This week we’re looking ahead at the technology that truck manufacturers are putting into their most recent vehicles, and how this could shape the industry in years to come.
In 2018 the Government released the Road to Zero strategy, which will ban the sale of cars and vans that run via combustion engines in 2040. Now while that might not apply to trucks, it does put a significant amount of pressure on manufacturers to match the developments of their domestic counterparts.
Not only is there an industry-supported commitment in place to reduce heavy goods vehicle greenhouse gases by 15% by 2025, but the introduction of new engine efficiency standards, such as Euro VI looks set to continue developing to make trucks more environmentally-friendly.
Take DAF for example. At IAA 2018 in Hanover they released their vision of the Road to the Future.
This included the new DAF CF Electric Innovation Truck, a 4×2 tractor unit developed for up to 40-tonne GCW distribution applications.
An electric DAF truck was almost unthinkable a few years ago, and now the reality of a fully electric truck could change the landscape of haulage in the near future.
DAF’s CF electric truck features:
– 240 kW/325 hp electric motor
– 170 kWh lithium-ion battery pack
– Range of 100 kilometres
– VDL E-Power Technology
While there may still be a long way to go before the industry can adopt this technology as standard, it does highlight the impact that technology can have on a business’s operations.
With new regulations being brought in that will protect the world from dangerous emissions in the future, current trucks could not only be harmful, but even outlawed from use, which could place businesses under significant financial strain if they need to replace older trucks with more efficient equivalents.
This demonstrates the value that acquiring vehicles via contract hire can have. While you’ll expect to use these trucks for years at a time, this often doesn’t extend past 5 years, meaning you get the latest technology and reduce costs to your business of running less energy efficient vehicles.
For more details on contract hire, contact us today – or visit our trucks page to see the new trucks we can build custom to your requirements.