Grounds maintenance provider IdVerde has deployed an all-electric eSwingo from Aebi Schmidt as part of a new deal to reduce carbon emissions at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The 560-acre park, home to the 2012 London Olympic Games, houses more than 250 active businesses and attracts around six million visitors a year.
The park is governed by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), which has the post-games task of transforming one of the UK’s most challenged areas into a world-class, sustainable and thriving neighbourhood.
IdVerde, which has already partnered with LLDC over the last decade, recently won a new contract that also included managing the roads, pathways and boulevards of the park for the first time, with as little environmental impact as possible.
The new fully electric eSwingo is meeting that brief. Billed as one of the cleanest, quietest and most cost-efficient compact sweepers currently available, a single eSwingo can save up to 158kg of CO2 per day during normal operations, according to Aebi Schmidt.
Both the drive and the sweeping unit are propelled entirely by electric power, and the 60kWh+ battery delivers up to 10 hours of operation without recharging.
IdVerde approached four or five different compact sweeper suppliers and carried out trials of appropriate machines before selecting the eSwingo as the most suitable for the task in hand.
Fleet and asset manager Adam Wilkes, who led the procurement process, said there were various criteria the company used in making the decision.
“We wanted a machine with zero emissions as reducing carbon and lessening the environmental impact of keeping the park clean and tidy was a key part of the contract.
“But we also wanted manoeuvrability and flexibility in the sweeper due to the topography of the park, which has been designed to be visitor-friendly with lots of twisting, winding pathways, tight corners and aesthetically appealing vistas. The eSwingo has ticked all our boxes,” he said.
Another key aspect of the decision to select the eSwingo was the support, training and back-up that Aebi Schmidt provided, added Wilkes.
“We were looking for partners rather than suppliers and Aebi Schmidt has been very proactive in all aspects of the relationship,” he said.
IdVerde contract manager Christopher James said feedback from the sweeper’s designated operator had been very positive.
“The eSwingo is highly manoeuvrable, very flexible and works comfortably in some of the tight spaces we have in the park. We also specified the machine with a weed brush, as part of the contract was to keep weeds under control but with little or no use of chemicals and no impact on the environment.
“The eSwingo is very easy to operate, with simple to use controls and excellent ease of maintenance, with easy-to-each access points for maintenance and lubrication. We’ve been very pleased with its performance,” he added.
