Welwyn Garden City, UK: Tesco is rolling out its first 18 tonne electric truck: a Renault Trucks E-Tech D Wide with Solomon Commercials refrigerated body.
The new truck is delivering from Tesco’s Dagenham distribution centre to some 400 stores in Greater London.
More electric vehicles are planned to enter service in the coming months.
The E-Tech D Wide is eligible to operate in the capital’s Ultra Low Emission Zone and Congestion Charge Zone without incurring charges.
The truck has Carrier Transicold’s TRS Syberia 11 refrigeration powered directly from the vehicle batteries via Renault Trucks’ 600v TVJB Fridge power supply unit. The vehicle has multi-temperature zones.
Jason Tarry, chief executive, Tesco, said: “The Tesco distribution network is one of the largest in the UK and provides us with a great opportunity to roll out new technologies like this industry-leading E-Tech electric truck from Renault Trucks. Together with our switch to electric home delivery vans and rolling out electric vehicle charging points for our customers, we’re really excited about the improvements we’re making across our business and our transition to electric vehicles.”
Tesco’s first Renault Trucks E-Tech D Wide E-Tech 18 has a 1 tonne dispensation. It has a 4.75m wheelbase with day cab, Solomon Commercials 6.4m body with rear shutter door, and 1500kg column tail lift.
It is powered by 265kWh, 600V lithium-ion batteries with four battery packs of 66kW each. The truck also recovers regenerative energy. The gearbox has two forward speeds and one reverse.
The vehicle has Renault Trucks guarantees that the battery will operate for up to 10 years or deliver 300MW of energy over the vehicle’s life. The D Wide E-Tech will recharge at Tesco’s newly installed electric charge points at its Dagenham distribution centre.
