A 12-tonne Iveco Eurocargo from Fraikin’s rental fleet has become what is believed to be the world’s first rigid truck to utilise motor racing-style Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) regenerative braking technology.
The KERS device, installed by Alternatech and developed by Adgero and Skeleton Technologies, will work by harnessing the energy created under braking. This energy is stored in a set of ultracapacitors, a cost efficient alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
It has already been successfully installed on articulated vehicles, but this is believed to be the first time the system has been fitted to a rigid truck.
Fraikin’s sales director Colin Melvin said: “We talk to customers every single day about new ways to reduce environmental impact – it is something we are really passionate about.
"By being the first adopter of KERS on a rigid truck, we have put our customers at the front of the queue to trial this new technology within their own fleets.”
During initial testing, the KERS system offered 32% fuel savings when compared to a standard vehicle of the same type.
Associated nitrogen oxide emissions were reduced by around 50% and carbon dioxide emissions by around 30%.
Alternatech’s commercial director Will Putter said: “After teaming up with Fraikin in 2016 to offer bi-fuel LPG-petrol vans, they seemed the perfect choice to field test this new technology.
"We truly believe that the ‘free’ energy created under braking is a power source worth utilising, and the lower emissions, fuel usage and operating costs the system achieves certainly backs that up.”
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