There are a lot of exciting developments in the electric car industry, with record market shares in terms of electric car sales now being reported regularly in many countries around the world. Another sector that is also now starting to see some traction is the heavy electric truck sector. Heavy trucks are used for several applications that are just perfect for electrification due to the nature of their operations. For example, trucks in the construction sector or in campus-based sectors such as in mining environments usually have to drive for short distances at well-known intervals. Managing the fleet for things like charging and installation of charging stations at depots or on site in campus-based environments also becomes quite straightforward.
Some of these trucks are built for specific applications, such as tippers, mixers, and cranes. Concrete mixers are a large segment and an important pillar of the construction industry. By using electric trucks, companies can now meet the increasing demand for vehicles with lower noise levels and zero exhaust emissions at and around urban construction sites. The demand for electric transport in the construction industry is also increasing given the emphasis on zero-emission zones in cities and the need for construction companies to meet climate goals as part of their broader ESG targets.
Renault Trucks UK and partners have been working on solutions to electrify this important segment. The UK’s first all-electric ready-mix concrete mixer has successfully completed a three-month trial of commercial deliveries across Birmingham for Tarmac, marking a significant step on the path to net zero construction.
The “e-mixer,” created in partnership with Renault Trucks and TVS Interfleet, is the first of its kind to operate anywhere in the UK with zero tailpipe emissions. With the same average capacity as a conventional diesel vehicle, it is expected to save 42 tonnes of CO2 annually, with zero emissions per mile compared to 1.55 kg of CO2 per mile for its fossil fuel equivalent.
The mixer forms part of Tarmac’s strategy to develop integrated low carbon logistics by offering decarbonized transport for the last mile of a construction project. Operating out of the company’s rail-fed Birmingham Plant at Washwood Heath, it builds on Tarmac’s extensive logistics network, which includes more than 60 rail connected sites across the UK.
In South Africa, Volvo Trucks has also started taking orders for heavy electric trucks for the construction sector. Volvo Trucks says conventional trucks with single chassis and built-on applications for a wide range of superstructures, such as tippers, mixers, and cranes, are now offered in an electric version. Volvo Trucks has also opened orders in South Africa for these heavy electric trucks for the construction sector. Customers can choose battery packs from six batteries down to two, to match their specific requirements for range and payload. The new rigid trucks have a battery capacity between 180-540 kWh. Exciting times ahead in this sector, and we will be following the developments very closely.
Images from Renault Trucks
Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Investing Thoughtfully In The EV & Cleantech Mineral Boom
I don’t like paywalls. You don’t like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don’t like paywalls, and so we’ve decided to ditch ours.
Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It’s a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps — gasp — grow. So …
