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Renault has announced its second generation of electric trucks, suited for all types of haulage work, which will be available before the end of 2018. With concerns about air quality, particularly in urban areas, and global CO2 levels at an all-time high, this is a well-timed launch that will help hauliers make the switch to electric vehicles. This article will give a brief overview of the range, and perhaps persuade you to think about making the change to a fully electric vehicle in the next few years. Renault and Electric Vehicles Renault has been working on hybrid and electric vehicle technology for an entire decade. They describe themselves as experts in the field, offering a huge range of options for their customers, as well as plenty of support to help people transition to the new tech. What is on Offer? With the range offering vehicles suitable for all kinds of haulage work, from last mile to refuse collection, Renault is putting forward the widest choice of electric vehicles ever. The range includes trucks with weights from 3.1 tonnes to 26 tonnes. The Master ZE will be available in autumn 2018, with panel van and platform cab variants, however, if you want to use the Renault Trucks 16t D ZE and 26t D Wide ZE for your haulage work, you’ll have to wait until the end of 2019. The 16t D ZE model is well-suited to temperature-controlled deliveries and haulage work in urban areas. All models have zero tailpipe emissions of CO2 and local pollutants. Alongside the environmental benefits, these trucks come fitted with a variety of useful tech, such as a reversing camera and a reversing radar system. The Practicalities • Compliance: The trucks are fully compliant, even in urban areas, as they do not emit CO2 or local pollutants. They are also very quiet, reducing congestion during the day by allowing out-of-hours deliveries. • Charging: Batteries for different models have different charge times, though all are fairly practical, allowing easy overnight charging. The Master ZE range takes six hours to charge the batteries, which are located under the front seats. These batteries have an operating range of roughly 190 miles. The D ZE trucks with lithium batteries can be fully charged in just a couple of hours using the 150kW Combo CCS connector. With AC charging, batteries need 12 hours. AC charging may be more practical for those just getting started with electric vehicles, as a three-phase 380V 32A industrial power socket can be used. • Cost: With the impressive technological advances made in electromobility over the past few years, investing in an electric vehicle has become economically feasible for hauliers. They are certainly the future and Renault has made electromobility a viable option for small and large operations alike. For those involved in haulage work, the time has never been better to switch to electric. With this new range, Renault has made taking that decision significantly easier, so why not give it some serious consideration? Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage work with available drivers. Over 5,400 member companies are networked together through the Exchange to fill empty capacity, get new clients and form long-lasting business relationships.
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