First Volvo electric skip loader in UK launched in Stourbridge
The first electric skip loader which Volvo has delivered into operation in the UK has hit the roads of the Black Country.
Stourbridge-based Pegasus Skip Hire has added a new Volvo FE Electric to its 100-strong fleet, which will be used to deliver and collect skips to customers across the West Midlands.
The move has been hailed by Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb as a significant milestone in the region's drive towards net zero.
The firm opted to bring in the zero-tailpipe emission wagon – which has a gross weight of up to 27 tonnes – following a visit to Volvo Trucks Experience Centre in Sweden.
Tony Hall, managing director at Pegasus, said: "As a business we strive to be as environmentally friendly as possible and are always looking at innovative ways to help us achieve our sustainability ambitions.
"We were fortunate enough to be invited to Sweden to test out the electric fleet and were hugely impressed by the quality of the vehicles. We are proud to be pioneers on the journey to a cleaner and greener future for our sector."
The vehicle has been mounted with multi-lift skip loader bodywork and is powered by two electric motors, generating a peak torque of 850 Nm.
Equipped with four batteries, it offers a range of around 190km and takes 2.3 hours to recharge at Pegasus Skip Hire’s Stourbridge depot on Bott Lane.
Ms Webb, who got behind the wheel of the FE Electric during a visit to the depot, said: "Pegasus is one of Stourbridge’s business leaders and for it to be at the forefront of going green with this UK-first electric skip vehicle is a real positive and a great example to others.
"There is still more to be done in our drive to net zero as a region, but I'm proud that it is one of the businesses in my constituency that is leading the way."
