Created especially for highway service provider Ringway, part of Eurovia, for use in London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, this battery electric vehicle (EV) truck will be used round the clock by reactive maintenance crews on the UK capital’s inner roads.
The vehicle will operate from Ringway’s three London depots, which have EV charging facilities.
The new electric truck retains the recyclable copolymer plastic body that makes Acklea’s range of 7.2t vehicles lightweight and has a modular design that is said to be capable of reducing whole life costs by up to 30%.
The copolymer plastic used in the design is claimed to be durable, recyclable, low maintenance, zero corrosion, heat- and chemical-resistant and impact-resistant.
This means the bodies can be reused with a new chassis and cab to increase the lifespan of the reusable parts into a second or potentially third life, as the vehicles are upgraded with more sustainable chassis and battery technology.
Acklea built the vehicle with Ringway and Astra Vehicle Technologies, accommodating lithium-ion batteries and EV technology within the existing chassis.
The new truck is based on the Iveco Daily 7t chassis, with van-like driving controls and a Hi-Matic transmission.
This ensures it retains all the safety and operational equipment of the standard traffic management vehicle to keep employees and other drivers safe at work:
- Axtec on-board weighing system with audible alarm to indicate axle overloading based on combined front and rear axle weights
- Motormax vehicle warning and camera system to protect unsecured equipment when doors are left unlocked
- LED illumination throughout
- Non-slip floor, galvanised fall protection rails and powder-coated drop sides
- Single point of access into the body via a purpose-built staircase with illuminated, high-visibility non-slip steps
- Illuminated, lockable storage lockers for equipment and sandbags
- Full Chapter Eight-compliant beacons, markings and signage.
Clive Brocklehurst, product manager at Acklea, said: “We are seeing high demand for our plastic units from road maintenance organisations because they’re sustainable and reduce costs and downtime. They can also be further equipped and tailored to match each customer’s individual requirements, which makes them easily adaptable and flexible for a range of uses.
Chris Forrest, fleet and plant operations manager at Eurovia, adds: “We were keen to work with Acklea to explore how a zero-emission electric vehicle could be created that would meet the rigorous challenges of working on busy London roads.
“Acklea’s plastic EV traffic management vehicle does everything we need, efficiently and cost-effectively, and for the first time with a battery at its heart instead of a traditional diesel engine. It has a range in excess of 200 kilometres on a full charge and has the full range of safety equipment to support our work crews. We’re really excited to have the opportunity to use it.”