There’s some welcome relief, and the options are on the market, for tipper operators looking to go electric. John Kendall reports.
THE ROAD to carbon-neutral transport was never going to be a smooth one and arguably the route for heavy vehicles was likely to be the most difficult. The reasons for that are fairly straightforward.
Additional battery weight for all-electric commercial vehicles is an issue, but the resulting potential payload restrictions are a particular concern for any operation where rates are based on tonnage delivered. Any restrictions on payload resulting from the heavy battery packs are not going to be favourably received.
With that in mind, it is encouraging to see the government’s proposed amendments to vehicle authorised weights affecting alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) and zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs). As the government explains, the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) with the EU means the UK is already committed to allowing some AFVs and ZEVs to operate with an additional one or two tonnes of weight while on international operations (see sidebar).
