TruckandTrackSummer2020

www.truckandtrack.com Summer 2020 Truck and Track 7 BUSINESS NEWS which vehicles are affected, the potential of tyres to reduce fuel consumption and fleet operating costs, plus other parameters to reduce CO 2 emissions. ConstantinBatsch, Head of Truck Tyre Replacement at Continental’s business region Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), sees a clear need for such a microsite: “From our talks with customers we see that there is a lot of interest from fleet managers all over Europe. We know that fuel consumption and thereby CO 2 emissions will not only become more important when buying a new truck, but also when replacing tyres. So, we want to provide fleet operators with important information on how the new CO 2 regulation and the resulting changes for tyres affect their business and how they can make best use of it. We see ourselves as service consultants, especially with regard to finding the right tyre, tyre management and how this helps reduce overall operating costs and CO 2 emissions.” The European Parliament states that 25% of the European Union’s CO 2 emissions fromtransport are generatedby heavy-duty vehicles. If truckmanufacturers fail to complywith the new regulations, they will incur penalty payments for each vehicle. Further regulations that could affect fleets directly are currently under discussion. Tyres impact up to 40% of fleet operating costs because they have a significant influence on fuel consumption (30%) as well as on repairs and maintenance (5%) and actual tyre costs (5%). … the role heavy-duty vehicles currently play in producing CO 2 emissions, and … … the potential of tyres to reduce fuel consumption and fleet operating costs Royal Mail is the latest household name to partner with LEVC (LondonElectricVehicleCompany)andtakedeliveryofaprototype of its newelectric van, the VN5, for use in real-world testing. Thanks to the similarities between LEVC’s TX Taxi and VN5, LEVC is deploying a fleet of converted TX-based prototypes utilising a full interior van conversion, kick starting trials ahead of official VN5 launch later this year. The famous British postal service and courier provider is one of 25 business partners taking part in the trials, all using the converted TX-based vehicles. Joerg Hofmann, LEVC CEO, commented: “Royal Mail is one of the oldest postal services in the world and, like our London black cab, is part of British history and culture. It is great that these two iconic brands are joining forces for this trial. The VN5 prototypes will wear the iconic Royal Mail red livery and be used on routes that will test the vehicles ability to the full. These trials are crucial to the final development of the van, ahead of its launch later this year.” The VN5 cargo capacity easily accommodates two Euro sized pallets with a gross payload of over 800kg. It has been built with a large side-loading door (enabling a pallet to be side-loaded) and a 60/40 split door at the rear to make loading and unloading easy for the driver. The eCity technology meets the demanding duty cycles of various different sectors, and, for logistics businesses such as Royal Mail, VN5 has been designed to provide ‘distribution to door’ – not just last mile – capability, creating a link between out of town depots and city centres. Paul Gatti, Fleet Director at Royal Mail said: “As a Company, we are committed to making changes to our operations that reduce our environmental impact, whilst ensuring we continue to meet customer expectations. Alongside the introduction of electric vans in locations across our business, this trial is part of a programme of initiatives that allow us to experiment with ways to achieve this, whilst enabling us to continue to deliver letters and parcels safely, efficiently and responsibly.” Royal Mail latest partner to trial LEVC’S new electric van