Electric Truck, Taxi, & Van News — 5 New Stories

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

There’s been a constant stream of electric truck and electric van news this year, and the past few weeks have been no exception. In fact, 5 stories quickly rolled in. Check them all out below.


Renault Offers More Electric Truck Models

Renault has rolled out a couple of new electric truck options. You can now get the Renault Trucks D Z.E. and D Wide Z.E with 66 kWh battery packs as the building blocks of the different options. The total battery sizes available range from 200 km (125 miles) to 400 km (250 miles) on a full charge, according to Renault, and there are three other options between those upper and lower tiers.

Here are more specs on these electric trucks:

Renault Trucks D Z.E.
– Total GVW: 16t
– Available wheelbases: 4,400 mm and 5,300 mm, others by request
– 185 kW electric motor (130 kW continuous output)
– Maximum torque of the electric motor: 425 Nm.
– Maximum torque rear axle: 16 kNm
– Two-speed gear box
– Energy storage: lithium-ion batteries totalling 200 to 400 kWh
– Real-world operating range: up to 400 km
– Charging 22 kW AC and 150 kW DC

Renault Trucks D Wide Z.E.
– GVW: 26t
– Available wheelbase: 3,900 mm, others by request
– Two electric motors with a total rating of 370 kW (260 kW continuous output)
– Maximum torque of electric motors: 850 Nm
– Maximum torque rear axle: 28 kNm.
– Two-speed gear box
– Energy storage: lithium-ion batteries, 200 kWh to 265 kWh.
– Real-world operating range: up to 180 km
– Charging 22 kW AC and 150 kW DC

Renault is also now offering a 3.5 tonne version of the Master Z.E. Previously, only a 3.1 tonne version was available (in terms of gross vehicle weight, or GVW). Either option has a 120 km (75 mile) range and can be fully charged up in 6 hours.

“The 3.1-tonne range consists of two models (van and platform cab) available in three different lengths (L1, L2, L3) and two heights (H1, H2). The 3.5-tonne van version is already on the market in the same six combinations.

“The 3.5-tonne Renault Trucks Master Z.E. all-electric LCV will shortly be available with a platform cab and chassis cab opening up a wider range of utility applications by enabling the fitting of a wide range of equipment such as a tipping trailer or a high-volume body with lifting tailgate.”

Some more details are here.


Renault Gets Order for 20 D Wide Z.E. Electric Trucks

On a related note, Carlsberg Group received delivery of twenty 26-tonne Renault Trucks D Wide Z.E. vehicles.

Furthermore, the electricity used to power the electric trucks will come from renewable energy.

More details and commentary are here.

Mercedes-Benz EVito Gets New Pricing & Specs

The Mercedes-Benz EVito has been updated and is now priced as follows in the UK “£40,895, or £549* a month including a Service Care agreement, with a £3,219 finance customer advance rental for an eVito PROGRESSIVE panel van 35kWh L2, and from £42,015 for an eVito PLUS package panel van 35kWh L2, the evolved eVito offers a high level of additional standard specification.” Current specs and features are as follows:

  • 300 Nm of torque
  • 92-mile WLTP combined range
  • 6 hour charge (via 3 phase charging)
  • Audio 30 infotainment with DAB radio
  • reverse camera
  • anti-theft Protection Package with double-locks
  • new-style grille with chrome fins
  • Type 2, 8m, 32amp charging cable
  • PARKTRONIC parking sensors
  • foldable mirrors
  • colour-coded bumpers
  • full wheel covers
  • 75 mph speed limiter

More details can be found here and here.


EAVGo! Compact Electric Taxi

The EAVGo! highlighted its convenient access for disabled people in honor of UK Disability History Month. The back of the vehicle opens up, a ramp rolls out to provide wheelchair access, and the passenger bench seat folds toward the driver compartment. In general, the small electric taxi offers an interesting compact and utilitarian design.

Further, the company notes that its design is a good solution now that taxi use has spiked 30% (due to the pandemic and people not wanting to use mass transit).

The vehicle can also be used to transport cargo.

“EAV’s founding team came from a world leading composite design and automotive engineering business so we’re experts in extremely strong but lightweight materials and structures,” states Adam Barmby, Founder and CEO of EAV. “We’re also highly focused on problem solving, offering EAV’s in-house R&D capabilities to fix a variety of blue-chip engineering and product development company problems. This skill set has enabled us to design a unique vehicle where the rear bulkhead can fold down into a ramp for easy wheelchair access.”

The taxi carries up to two people, but range, specs, and pricing are not included on its website. However, EAVGo! deliveries begin in spring 2021 and you can pre-order one now.


London Electric Vehicle Company Expands Sales Network

To get some momentum in the London taxi market and beyond, EAV will have to go up against the giant, LEVC (aka London Electric Vehicle Company), which produces the iconic-style black cabs of London, and more broadly across England.

LEVC’s news is that it has just expanded its dealer network. Guest Truck and Van is a new sales partner and will offer LEVC’s electric vehicles in 5 locations across the Midlands.

“The dealer group will provide full sales and after sales support for LEVC’s TX electric taxi and new VN5 electric van, which began production at the company’s state-of-the-art EV manufacturing facility in Ansty, Coventry, earlier this month.

“Guest Truck and Van and its sister company, Sherwood Truck and Van, will represent LEVC in Birmingham, Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent, Sheffield and Leicester, significantly bolstering the availability and reach of LEVC’s sales and servicing operations in the Midlands.”

By the end of 2020, LEVC vehicles will be sold at 50 locations across the UK.

“Entering a partnership with a world-leading manufacturer of electric taxis as they prepare to launch an exciting new product on the commercial vehicle market is a truly exciting prospect for us,” Robert Spittle, Managing Director at Guest Truck and Van, said. “Our expertise and experience will allow us to ensure that LEVC customers in our areas have access to the best possible support nearby, while those invested in switching to cleaner technologies in vans, or taxi drivers looking to switch to the TX, can have informed conversations with a reputable dealer. This partnership represents another step forward for us, as the industry moves towards a greener future.

The TX offers 63 miles (101 km) of pure electric range, and a total of 316 miles (510 km) of range with the range extender. It seats 6 passengers.

The VN5 is focused on transporting cargo. It can handle a gross payload of up to 830 kg and includes 5.5m3 of cargo capacity. The range-extended electric van “can achieve a pure EV range of over 60 miles (98 km) and a total flexible range of over 300 miles (489 km).” Furthermore, it the VN5 offers “a class-leading turning circle of just 10.1m for unrivalled mobility in busy city environments.”

More details and commentary can be found here.


Check in on CleanTechnica again soon for more electric van, truck, and bus news.


Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.

Latest CleanTechnica TV Video


Advertisement
 
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.

Zachary Shahan

Zach is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director, chief editor, and CEO. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao. Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA], NIO [NIO], Xpeng [XPEV], Ford [F], ChargePoint [CHPT], Amazon [AMZN], Piedmont Lithium [PLL], Lithium Americas [LAC], Albemarle Corporation [ALB], Nouveau Monde Graphite [NMGRF], Talon Metals [TLOFF], Arclight Clean Transition Corp [ACTC], and Starbucks [SBUX]. But he does not offer (explicitly or implicitly) investment advice of any sort.

Zachary Shahan has 7324 posts and counting. See all posts by Zachary Shahan