Leyland Trucks has been selected to participate in a project designed to help UK operators make the transition to battery electric trucks.
In the project, 20 DAF LF Electric 19-tonne rigids, together with the required charging infrastructure, will be fitted with data logging equipment and used to support the UK Government’s Department for Transport (DfT) efforts to encourage the use of battery electric vehicles in commercial transport.
A website will inform future fleet operator buying decisions and help stimulate the sale of battery electric trucks. The project is scheduled to commence this summer.
To support operators in understanding the costs and considerations around the deployment of zero emission trucks, the DfT is adopting a proactive campaign to assist the road transport sector in its transition. The project is part of the Government’s £20 million zero emission road freight trials, which also includes a trial of using overhead wires to charge trucks, which Scania is partaking in.
The project is delivered using the SBRI (Small Business Research Initiative), which is a process that brings together government challenges and ideas from business to create innovative solutions. Leyland Trucks will work with low carbon research consultancy CENEX to create an interactive report and website using real-world data to assist public and private fleet operators to better understand the strengths, challenges, and deployment options around zero emissions trucks.
Leyland Trucks manufactures the successful DAF LF series of distribution vehicles, including the LF Electric which recently entered production at its state-of-the-art plant in Lancashire.
Leyland Trucks will be partnering several end-users in the public sector during the trial, including various NHS operations around the country earmarked to trial 11 DAF LF Electric rigids. The remaining nine vehicles will go to several local authorities to support recycling and deliveries to schools. Bodywork will include ex-factory PACCAR box bodies and refrigerated bodywork from Gray & Adams.
The project is valued at £10 million and focuses on an end-to-end solution, covering vehicles, charging infrastructure, user training, repair and maintenance and total-cost-of-ownership. The project will provide operational insight across a variety of duty cycles.
“We’re delighted to have been selected to play such a key role in the initiative,” said Rob Lawton, Project Manager, at Leyland Trucks, “The results from our NHS and local authority partners will support Leyland Truck’s extensive and long-term testing programmes to further strengthen our leading position in providing battery electric vehicles.”
