New DAF EV truck

Truck manufacturers DAF and VDL Groep have come together to build a fully electric truck that can do high volume city distribution and have zero emissions.

The new DAF EV trucks has a 210kW electric motor and has a 170kWh lithium ion battery system. The range of the new vehicle will be up to 100km on a full charge. It can be quickly recharged to 80% in half an hour, or 1.5 hours for a full charge.

Under the partnership DAF supplies the cab and chassis of the new machine, while VDL provides the drivetrain and power unit. According to the companies, it will have a Gross Combination Weight (GCW) of less than 40 tonnes.

The EV truck has been tested in urban areas and the next phase is to develop other electric vehicles to enter and stay in the city. “There is not a one size fits all solution for all the world,” said DAF Trucks president Preston Feight.

The new EV truck aims to provide customers with sustainable zero emission transport. “Taking responsibility for our sustainability,” said Willem van der Leegte, president and chief executive of VDL, “is what I call true added value.”

Modern trucks are 96 per cent more efficient in reducing NOX emissions but we are “not anywhere near being finished,” said Feight. We are “going in a new direction and new technology is taking place in front of us.” This is a “future in which technologies will play a critical role.”

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