Electra, the UK’s first fully electric refuse truck, will be trialled in the City of London next month as part of an initiative to drive down air pollution.

The 26-tonne truck runs on lithium-ion batteries, rather than diesel. It is designed for urban environments with short routes and can complete a full 10-hour shift.

The trial will begin in February and will last for two months. The vehicle will also be trialled in two other UK cities later this year.

City Corporation refuse vehicles collect over 1,500 tonnes of household waste and more than 850 tonnes of recycling a year.

Jeremy Simons, chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Environment Committee, said: “This vehicle is the first of its kind. It’s fully electric, both for compression of the waste and for powering the vehicle, and crucially - no diesel emissions.

“Our ambition is to have a full fleet of clean refuse vehicles. We are taking responsibility for the cleanliness of our fleet and encouraging the use of low and zero emission vehicles with our partners.

“It complements the work we are doing to help City businesses cut back on vehicle deliveries and use more hybrid models.”