Econ launches electric gritter truck in the UK
Yorkshire-based company Econ Engineering has launched a new electric gritter truck. The company says the truck can be operated year-round thanks to a range of demountable body options, which allow it to switch between fleet roles.
The truck’s flexibility comes from Econ’s new Electric Quick Change Body (E-QCB) system. In addition to a gritter body, the truck can be supplied with tipper bodywork for highway maintenance or a cage tipper for refuse collection and recycling.
The gritter truck was developed in-house by Econ. The E-QCB system for changing the bodies uses hydraulic rams to switch between demountable bodies in what the company says is just 15 minutes, controlled by a single operator.
The first in this new ‘Econ Zero’ range is a fully operational prototype built on a 19-tonne Volvo FE Electric 4×2 chassis. Volvo Trucks says that the development is the product of a collaboration between Econ Engineering’s R&D team and product specialists from Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland, as well as the supplying dealer Crossroads Truck & Bus.
“We have spent a long time developing the new E-QCB, undertaking comprehensive redesigns and trialling it to ensure that we can offer a fully electric solution for our customers that can be used 52 weeks a year,” says Jonathan Lupton, Managing Director at Econ Engineering. “The vehicle operates best in urban environments, where daily mileage is typically less than some longer distance motorway routes. As it is easy to switch body types with this model, customers can benefit from operating the vehicle all year-round.”
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