DAF LF Electric part of £20m UK govt trial

A total of 20 DAF LF Electric trucks will be used in a UK Government Department for Transport project aimed to encourage the use of battery electric vehicles in commercial transport.

British manufacturer and PACCAR subsidiary Leyland Trucks has been selected to help lead the project by fitting the 19-tonne battery electric rigids with data logging equipment along with an interactive website.

The project is part of the Government’s £20 million zero emission road freight trials.

Leyland Trucks will work with CENEX, the low carbon research consultancy, to create an interactive report and website using real-world data to assist public and private fleet operators to better understand the strengths, challenges, and deployment options around zero emissions trucks.

Leyland Trucks manufactures the DAF LF series of distribution vehicles, including the LF Electric which recently entered production at its state-of-the-art plant in Lancashire.

The manufacturer will be partnering with several end-users in the public sector during the trial, including various NHS (National Health Service) operations around the country earmarked to trial eleven DAF LF Electric rigids. 

The remaining nine vehicles will go to a number of local authorities to support recycling and deliveries to schools. Bodywork will include ex-factory PACCAR box bodies and refrigerated bodywork from Gray & Adams.

The project is valued at £10 million which includes the vehicles, charging infrastructure, user training, repair and maintenance and total-cost-of-ownership. It will provide operational insight across a variety of duty cycles.

“We’re delighted to have been selected to play such a key role in the initiative,” Leyland Trucks project manager Rob Lawton says. 

“We’re proud to be leading the drive towards a cleaner, more sustainable future for the road transport industry. Our LF Electric and CF Electric vehicles offer the best solution for zero-emissions operation. 

“The results from our NHS and local authority partners will support Leyland Truck’s extensive and long-term testing programmes to further strengthen our leading position in providing battery electric vehicles.”

DAF LF Electric and CF Electric

DAF Trucks is among the first truck manufacturers to already have full electric trucks for sale in the UK market, including the 19-tonne DAF LF Electric and the larger DAF CF Electric in 4×2 tractor and 6×2 rigid variant, suited for general distribution, as well as supermarket delivery and waste collection applications.

DAF Trucks supports its new electric truck range with a choice of fixed and mobile PACCAR Chargers.