Courier delivery company trials green electric trucks
Date: 24 August 2007
Courier delivery firm TNT is trialling two zero emission trucks, offering a glimpse of the future of eco-friendly freight haulage.
Two electric trucks, one 3.5-tonne Smith Edison EV and one nine-tonne Smith Newton EV, will be used in congested areas of Rotterdam.
The issue of environmentally friendly courier vehicles is a hot topic in the UK freight sector at the present time, as the UK aims to lower its emissions under the Kyoto Protocol.
From February next year, the London low emission zone will be phased in, which by 2010 will see all diesel-engined vehicles weighing between 1.205 tonnes (unladen) and 3.5 tonnes (gross vehicle weight) having to meet certain emissions criteria in order to avoid paying a daily charge to enter the city centre.
TNT chief executive Peter Bakker believes that the electric courier vehicles could herald the future of eco-friendly freight transport.
"TNT foresees electric vehicles to become a key component for future super-urbanised inner city pick up and delivery networks as more and more restrictions are imposed on emissions in urbanised areas.
"Protecting the environment also makes business sense, as our stakeholders are increasingly evaluating us on our environmental impact."
The Edison vehicle will operate in the centre of Rotterdam and will make an average of 40 stops for the pick-up and delivery of documents and small parcels. The Newton will make between 15 and 20 stops.
These stop-start conditions favour electric trucks, since conventional combustion engines are at the most polluting at these times.
Green electricity will be used to power the courier vehicles.
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