Dutch Peter Appel Transport, Albert Heijn, DAF Trucks, Simon Loos, and TNO are testing driving electric trucks-with-trailers in cities. As part of the test, not only fully electric trucks are used, but also plug-in hybrid trucks, a European first. The partners want to determine which functional and operational requirements they have to meet in order to deliver to supermarkets zero emission.Director-General Mobility Mark Frequin of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works, together with Cees van Vliet, director of the retail organization and distribution of Albert Heijn, is conducting the opening act for this test. The project runs for a minimum of two years.
Green Deal Zero Emission
In 2014, Albert Heijn signed the Green Deal Zero Emission. In this Green Deal, shippers, transporters, constructors, and authorities are examining how inner cities can be supplied as emission-free as possible in the future. The test with the partners DAF, Simon Loos, Peter Appel Transport and TNO is an important step to gain insight into how the transition to emission-free form can be given. The pilot will be implemented with the subsidy scheme DKTI (Demonstration Climate Technologies and – Innovations in Transport) from the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment.
Type of trucks
During the test, Albert Heijn, DAF Trucks, Simon Loos, Peter Appel Transport and TNO tests three battery-electric (DAF CF Electric) and two plug-in-hybrid truck-trailer combinations (DAF CF Hybrid), Peter Appel Transport will go testing with the plug-in hybrid truck trailer combination. The truck-trailer combination is Albert Heijns most important type of vehicle. More than 90% of the deliveries to the supermarkets is carried out with this type of vehicle.
The fast charging infrastructure is provided by VDL. In addition, VDL has also developed and built the electric powertrain of the DAFs. The aim is to test as many relevant technical, operational, financial and organizational aspects as possible for zero-emission deliveries to supermarkets. On the basis of analyzes by TNO, this will determine which functional and operational requirements the resources and organization must meet in order to supply supermarkets in inner cities with emission-free equipment in the near future.
Solutions
Despite the fact that there are hardly any zero-emission solutions for heavy freight transport available and the development is still very early and the range is still limited, the companies involved are investigating electric vehicles over the entire distance. This mainly concerns trips from Zaandam to Amsterdam. With plug-in hybrid trucks, Zaandam can also supply stores further away, for example in Utrecht, without any emissions. The batteries of the vehicles will be recharged between journeys on a specially laid-out fast loading square at the Albert Heijn distribution center in Zaandam.
Source: Ahold Delhaize
Photo: Peter Appel Transport