Renault Trucks will deliver the first two 100% electric 18-tonne (19.8-U.S.-ton) Renault D Wide Z.E. skip loaders in the UK as part of a deal signed with Recycling Lives, a leading national provider of waste management solutions whose business model supports and sustains various charity programmes. The parties signed the deal on 28 September at the one-day Freight In The City Expo 2021 event in London which promoted sustainable urban deliveries and featured the latest commercial vehicles, technology, and services for the urban logistics sector.
Ready & Able
Recycling Lives will use the new trucks at its flagship Recycling Park facility in Preston, Lancashire, to serve commercial and residential clients. The trucks feature a 3,900-millimetre (153.5-inch) wheelbase, and were specified with four 66-kilowatt-hour battery packs providing an up to 150-kilometre (93.2-mile) range on a single charge. The trucks come backed by Renault’s battery performance promise that guarantees power availability to operate them for a decade.
Renault offers a full range of electric trucks with gross vehicle weights (GVWs) from 3.1 to 26 t (3.4 to 28.7 U.S. t). The D Wide Z.E. is a 26-tonner equipped with a two-speed gearbox and two electric motors rated for 370 kilowatts total and 850 newton-metres (627 pounds-foot) of torque.
The Value Of A Demonstrator
In July, Recycling Lives ran a successful trial of a 16-t (17.6-U.S.-t) D Z.E. demonstrator to evaluate performance and effectiveness in electric vehicle applications. In addition, Renault says, it has made enhancements to the D and D Wide Z.E. ranges, including the introduction of an 18-t D Wide Z.E. model and extended wheelbase options that improved the trucks’ payload and manoeuvrability, that ticked the boxes of Recycling Lives’ skip loader needs.
“Not only does today mark a significant step on the road to net zero for waste transport and skip loaders in particular, this order for two trucks also speaks volumes about the performance of the D Z.E. demonstrator in operation, and Recycling Lives’ confidence in electric vehicles playing a key role in their current and future fleet,” said Carlos Rodrigues, Renault Trucks UK & Ireland managing director.
The Right Partner
Recycling Lives CEO Gerry Marshall said the new trucks will be a standard component in its fleet over time. He said it was critical for Recycling Lives to partner with an international organisation like Renault Trucks that has like-minded values and ambitions.
“A fundamental aspect of moving over to an electric fleet was that our innovations will provide environmental benefits to our customers, too,” Marshall said. “We’re committed to minimising our impact on the environment as the company evolves to offer more circular economy solutions. Replacing our transport fleet with electric vehicles and more sustainable fuel solutions is vital in that transition.”
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Source: Renault