2020 may be the year when battery electric vehicles some of age and what have been until now largely prototypes start to become mainstream, according to speakers in the Tech Talk sessions at the 2019 Freight in the City Expo at London’s Alexandra Palace last week.
Reducing carbon emissions from fast-growing final-mile e-commerce deliveries isn’t just about switching to low emissions vehicles, as the Freight in the City Expo heard recently.
Need to find out more about the introduction of the forthcoming low emission zones (LEZs) in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow? Then put 2 April 2020 in your diary.
New research by Rivus Fleet Solutions and the AA has revealed that, while fleet managers accept the need to move towards an alternatively fuelled future, many are continuing to invest in “more cost-effective” Euro-6 diesel vehicles.
Essex-based TEVVA displayed a pair of 12-tonne range-extended electric vehicles. David Thackray, Tevva sales and marketing director, said the new truck is available “with or without a range extender. With the range extender it has an 80kwH battery, and without the truck has a 154kwH battery”. Thackray told CM that the vehicles are available with a full repair and operating lease, which costs 25% more per month but saves 30p per operating mile. He said Tevvas covering in excess of […]
DAF pushed the benefits of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), and showed a Euro-6 LF 230 FA 4×2 skip-loader which, like all DAF models, can run on the fuel without any modifications. One of the advantages of HVO, DAF claims, is hauliers can utilise both it and diesel on tramping operations where EVs are less practical. Marketing manager Phil Moon said: “EVs can be unpredictable in terms of range as the infrastructure isn’t there. HVO offers a 45% reduction in CO2, […]
Renault Trucks announced at Freight in the City, that it is setting its sights on the municipal sector, and believes its ZE technology will help to boost its appeal. The first vehicle in its zero-emission range is the Master ZE, which features a 57kW battery, giving it a 124-mile range. Although initially only available as a 3.1-tonne GVW panel van, next year it will be joined by a chassis cab and higher GVWs. Also arriving in 2020 are RHD Range D and […]
Scania debuted a hybrid L-series – an L320 6×2 rear-steer chassis cab – which, according to head of pre-sales Phil Rootham, will improve fuel economy figures by between 10% and 15%. The truck’s DC09 diesel engine is supplemented by a 7.4kW lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack. This powers an electric motor, which is situated between the diesel engine and Opticruise gearbox, allowing the truck to run on electricity alone for 10km. Like the other L-series on show, it had a factory-fitted […]
Continuing to drive progress in next-generation transport solutions, Volvo Trucks autonomous, electric and connected vehicle – Vera – made its UK début at the recent Freight in the City Expo.
Panellists at this year’s Freight in the City Expo have agreed that electric is likely to be the dominant fuel of the future for hauliers but admitted there is “no magic silver bullet” and that the sector will ultimately choose a “blended solution” using a mix of technologies based on the specific requirements of their fleets. Another emerging trend will be the sharing of charging facilities amid increased cooperation among hauliers, one predicted. The event, held at London’s Alexandra Palace […]