Tinie Manders is the second operator to be conducting real-world trials of the fully electric truck, after the first went into service in December with Dutch retailer Jumbo (see link below).
“We are very proud to be one of the first to drive this pioneering DAF,” says Eveline Manders, director at the family-owned haulier.
“Our decision as to whether to expand the range of electric vehicles within our company will be based not only on the zero emissions factor, but also on the ease of use and the additional possibilities that this truck offers us.”
The CF Electric will be used with a fully electric refrigerated trailer from THT New Cool. Charging infrastructure partner for the project is Allego.
DAF’s Jos Habets, operations director, says: “It is clear that the transport sector is on the cusp of a major transformation. The electric truck is set to become the norm in more and more urban areas in future.”
He adds: “The data that we collect about both the technology and the operational deployment will feed into the specifications for the final production models.”
The CF Electric uses VDL’s E-Power technology; a 210kW electric motor is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack with a current total capacity of 144kWh.
The truck has a range of 100km, depending on the weight of its cargo – DAF says this makes it ideal for high-volume transport in the urban distribution market. The batteries have a 30-minute quick-charge feature and a full charge takes one and a half hours.