Rotterdam, 16 February 2023 - Royal Den Hartogh Logistics is pushing ahead with its sustainability ambitions with the addition of its first Volvo FM Electric truck, an important step in reducing its CO2 emissions. The company has purposely chosen the lightest possible electric truck with maximum load capacity, without compromising safety and driver convenience.
In 2025, Den Hartogh wants to have reduced its transport-related CO2 emissions by 25% and to be fully CO2 neutral in 2050. Pieter den Hartogh: ‘These are serious ambitions. We want to minimise our impact on the environment and work as sustainably as possible. For that reason, we are continuously looking for opportunities to enable us to reduce our emissions. We do that with electric as well as LNG-powered trucks. The addition of the Volvo FM Electric is a new milestone.’
Last mile intermodal transport
Joep Aerts, Business Unit Director Liquid Logistics: ‘The Volvo FM truck will be used in the Rotterdam cluster where we implement the dedicated last and first mile of our intermodal transport. We load and unload tank containers at our big customers. This means that we have relatively short trips, with the truck returning to the site every evening so that it can be charged at night. This is a way of using electric transport at all our bigger international intermodal hubs.
GVW of 50 tonnes
The company purposely chose the lightest possible electric truck with maximum load capacity. The Volvo FM Electric has a GCW of 50 tonnes. By choosing five batteries instead of six, there is even more load capacity. And we don't need to make any compromises on safety either. This Volvo FM Electric has every possible safety feature, which we extended with cameras in the wing mirror.’
ADR transport
Joep Aerts continues: ‘For us, it's also important - certainly in view of the use of the truck - that the Volvo FM has easy access. That's really great for our drivers.’ The truck will go into operation immediately. Unfortunately, not yet for ADR transport. ‘Legislation still lags behind reality. Using an electric truck to transport ADR goods is not yet permitted. However, we hope to see a change in the legislation soon. Now we can still easily schedule non-ADR transports separately, which is impossible with various other electric trucks.’
Working together with Volvo Trucks
Besides the fact that the truck is electrically powered, it also helps that the chassis of the Volvo FM is made from fossil-free steel to help reduce the CO2 footprint. Pieter den Hartogh: ‘We've had a partnership with Volvo Trucks for years. It's these kinds of things, together with Volvo's alternative powertrains, which mean that we are keen to work together in the transition to becoming CO2 neutral.’
Den Hartogh's Volvo FM Electric truck will mainly operate nationally and was delivered in the presence of Pieter den Hartogh and Roger Alm President Volvo Trucks.
