LondonEnergy puts Volvo FM Electric semi trucks to work in waste management

The waste management and resource experts at LondonEnergy have taken delivery of a Volvo FM Electric 6×2 tractor unit, and they’re putting it to work immediately.

“We looked at the other options available in the market, but we quickly concluded that the Volvo product is the most mature offering available,” explains Gareth Stephens, Transport and Logistics Manager, LondonEnergy. “The Volvo team – both in the UK and in Sweden – went above and beyond to help us fully understand how an electric truck could benefit our operations. We are excited to get started and use the new truck.”

LondonEnergy’s new electric semi truck will be tasked with collecting unrecyclable waste from the company’s transfer station, in Islington, UK.

A portion of that waste will be delivered to the company’s energy center in Edmonton, where it will be turned into renewable electricity (read: burned). The process generates enough energy to power 80,000 homes in the UK, annually, while any remaining dry mixed waste gets transported to a local Material Recycling Facility (MRF) for processing.

The Volvo FM Electric LondonEnergy received features the maximum six batteries powering three electrical motors, good for 666 continuous hp and an Earth-moving 1770+ lb-ft of continuous torque (insert obnoxious, Tim Allen-style “R-R-r” grunts here). The motors send all that power to the wheels through a standard Volvo I-Shift gearbox, “creating a smooth and ultra-quiet in-cab driving experience,” according to Volvo.

The Volvo FM Electric offers a range of approximately 300 km (185-ish miles), and can be recharged in under 2.5 hours with a 250kW DC fast charger, or overnight on a 43kW AC charger.

Electrek’s Take

Whether it’s because of projected fuel savings, new legislation, ESG goals, or activist investors, every major commercial company is taking a good long look at the potential benefits of electrifying their vehicle fleet.

And, frankly, the sooner the better.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo Trucks, via LinkedIn.