Hull-Based Ashcourt Group UK has added a pair of zero-tailpipe-emission skip loaders to its growing Renault Trucks fleet,
The battery-powered E-Tech D Wide 18-tonners will be used for delivering and collecting skips from trade and domestic customers throughout the area.
Powered by four 66kW batteries, the electric trucks are capable of completing a full day’s work on a single charge. They will be charged at Ashcourt Group’s Waste Recycling Facility in Hull, which has been fitted with dedicated DC and AC charging points.
Commenting on the new trucks, both of which have been fitted with Harsh HS14T skip loader equipment, Ashcourt Group’s marketing manager Luke Stocks, said: “The Ashcourt Group has committed to reducing its environmental impact and sees the deployment of the new electric refuse trucks as a significant step towards achieving its goals. We chose electric trucks after successfully introducing electric vans and cars into our fleet last year, as well as trialling some electric plant equipment in our operations too. Seeing their performance and carbon footprint reductions first-hand gave us the momentum to introduce our first two electric trucks into the Group. From our experiences to date, electric vehicles are something we will continue explore and we will monitor the performance of these new trucks very carefully.”
Stocks went on to praise both Renault Trucks and dealer Thompson Commercials, who he said have been a big help on Ashcourt Group’s “electric vehicle journey”.
He said the decision was made to introduce these first electric trucks into its waste management services, because of the nature of journeys, which are shorter and in more urban areas.
“The electric vehicles suit this type of work as they’re making regular, smaller journeys to and from our waste recycling centre, and the truck’s manoeuvrability will help our drivers to navigate smaller streets and tighter access areas,” he added.
