Renault Trucks has unveiled its second generation of all-electric vehicles with a complete range that comprises vehicles in the weight range of 3.5t to 26t.
The Volvo Group company said the new range, which is a result of 10 years of experimentation under actual operating conditions with its customer-partners, is made up of the Renault Master Z.E., Renault Trucks D Z.E. and Renault Trucks D Wide Z.E. While the Master Z.E. will be available this year itself, the D Z.E. and D Wide Z.E. will be manufactured in the companys plant at Blainville-sur-Orne in France and will arrive on the market in 2019.
According to Renault Trucks, the new range covers the full gamut of urban uses from goods distribution and delivery to refuse collection. The company has been preparing for the shift to electric vehicles for the past 10 years and believes electromobility is the obvious response to urban air quality and noise issues, as well as to cut overall CO2 emissions.
A statement from Renault Trucks added that for over 10 years, the company has been field testing electric trucks with its customer-partners in order to garner crucial information about usage, battery behaviour, charging facilities and specific maintenance requirements. These tests have also enabled the customer-partners to help increase market acceptance of electric technology, it added.
Ten years ago, we were the pioneers, promoting electric trucks to improve city air quality, said Bruno Blin, president, Renault Trucks. Today we can offer a range of electric vehicles with proven performance and the experts in our network are ready to help our customers transition to electromobility. Ten years ago we were pioneers, today we are experts.
According to Renault Trucks, electric trucks have become economically viable alternatives for hauliers with the latest technological advances. No matter how strict the regulations in urban zones, the vehicles in the Renault Trucks Z.E. are can operate in compliance.
Among the prominent names in freight haulage that have already opted for the trucks is XPO Logistics, added the manufacturer, quoting Luis Gomez, managing director-transport, XPO Logistics Europe, as saying: At XPO, we have led by example as the transport industry becomes increasingly aware of the need for alternative power. We commend our supplier Renault Trucks for investing in the development of electric vehicles that offer a practical way to achieve zero emissions. Renault Trucks is shaping the future of commercial transport in an evolving regulatory environment.
Another customer, Suez, is also following the release of the Renault Trucks Z.E range with interest, and its executive director for local authorities services, Edouard Hénaut, said: We are delighted to see a competitive new industrial solution arrive on the market and to be able to partner with Renault Trucks. This new electric truck offering will allow Suez to help its customers reduce their carbon footprint thanks to a zero-emission environmentally-friendly and silent refuse collection solution.
The Renault Trucks Master Z.E., which will be released in September 2018, is ideal for last-mile deliveries and provides access to inner-city areas with strict traffic restrictions, said the manufacturer, adding that the battery of this all-electric utility vehicle takes six hours to charge.
Its loading volume is the same as a conventional diesel Renault Master, as the batteries are mounted under the front seats. The Master Z.E. range comes in six variants (four panel vans and two platform cabs) designed to meet all the requirements of professionals working in urban environments.
The specially designed 16t version of the Renault Trucks D Z.E. is ideal for urban and controlled temperature deliveries. The Renault Trucks D Wide Z.E. will come in a 26t version for efficient refuse collection. The vehicles have an operating range of up to 300km depending on usage and configuration of its lithium ion batteries.
