National waste recycling specialist Recycling Lives has signed a contract with Renault Trucks to deliver the UK’s first 100% electric skip-transporter trucks.
The new vehicles are a result of Recycling Lives working with Renault Trucks to co-design a bespoke electric skip loader vehicle. The deal follows the successful trial of Renault’s 16-tonne test vehicle in July at the Recycling Park in Preston which provided an opportunity to evaluate performance and effectiveness for electric vehicle applications in the company’s fleet.
The skip transporters will use Renault’s 18 tonne D Wide Z.E. vehicle base and will arrive early in 2022 for use in daily operations servicing commercial and household clients.
Gerry Marshall, Recycling Lives’ CEO, commented on the partnership: ‘A significant driver for our business is innovation. These vehicles are an industry first, and they’ll be a standard element of our fleet over time. They have been specifically designed for us to deliver optimum operational efficiencies, and it was critical for us that we partner with an international organisation that matches our values and our ambitions.
‘A fundamental aspect of moving over to an electric fleet is that our innovations will provide environmental benefits to our customers. We’re committed to minimising 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.’
The order was announced during Freight in the City Expo 2021 at Alexandra Palace, London.
Carlos Rodrigues, Managing Director of Renault Trucks UK & Ireland said: ‘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.’
Renault Trucks’ enhancement of the D and D Wide Z.E. range, with the introduction of an 18 tonne D Wide Z.E. model and extended range of wheelbases, provided the payload and manoeuvrability required for skip handling vehicles.
