The municipality of Rotterdam recently took the first Volvo FE Electric with an electric cracker superstructure into use. The truck is used for the emission-free and silent collection of household waste in the city center of Rotterdam. The main motivation for awarding the public tender to Volvo Trucks was the fact that the Volvo FE Electric is produced ex works, so that all parts are optimally matched to each other and an efficient and sustainable production can be achieved.
The contract for the delivery of a quiet and clean electric truck was awarded to Volvo Trucks in 2020 through a public tender. In addition to the truck's sustainable character, driver comfort, a good field of vision and a low entry, the integral design by an OEM was ultimately the deciding factor in choosing the Volvo FE Electric.
“Because this electric truck is produced ex factory, all parts are optimally matched to each other. Moreover, there is no need to first produce components that are later removed to make way for electrical solutions. It goes without saying that this production process is not only more efficient but also a lot more sustainable”.
Improving air quality and working environment
Rotterdam has set firm targets to improve air quality. The municipality wants to significantly reduce carbon dioxide, soot emissions and nitrogen dioxide in the air.
“The intention is that by 2030 all household waste collection will only be done by emission-free vehicles. With our roadmap `Zero Emission City Logistics (ZES)` we are working on a green, healthy and future-proof city. With the use of these 100% electric trucks, we are getting a lot closer to achieving our goal: a city with clean air”.
In addition to being cleaner, the truck is also quieter. “This is an advantage for local residents, but also for our drivers. On the other hand, the truck is so quiet that it is sometimes almost overlooked by fellow road users. A sound system on the truck makes a positive contribution to road safety.”
Positive impulse for large-scale production of electric trucks
Recently, in a second tender from the Municipality of Rotterdam, five electric trucks were again awarded to Volvo Trucks. Like the current truck, this order also concerns Volvo's FE Electric 6×2 with an electric cracker body. With the purchase of electric trucks, the municipality of Rotterdam hopes to give a positive impulse to the production of electric vehicles.
“Our goal is to create scale-up and start large-scale production. By going electric, we contribute to the possibility that prices for electric trucks fall and electric becomes affordable not only for governments, but also for the business community.”
Facts Volvo FE Electric 6×2
The Volvo FE Electric 6×2 is equipped with an electric cracker body and has a GVW of 27 tons. The truck has four lithium-ion battery packs of 66 kWh each. The batteries also charge during braking, which makes the Volvo FE Electric very suitable for the collection of household waste that has a lot of stop-and-go. Charging is done with 22 kW AC overnight or DC fast charging up to 150 kW. The well-known CCS/Combo2 connections are used.
Also read: Volvo Trucks adds sounds to electric trucks