Ringway has selected a pair of battery-powered Volvo FM Low Entry trucks to replace older diesel trucks in its fleet of more than 2,000 commercial vehicles.
The delivery includes a Volvo 32T FM Low Entry 8x2 Tridem, riding on full air suspension and with Thompsons tipper-grab bodywork, for undertaking highways maintenance in London.
The second is an FM Low Entry 4x2 18T with a Thompsons dropside body. It will be used on street lighting operations across the capital. Columns will be removed and lifted into position using a Palfinger crane mounted at the front of the load bed. The bespoke bodywork features rear-stepped entry and the ability to load up to six lighting columns over the cab roof 鈥 the same number as the diesel truck it replaces.
Ringway managing director Mitesh Solanki said: 鈥淕iven our focus on safety, innovation and climate adaptation, the FM Low Entry met all our expectations. Initially we鈥檝e chosen two very different applications for these new models, and we鈥檒l be putting both vehicles through their paces to help us better understand future fleet configurations.
鈥淩ingway has already built a wealth of experience with the 26T Volvo FE Electric we introduced last summer; that truck has been performing well. However, with the FM Low Entry we benefit from Volvo鈥檚 newest model and a chassis which can tackle heavier duty applications. We believe this is a first for the highways sector, for Volvo and London.鈥
Both new trucks will operate from Ringway鈥檚 East London depot, with the 8x2 available to work either day or night shifts, as required, stopping to re-charge back at base. The 4x2 will work through the night, and recharge between shifts.
Before placing the order, Volvo Truck & Bus Centre South & East worked with Ringway to carry out a route simulation to ensure that the new electric trucks were specified with the optimal battery configuration for their intended duties.

Each vehicle is equipped with four traction batteries, providing a total capacity of 360 kWh. The simulations confirmed that this would remain fit for purpose even after seven years of service, including operation in winter temperatures. The analysis also accounted for the energy demands of auxiliary systems such as the crane, body, and beacons.
Inside the 8x2 Tridem, Ringway has configured the cab to accommodate the driver plus crew of three, with a typical daytime shift seeing the truck visit multiple sites across central London.
For the 4x2 truck, a typical eight-hour shift will see it deliver to numerous sites across London, with the crane in operation at each location for up to 30 minutes. It will be crewed by a team of two, with the FM Low Entry鈥檚 flexible interior spec鈥檇 in the traditional driver plus passenger seat layout.
Solanki added: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a perception that every truck travels hundreds of miles per day, but even over a full shift, the diesel trucks these replace were only covering, on average, around 50 miles. This makes them ideal applications for switching to electric. What鈥檚 more, the simulation data shows us that, even in the middle of winter, and with the crane operating at every drop, the range will only have dipped just below 50 per cent by the time they return to the yard.鈥
They will operate on the TfL Red Route network across the London Boroughs of Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, City of London, Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth, Lambeth, and Southwark.
Ringway manages and maintains more than 43,000 km of strategic and local highway network on behalf of, Transport for London, National Highways and local authorities.
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