Tony Hall, director at Pegasus, says: “We were fortunate enough to be invited to Sweden to test out the electric fleet and were hugely impressed by the quality of the vehicles, and the fact that Volvo Trucks already has a full range of electric trucks available to order.”
Supplied by Jamie Stanley, area sales manager at Hartshorne Group, the new Volvo FE Electric has been mounted with Multilift skiploader bodywork and is powered by two electric motors, generating a peak torque of 850 Nm.
Driven by a two-speed transmission, the FE Electric’s power is handled by a traction control system developed to master even slippery surfaces, while different drive modes are available to set the desired performance, comfort, and energy usage levels.
Equipped with four batteries, it offers a range of approximately 190km and can be recharged in 2.3 hours using the 150kW DC charger that has been installed at Pegasus’s Stourbridge depot.
“We are fully expecting the new electric truck to fit seamlessly into our daily operations and hope to add more to our fleet in the future,” added Hall. “Around 90 percent of our 100-strong commercial vehicle fleet is now Volvo. It’s great to work with a supplier which understands our business needs and supports us at every step of the process.”
Backed by a Volvo Gold Contract, covering all maintenance and repairs, and including proactive monitoring of batteries and associated components, the FE Electric is expected to work five days a week and is anticipated to be on the fleet for seven years.
Built on a 4,100mm wheelbase and equipped with full air suspension, the FE Electric’s day cab is built with a rear window, plus an additional lower passenger door window to improve visibility and maximise safety.