Thinking about a refuse collection day in the UK is not a pretty sight. It normally involves a hefty, battered old truck driving along while binmen race to the side of the road to pick up our trash cans with some litter inevitably breaking free in the process. All this is to take most of our rubbish to a landfill site - hardly the greenest of images.
However, that image may change in the years to come as Volvo Trucks deliver four hybrid powered refuse trucks to Veolia Properte and plan to introduce the vehicles in London and Paris next autumn.
The hybrid trucks are all based on the heavy duty FE model. However, what makes them stand out from the pack is that they have both a diesel engine and an electric motor. As with a hybrid car, the vehicles work by using the electric motor when idling and for acceleration. As a result fuel consumption is cut by 15-20 per cent.
With the addition of a further battery, another 10-15 per cent could be cut off fuel consumption figures with emissions of carbon dioxide also slumping.
Speaking about the vehicles’ introduction Claes Nilsson, President of the Europe division of Volvo Trucks, said: “It is particularly gratifying that Veolia Propreté, an international company renowned for its dedication to green development, wants to be among the very first to harness the benefits of hybrid technology.
“We will carefully monitor how the trucks are used and how they are perceived by the drivers. This will provide us with vital information for the ongoing development of our hybrid vehicles.”
