PJ Hire Services has taken delivery of the first new Euro 5 van in the UK to be mounted with a hybrid Versalift mobile access platform. The 5.2 tonne Iveco ECODAILY combines its Enhanced Environmentally friendly Vehicle (EEV) emissions status with a semi-electric access platform which can operate without the vehicle’s engine running.
Supplied by Iveco dealer Hendy Van & Truck, the ECODAILY 50C17 joins a 180-strong fleet of commercial vehicles operated by PJ Hire Services from its seven depots across southern England. It has been purpose-built for the street-lighting sector and will be used exclusively by PJ’s largest customer, May Gurney/Cartledge, a division of infrastructure support services parent company May Gurney.
Richard Buttling, fleet manager at PJ Hire Services, explains: “We’re continually looking for ways to make our fleet even greener and have worked closely with Versalift to develop this new technology. By combining the environmental benefits of the ECODAILY with a hybrid lifting platform we are setting new standards for the market and delivering a significant carbon saving for our customer.
“There is also the added value of reduced noise. Cartledge is routinely required by councils to operate at night, and the ability to service a street light in a residential area without the engine constantly driving a PTO is a huge benefit,” he says.
Versalift’s semi-electric platform allows the operator to switch off the vehicle’s engine once on-site, with a battery powering the operation of the boom. Should the battery ever run down whilst working the operator can simply start the engine remotely from the cage, engage the PTO and carry on.
The battery is sufficiently powerful to undertake 60-80 lifts per day, with the proven 3.0 litre Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT) engine recharging it when travelling between jobs.
Buttling adds: “The Iveco Daily and ECODAILY range ticks the box for all of our mobile access platform applications between 3.51 and 6.5 tonnes. The robust steel chassis provides a solid base for mounting the boom, whilst our experience has found the driveline delivers excellent reliability.”
The 3.0 litre engine – which exceeds the emissions standards required by Euro 5 – is capable of producing 170 hp between 2,990 and 3,500 rev/min, and up to 400 Nm of torque between 1,250 and 2,990 rev/min.
The vehicle is expected to remain in service with PJ Hire Services for between five and seven years. It will be on the road up to seven days a week covering an estimated 25,000 miles a year.
Login to comment
Comments
No comments have been made yet.