28 Vertellus

VERTELLUS

Renault Trucks and its UK dealers have set up a new contract hire company called Vertellus which aims to help transport fleets make the transition to zero-emission vehicles as painless as possible. Words: Steve Banner

The name neatly describes the project’s laudable ambitions. ‘Vert’ means ‘green’ in French, while ‘tellus’ means ‘Earth’ in Latin.

Sixty per cent owned by Renault dealers, with Renault Trucks owning the remaining 40%, Vertellus has an initial 30 electric Renault 16- and 18 tonners on its books with curtainsider, box, or fridge bodies. It is collaborating with charging specialist Zenobe Energy to provide customers with battery charging facilities as well as the vehicles they need.

Appreciating that businesses will want to evaluate electric trucks over several weeks to see if they match their duty cycles before committing to them, Vertellus has developed EV Discovery. It is a three-month trial based around usage.

Customers agree to use a minimum of 3,000kWh of power per vehicle per month at a rate of £1.50/kWh for one of the boxes or curtainsiders referred to above, or £1.90/kWh for a fridge. In return they receive the truck and a temporary DC 60kW charger along with all the necessary support services

For an extra payment the charger can be upgraded to a DC 120kW fast-charger, which includes a 160kWh storage battery. Choosing this option will increase the per-kWh rate to £2.00 if you have chosen, say, an 18-tonne box van, or £2.40 if you have selected an 18-tonne fridge, for example.

Use your Renault more intensively than the minimum kilowatt-hours quoted and you will face an additional per-kWh levy.

electricity the truck will actually consume. That will be subject to negotiations between the transport company and its energy provider.

Fitted with four 66kWh batteries, the box and curtainsider models should be able to cover 125 miles before they need recharging. Despite the power drain potentially imposed by their fridge units, refrigerated models are said to deliver slightly more mileage because they come with four 94kWh batteries.

At a minimum £4,500 a month, EV Discovery does not come cheap. The rate quoted is not excessive when compared with what is being quoted by other providers however, and the data the three-month exercise will generate for the operator could prove invaluable.

The electricity a truck operated under the programme will consume will still be cheaper per mile than the fuel used by its diesel stable-mates, despite price rises. Deploying quiet electric trucks is likely to make out-ofhours deliveries more acceptable, and it is becoming increasingly clear that some local authorities want to exclude all diesels from their catchment areas if they possibly can.

In Oxford only vehicles that are zero-emission enjoy unrestricted access to certain streets in the city centre. The number of streets affected is sure to widen.

Zenobe

With operations in the UK, Australasia and Europe, Zenobe Energy is involved in some 50 fleet electrification project and supports around 25% of Britain’s electric bus operations. Key customers include National Express.

Zenobe’s ETaaS (Electric Transport-asa-Service) package provides clients with a charging infrastructure, the necessary software, and replacement batteries. It plays a leading role in repurposing electric vehicle batteries after their first life, giving businesses the ability to store power that they can call on as and when required.

Says Zenobe founder director, Nicholas Beatty: “We’re delighted to have been chosen to embark on this journey of decarbonisation alongside Vertellus.”

Bath and North East Somerset council is consulting stakeholders about its plan to charge operators who want to send Euro VI trucks grossing at above 12 tonnes into the city’s Clean Air Zone £50 per truck per day. Firms with pre-EuroVI trucks have faced a £100 daily levy since the CAZ was launched in 2021.

Electric trucks are exempt from such charges. If work has to be tendered for, then operators are increasingly discovering that tender documents include questions about how they are cutting their carbon footprints. The response that they are trialling an electric truck may go some way towards answering these enquiries.

Electric trucks boast lower maintenance costs than diesels, and their batteries are lasting for longer than some experts expected. Renault guarantees that the batteries it fits will operate for up to ten years

or deliver 300 megawatts of energy during the vehicle’s lifetime.

No matter whether they have signed up to the Discovery programme or not, if transport fleets are considering going electric then Vertellus can review their activities to determine whether the technology can meet their needs.

If it can, then the company can provide a suite of services which includes maintenance as well as the trucks themselves and the charging infrastructure. Optional extras include replacement vehicles, tyre management, driver training, dealing with penalty charge notices, telematics, and fleet monitoring with an online portal.

Vertellus can arrange 24/7 breakdown cover and supply a truck to stand in for one that is going for its MoT test. Customers are supported by Renault Trucks dealers plus a number of approved partners around the UK adding up to over 60 locations.

The manufacturer’s electric line-up is steadily expanding, with production of E-Tech T and C tractor units and rigids grossing at up to 44 tonnes scheduled to begin towards the end of 2023.

Vertellus managing director, Nigel Baxter, is also managing director of Nottingham-based Renault Trucks dealership R H Commercial Vehicles. He says: “We understand that when it comes to switching to an electric contract hire fleet there is so much more for a business to think about than if it is simply acquiring diesels. That is why we have designed the Discovery programme to remove the complexity and hassle from the transition so operators can accelerate the process of reducing the carbon footprints of their fleets.

“Introducing electric models across an entire fleet is likely to happen in stages. That is why the programme identifies operations and sectors where this technology can work for companies, and provides them with an opportunity to hire battery vehicles and test them in their own day-to-day working environments.

“We’re taking away the risk.”

• (L to R)

Carlos Rodrigues Managing Director, Renault Trucks Nigel Baxter Managing Director, Vertellus Nicholas Beatty Founder Director, Zenobe

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The Vertellus EV Discovery Programme

Helping operators make the first-steps towards new technology and a sustainable, greener fleet. 3-month subscription* includes: • 18T Electric vehicle – with box, curtainsider or refrigerated body • DC60 fast-charger • Vehicle and infrastructure data • Vehicle maintenance • Expert handover and ongoing account support

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