COULD Binny McBinface become the name of Oxford's newest bin lorry?

The city council collects bins through a company it owns called Oxford Direct Services, which is buying a new all-electric powered bin lorry.

The bin van is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK and will be tested in the city this week.

Though other areas of the country have had waste collection vehicles which have been refitted to be powered by electricity, this is the first purpose-built one in the UK.

As part of its launch, ODS is planning a competition to name the new lorry, when it is rolled out in the autumn after a trial this week.

Previous competitions to name vehicles have inspired strange and funny names in recent years.

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This came after the most popular choice in a 2016 competition to name a British Antarctic Survey vehicle was Boaty McBoatface.

Maria Warner, Waste and Recycling Services Manager at ODS, said: “We’re really excited to be testing the new all-electric refuse collection vehicle this month.

"This is a very significant investment for us and a major step forward for Oxford."

Ms Warner said that ODS has 27 bin lorries to cover all the homes and businesses in Oxford.

If all of those switched to electric - as the company eventually plans to do - almost 750 tonnes less CO2 will be pumped out in Oxford per year, or the weight of one average car every day.

The ODS manager added: "Carbon dioxide is a green house gas, so clearly it’s important we end this as soon as possible, but diesel engines also produce nitrogen oxide which is harmful to human health. That’s why we want to start doing the right thing now."

ODS is going to test the new electric lorry on the streets of Oxford throughout this week: Tuesday, July 21, Wednesday, July 22, and Thursday, July 23.

Oxford Mail:

Cherwell District Council's recycling mascot was named Binbo Baggins in 2017.

The trial will test out how the vehicle's battery performs on the streets of the city, collecting both household bin bags and business waste.

Oxford's household collection collection is 'especially dense' according to ODS, which means the electric lorry will have to stop and start very often.

This will then be followed by a long drive to the nearest recycling centre.

The trial will also see how the lorry holds up to the long drives between different business parks in the city, where buildings are often spaced far apart from one another.

ODS, which is wholly owned by Oxford City Council, is aiming to electrify 25 per cent of its fleet of 339 vehicles by 2023.

Nigel Chapman, the city council's cabinet member for customer focused services, said: “It’s good to see our front-line staff working with the very latest technology, which I know is eagerly awaited.”

The name Binny McBinface has been suggested in Oxfordshire before.

READ ALL ABOUT the first time Binny McBinface came to Oxfordshire

In 2017, Cherwell District Council named a new recycling bin mascot Binbo Baggins, with Binny McBinface coming a close second in an online poll.

Details of the naming competition will be released at a later date.