DHL has begun operating a purpose-built 16-tonne electric truck in London.
The Volvo FL Electric 4×2 rigid is powered by four 200 kWh batteries which can run for 120 miles, carrying a maximum of 12 pallets.
The “zero emission” vehicle will recharge overnight at DHL’s base in Purfleet, Essex, as it runs daily operations in London’s West End.
Ian Clough, Managing Director, Network Logistics and Transport, UK & Ireland, DHL Supply Chain said: “We have a responsibility to reach for ambitious sustainability targets.
“The Volvo FL Electric is the perfect solution to the challenges of urban logistics, allowing us to make deliveries in densely populated inner-city locations where air quality and noise pollution challenges are highest.”
Christian Coolsaet, Managing Director of Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland, said: “Operating a Volvo FL Electric, particularly where it can be charged with electricity from renewable sources, is a powerful step towards more sustainable city distribution.
