Van Gelder deploys four electric Volvo trucks

Construction company Van Gelder will deploy four new all-electric trucks this year. The Volvo FE Electric trucks have been purchased by Jan Bakker and Vrijbloed Transport and will be used for Van Gelder on various projects throughout the Netherlands. In doing so, Van Gelder, Jan Bakker and Vrijbloed Transport are taking an important step towards making their equipment even more sustainable and realizing their sustainable ambitions.   

The Volvo's FE Electric features an electrically powered and relatively lightweight truck-mounted loader crane and two-side tipper. In addition to employing a sustainable powertrain that generates no harmful emissions, such as an electric motor, this lightweight crane makes it possible to make road construction work more sustainable by transporting more cargo in fewer transport movements. In fact, because the crane is powered by the vehicle's battery pack, no diesel or additional battery pack is needed.

"Perhaps a little oddly put, but you limit the damage with this. Normally, to use an electric crane, an additional battery pack is added. That makes the vehicle heavier and limits the payload even more. Or a crane is chosen that is diesel-powered which still doesn't give you a 100% electric vehicle. Powering the crane through the vehicle batteries eliminates the need for an additional battery pack and saves weight. Within the options available now, it is a sophisticated vehicle," explains Jan Bakker, director at Jan Bakker Transport.

The deployment of Vrijbloed Transport for Van Gelder takes place mainly in Amsterdam. "Within Amsterdam, weight plays a very important role with the vulnerable bridges and quays. Especially for this, the entire superstructure has been redesigned in cooperation with Vossebelt Kippers to remove all 'over dimensioning' from the design. For example, the truck-mounted crane was purchased based on usage data from the existing fleet within the same application, which we have started to use more intensively since the advent of electric trucks. As a result, the truck-mounted crane is lighter. We also chose a short Volvo cab, smarter auxiliary frame and also a lighter tipper matched to the payload. The result? Significantly more payload combined with a larger tipper and a smaller energy requirement. This not only protects the quays and bridges, but also reduces vehicle movements," explains Mathijs Vrijbloed, Sustainability Coordinator, Innovation and Communication at Vrijbloed Transport B.V.

Preventing unnecessary energy consumption

The Volvo FE Electric is equipped with two electric motors with an output of 400 kW and 850 Nm of torque. The lithium-ion battery packs have a capacity of 264 kWh. Braking energy is used to charge the batteries.

All trucks feature an additional display with axle load indicator. This shows not only the axle loads but also the remaining battery capacity. The system is set up so that the crane slows down as soon as the battery pack falls below a certain level. This prevents too little battery capacity remaining to drive the vehicle back to its site. In addition, the trucks have a system that automatically shuts down the electric motor when crane functions are not being operated. This prevents unnecessary consumption and optimizes battery capacity utilization.

Emission-free

Sustainable business is one of Van Gelder's strategic pillars. In order to operate completely climate-neutral in 2030 and fully circular in 2050, the use of electric equipment is necessary. Together with logistics partners Jan Bakker and Vrijbloed Transport, a major step has now been taken towards realizing Van Gelder's sustainable ambitions.

Future generations

Leendert Ripping, director of Aannemingsmaatschappij Van Gelder is pleased with the new electric trucks: "An emission-free approach is increasingly becoming the standard. This has long since ceased to apply only to inner-city projects, but also to projects in rural areas. With these fully electric trucks, we reduce our impact on the environment and help our clients achieve their sustainable goals. Moreover, as Van Gelder, we contribute to a livable and safer living environment for future generations."