was developed on the same site, are covered with solar canopies which generate power to fuel charging sessions and ultimately, take pressure off the grid. The photovoltaics system is further supported by two Connected Energy battery storage units on site, each of which can store 100MWh of electricity each year. This system is being used to capture any excess solar as well as charging from the grid at off-peak times when tariffs are cheaper and electricity is less carbon-intensive.

Testimonials

“I love my new Nissan Leaf… the forward-thinking city council are at the forefront of the whole electric car revolution”

Lorraine Kelly

“Electric taxis always surprise our customers with how quiet they are. The switch from fuel to electricity has saved us thousands – and it’s clean too!”

There are now a total of 187 electric taxis operating in Dundee which is 25% of all taxis operating in the city.

Dundee Taxis

“Electric vehicles have reduced the city’s cO2 levels by 987 tonnes so far (Sept 2017)”

Dundee City Council have 223 electric vehicles (and counting) in their fleet, the biggest of any UK local authority.

Gary McRae, Dundee City Council

“The excellent charging infrastructure in Dundee makes running an electric car very easy. I often plug in to one of the chargers in town, pop to the shops and my Nissan Leaf is fully charged by the time I’m done. I can’t wait to use the charging hubs that are planned across the city. The ability to park for free in the Dundee City Council car parks because my car has zero emissions is an added bonus.”

Elinor, Dundee

“We are now using an electric car since 2012 and will not go back to a petrol car. The drive is smooth, responsive and quiet. With Dundee getting better and better with chargers in several places, free parking in Council car parks, what’s not to like? The car has saved us money compared to the Ford Ka we had before, with currently over 90,000 miles, you can’t tell us it’s not used. Looking forward to the new charging hubs in Dundee.”

Erwin, Alyth

“EVs are over 60% cheaper to refuel than modern petrol and diesel cars and have only 1% of the moving components, so they’re really reliable. There are EVs that have clocked up over 174,000 miles in three years and only needed a ball bearing replaced. Switching to an EV from a 70mpg hybrid and charging it at home has saved me £500 per year on fuel and maintenance alone – double that if I only use Dundee’s free public charge points!”

Euan, Dundee University graduate

“Our two electric vans have completely transformed our business. Not only have they helped reduced our running costs, but they are much better for the environment and work well with the stop start style of driving that we do on our free pick-up and delivery service. The move over to electric vehicles has been extremely easy due to the excellent facilities for charging in the local Dundee area. We are even considering adding a third electric vehicle to our fleet.”

Laundry On-Line

Contact Us

To comply with data protection regulations (2018), we are unable to store and use your information unless you give us your permission. Please select Yes to allow this. View our data protection policy for details.