RENAULT TRUCKS DELIVERS A D WIDE Z.E. TO LYON METROPOLE

On Monday, 17 June 2019, Renault Trucks President Bruno Blin handed Thierry Philip, Lyon Metropole Vice President and Head of environment, health and well-being in the city, the keys to a 100% electric refuse collection vehicle; in the presence of David Kimelfeld, Lyon Metropole President. This pre-production D Wide Z.E, the first of the second generation of Renault Trucks electric trucks, is made in the manufacturer’s Blainville-Sur-Orne plant in Normandy. It will be put into service in the Lyon metropolitan area in June 2019.

Renault Trucks is assisting Lyon Metropole with its plans to diversify the energy of its fleet of refuse collection vehicles by providing a 26-tonne pre-production D Wide Z.E. This zero-emission truck in use is set to operate in Meyzieu from June 2019.

For Renault Trucks, electric mobility is the answer to the problematic issue of air quality and noise pollution in urban areas and one of the answers to global CO2 emissions. Bruno Blin, president of Renault Trucks emphasised: “Electric mobility is at the core of the energy strategy we have implemented to meet EU regulations aimed at significantly reducing the CO2 emissions of vehicles over 16 tonnes*”

Refuse collection is an application for which electrical technology is particularly well suited. The operating cycles of refuse collection vehicles include a great deal of stopping and restarting (300 to 800 for each collection round), resulting in high fuel consumption and significant dust and particle emissions linked to the rapid wear of the braking system. As electric vehicles mainly use their engines to slow down, use of brakes and the production of related emissions are both reduced. For a Euro 6 truck, particle emissions linked to abrasion (the wear of tyres and brakes) are higher than emissions linked to fuel use.

The 26-tonne Renault Trucks D Wide Z.E. features an electric engine in the wheelbase, providing the interface between the truck and its equipment. The vehicle has been converted by Faun Environnement, which coupled a hydraulic pump to the standard interface in order to power the refuse collection system. Faun Environnement optimised both the bodywork and its mass to compensate for the weight of the batteries. The bodywork specialist also altered the hydraulic circuit to reduce noise levels and soundproofed the rear section to confine the noise created by falling waste to within the trailer. These changes have enabled noise levels to be reduced by 3 decibels.

The 100% electric refuse collection truck operated by Lyon Metropole is the first pre-production vehicle of the Renault Trucks range of electric trucks. It was developed with assistance from the French Environment & Energy Management Agency (ADEME, "Investing For the Future" programme). 

Renault Trucks electric trucks, which are due to be launched onto the market at the end of 2019, are made in the manufacturer’s Blainville-sur-Orne plant in Calvados, Normandy.

* -15% by 2025 and -30% by 2030.