When working on local waste operations in London, a 190-kilometre range on an electric truck must be sufficient for a day’s operation. This type of operation won’t suffer from range anxiety when considering an electric truck, it simply comes down to economic vs. environmental considerations – buying the chargers and investing in the more expensive trucks themselves. Even with the government support of up to £25,000, these electric trucks are significantly more expensive than their diesel counterparts. There will be savings in fuel costs, but these are not sufficient to offset the upfront costs yet.
A recycling and waste management, Powerday has taken the plunge and now operate a pair of new Volvo FE Electrics – two of the first zero-tailpipe emission skiploaders to be put into operation in London. The business has added the electric trucks to its commercial vehicle fleet following a successful trial.
GHG Emission Savings
The FE Electrics – which will be used to service Powerday’s customer base across the capital and the south east – are predicted to save the forward-thinking business more than 30 tonnes in CO2 emissions per year. There is a long way to go to get to zero, as the company reports in the region of 4,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2022 from red and white diesel.
Edward Crossan, CEO at Powerday, says: “In line with our net-zero roadmap, adopting these electric skiploaders into our fleet shows our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and contributing to cleaner air and environment in London. By investing in electric skiploaders, we lead the charge towards cleaner, greener solutions.”
Supplied by Guili Chemello, Transport Solutions Executive at Volvo Truck and Bus Centre South & East, the two FE Electrics will play an important role in helping Powerday hit its ambitious sustainability targets.
The FE Electric Specification
Each FE Electric is driven via a two-speed transmission, offering a smooth and comfortable driving experience. The trucks’ power is handled by a unique traction control system developed to master even slippery surfaces, while different drive modes are available to set the desired performance, comfort, and energy usage levels.
Equipped with four batteries, each FE Electric offers a range of approximately 190km and can be recharged in just 2.3 hours using the 150kW DC charger at Powerday’s Willesden Junction site, installed as part of the trial.
Built on a 4,100mm wheelbase and equipped with full air suspension, the FE Electrics’ day cabs benefit from full air suspension and feature an additional lower passenger door window to improve visibility while working on London’s busy streets.
Additional safety features include Volvo’s Electronic Stability Control, which reduces the risk of skidding and rollovers, Adaptive Cruise Control with automatic emergency braking and Lane Keeping Support alerts.
The trucks are equipped with Hyva skiploader bodywork powered by an electric power take-off.
Backed by a Volvo Gold Contract, covering all maintenance and repairs, and including proactive monitoring of batteries and associated components, both trucks are expected to work five days a week, fitting seamlessly into Powerday’s busy operation.