New Volvo hybrid refuse truck tested in London

After a year and a half of preliminary field testing, Volvo Trucks is now launching an upgrade of the world’s first hybrid refuse truck.

“Up to 30 per cent lower fuel consumption, low emissions and a low noise level make this hybrid a very attractive choice. That’s why we’re keen to test and develop the technology in partnership with Volvo Trucks, with whom we have developed a very strong working relationship,” comments Rob Stubbs, fleet director at Veolia, London and the UK’s leading waste management provider. The company has ordered the new refuse truck.

The new truck is an upgraded version of the trucks field-tested in Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden over the past eighteen months. Like these trucks, the new refuse truck is what is known as a parallel hybrid. This means it has two separate energy sources, one for diesel and one for electricity, which can be used either separately or together. The benefit of this is that each energy source can be used where it is most fuel-efficient: the electric motor at low revs and the diesel engine at high revs.

“The basic concept is the same, but all the components and software have been updated,” explains Fredrik Bohlin, Business Manager – Hybrids at Volvo Trucks.

“Development is extremely fast and the technology in our latest test vehicle is much closer to a production-ready solution.”

The new refuse truck has electric power steering, completely new control systems and refined battery management strategies to optimise the battery performance. Loading and refuse compaction are completely electrically powered by means of a plug-in compactor that is charged via the mains electricity grid. The battery is also new, with improved reliability and a longer lifespan.

According to Fredrik Bohlin, a small-scale series production of the hybrids will start in 2012 at the earliest, which is somewhat later than the original plan. The delay is related to the global financial crisis that has affected both Volvo’s product development and customers’ investment capacity.

Author: Lee Sibbald, November 18, 2009
Filed under: Fleet news,Volvo Trucks UK