Lenham Storage recently acquired two new Volvo FM Electric 4x2 tractor units to reduce carbon emissions. Headquartered in Lenham, Kent, the firm has the zero-emission trucks running multi-drop deliveries inside the M25 as part of their ambient grocery and fast-moving consumer goods work. Sporting Lenham Storage’s blue and red livery, the trucks are easy to spot on the road.
Lenham Storage is a family-owned business that was established in 1946 and today has a fleet of 260 trucks and trailers operating from its two main sites in Maidstone and Andover.
“As a business, we have always tried to be at the forefront of the latest trends and technologies when it comes to greener alternative fuels,” says Andrew Fulcher, transport operations director at Lenham Storage. “Many of our customers operate in the food and retail sectors, with ambitious targets in terms of cutting carbon emissions across their supply-chain, which ties in well with our own strategy and ethos. We are already running two Volvo FH gas-powered tractor units and are very happy to have taken the next step with these electric FMs.”
Volvo FM Electric Specifications
Volvo’s FM Electric is powered by three electric motors that together generate 490 kilowatts (666 horsepower) and 2,400 newton-metres (1,770 pounds-foot) of continuous torque. Specified with the maximum of six batteries, Lenham Storage’s FMs each have a range of around 300 kilometres (186 miles) and gross combination weights (GCWs) of up to 44 tonnes (48.5 U.S. tons). Drivers can select from preset driving modes to govern the trucks’ performance, comfort, and energy use levels.
For enhanced safety, the FM Electric has an onboard electromobility traction control system for slick surfaces and meets Transport for London’s 3-star Direct Vision Standard rating. The I-Shift gearbox continuously evaluates data on speed, weight, road grade, and torque demand and adjusts automatically to ensure a smooth, quiet drive.
At the end of the day, the FMs return to Lenham Storage’s Maidstone depot to charge overnight on the 43-kW AC charger.
“The response we’ve had from our drivers has been really positive,” says Fulcher. “One of the guys has been with us for 23 years and he said the main thing he noticed when getting back in a diesel, after a few days driving the electric, was the noise and vibrations. It’s obviously a big change but the electrics are very nice to drive.”
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Source: Volvo