DAF Trucks has revealed it is considering selling its CF Electric into new European territories.
The fully-electric 4x2 tractor, developed for distribution in urban areas with single or double-axle trailers, uses a lithium-ion battery pack with a total capacity of 170 kilowatt-hours. It has a range of approximately 100 kilometres.
"We have now reached the point where we can start to sell the CF Electric in limited numbers," said Richard Zink, member of the board of management and responsible for marketing & sales. "Think of a few dozen units on an annual basis. In order to guarantee excellent quality, we start up production in a controlled way.
“Simultaneously, we can thoroughly build up our service network, step-by-step. The CF Electric tractor unit is now available for customers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia. Depending on the local battery charging infrastructure and after-sales possibilities, sales in other parts of Europe will be considered."
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DAF said transport operators only used a limited part of CF Electric’s 100-kilometre range in the first few weeks of use, but some now drive around 250 kilometres a day with the vehicle.
"It is a matter of planning your trips cleverly," continued Zink. "The ability to quickly charge the batteries - with the right equipment fully charged in just over 30 minutes - means that additional kilometres are available quickly if required."
DAF customers Jumbo, Simon Loos and Tinie Manders Transport from the Netherlands and Rhenus Group from Germany all now have a CF Electric in their fleet.
The tractor has already done more than 30,000 kilometres at Tinie Manders and runs seven days a week from 6am until midnight. Most are short trips in the Eindhoven region.
“The CF Electric is as reliable as any other DAF truck," said Eveline Manders, co-director of Tinie Manders Transport. "Planning and driving an electric truck requires a different mindset. You have to make sure that the route fits the truck - and not the other way around. Moreover, in order to optimally use the truck, it is important that you can charge the batteries during loading and unloading. If you take these two matters into account, the electric truck can be a great alternative for urban distribution."
Recently, DAF and VDL Groep announced that four fully-electric, three-axle CF Electric refuse collection trucks will become operational, for the 'zero emissions' collection of residual products in urban areas.
