Dennis Eagle has showcased a fully electric bin lorry at the IFTA exhibition in Munich this week, created for zero-emission urban refuse collection.
The eCollect will initially be available to buy in a 26-tonne, 6x2 rear-steer narrow (2.25m wide) configuration, with a 19m³ narrow rear loading body and automatic split-bin lift.
It is due to go into production in the middle of 2019, with the first units anticipated to be on the roads with early customers from the third quarter.
Lee Rowland, sales and marketing manager at Dennis Eagle, said the new eCollect will be the first OEM-built complete electric RCV, which has been receiving a “great response at the IFTA exhibition”.
He told CM that between now and the start of production, the company will be working closely with select customers to help refine the product and understand how it can fit with their operational requirements.
The vehicle will also undergo testing and technical verification to optimise battery management software.
Rowland said the eCollect is expected to be popular with urban operators needing a zero-emission vehicle for air pollution hotspots and clean air zone restrictions.
He added it may enable operators to consider more night-time delivery patterns, for example, thanks to the low-noise, electric technology.
Aside from replacing the diesel engine with an electric drive system, Dennis Eagle said it has made minimal changes to the vehicle design, helping to ensure ease of maintenance, as well as product familiarity with drivers and crews.
