GOING GLOBAL
A ELECTRIC TEST DRIVE
CIRCLES LONDON PowerTorque’s European Correspondent, Will Shiers, attempts to get into the record books, circumnavigating London in a zero tailpipe emissions 16-tonne Renault Range D ZE.
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quick Google search on vehiclerelated records reveals that Rob Gibney once drove his car in reverse for 807.39km, while Han Tue managed a 46-minute lap of the Nürburgring on two wheels. While these are clearly both amazing feats, and something the record holders should be immensely proud of, they aren’t nearly as exciting as the record I’m attempting to set. If all goes well I’m about to become the first person in the world to complete a lap of the M25, London’s infamous orbital motorway, in an electric truck on a single charge. My truck of choice for this electrifying feat is a battery-powered 16-tonne Renault Range D16 ZE. The truck has a claimed
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range of just over 200km, and seeing as a lap of the M25 is 190km, it’s definitely doable. However, throw in some congestion and adverse weather conditions (both of which are forecasted), and it’s definitely going to be a close call. My journey starts at Cobham Services, south west of London, and about 15 miles from Heathrow Airport. I’ve had to take it to the car charging area, because as of yet there aren’t any truck charging points anywhere on the UK motorway network. That’s not a surprise really, considering that the first electric trucks are only just starting to appear on our roads. The charging area is a hive of activity. Several electric car owners are deep in conversation, swapping notes and
comparing ranges and charging times. It’s like some sort of exclusive club, and its members have a definite air of self-importance and superiority about them. I get the distinct impression that the Renault isn’t welcome here. They certainly aren’t happy that it’s taking up three charging bays anyway. If I could be bothered to talk to them I’d point out that the battery-powered truck they’re looking down their noses at costs several times more than their cars. It takes two hours to charge the truck’s four 66kWh batteries using a 150kW DC fast charger like this (or overnight with a 22kW AC charger), but fortunately the Renault is almost fully charged now, and I’m soon sitting in the cab and ready to go.
