The electric vehicle market is seeing a lot of interesting advances. Another industry that is starting to gain pace is the heavy electric truck market. Some of these vehicles, such as tippers, mixers, and cranes, are designed for specialized uses.
Renault Trucks UK and its partners have been developing solutions to electrify this critical market. The UK’s first all-electric ready-mix concrete mixer has completed a three-month commercial delivery trial for Tarmac in Birmingham, marking an important step towards net zero construction.
The “e-mixer,” developed in collaboration with Renault Trucks and TVS Interfleet, is the first of its type to run with zero tailpipe emissions anywhere in the UK. With the same average capacity as a conventional diesel vehicle, it is expected to save 42 tonnes of CO2 annually, with zero emissions per mile compared to 1.55 kg of CO2 per mile for its fossil fuel equivalent.
Tarmac’s plan to build integrated low carbon logistics by supplying decarbonized transport for the final mile of a construction project includes the mixer. It is based at Tarmac’s rail-fed Birmingham Plant in Washwood Heath and adds to the company’s large logistics network, which comprises more than 60 rail-connected locations across the UK.
The truck also reduces noise and vibrations while helping to improve air quality, especially in metropolitan areas and low and zero emission zones like Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone. When compared to typical internal combustion engine rivals, the e-mixer saves more energy and has a longer lifespan.
The e-mixer has already won some awards. The e-mixer was awarded the BAA Award for Safety and Innovation at the UK Concrete Show in March 2023. Tarmac says it is continuing to work with Renault Trucks and TVS Interfleet to develop the next generation of mixers. The company has ambitions for their eventual widespread use across its urban operations as part of its Act Sustainability Strategy and commitment to be a net zero business by 2050.
Reference- Electrive, Renault Truck PR, Inside EVs, Truck & Driver, Freight Carbon Zero, World Cement