Long routes. Short distances. Urban areas. Highway and hilly terrain. The DAF LF Electric once again proved its operational excellence and reliability during the nearly 2,000km EV Rally 2023 across Great Britain and Ireland. DAF Trucks has just successfully completed this 5-day trial with Sepeh, a UK-based technology organization for sustainable transport research.
London, then Edinburgh (Scotland) and Belfast (Northern Ireland). The finish line was established in the capital of Ireland – Dublin.
The event was organized to showcase the possibilities of fully electric vehicles (EVs) and clean energy projects. Rally organizers also wanted to emphasize the importance of public charging infrastructure that can serve larger electric vehicles, including trucks such as the DAF LF, XD and XF Electric with a range of up to 500 kilometers on a single charge.
20 DAF LF Electric electric trucks
The LF Electric 19-tonne electric truck was commissioned by the DAF-Cenex team to take part in the Battery Electric Truck Trial (BETT), an 18-month study of the performance of electric vehicles in everyday use by the UK government. 20 DAF LF electric vehicles, which are currently in operation, are participating in the BETT test.
“Expansion of charging infrastructure”
“This event demonstrated the extraordinary capabilities of our LF electric truck,” said Adam Bennett, Electric Vehicles and Sustainability Manager at DAF Trucks UK. “DAF is ready for zero-emission transport. The event also highlighted the obvious and urgent need for dedicated infrastructure for large vehicles across Europe. A minor adaptation of existing charging stations could be a good first step in improving truck access. But only dedicated infrastructure for trucks will have the desired effect on the possibility of acceptance of electric vehicles by operators. We have shown that our trucks are ready! It’s time for authorities across Europe to expand charging infrastructure.”
About the DAF LF Electric electric truck
The DAF LF Electric is equipped with a 260kWh (250kWh) electric motor for a range of 280 kilometers, which is more than enough to handle daily routes typically used for intra-city transport.
