Delivery company Whistl is trialling the first electric Renault Trucks Master ZE to be licenced in the UK as it investigates how to cut its CO2 emissions.

Working with Renault, Whistl is looking at ways of reducing emissions across its 400-strong fleet of vans and HGVs.

Baz Barrett, national fleet and compliance manager at Whistl, said: “It is vital that we as a business continue to look at new technologies and adapt our fleet in this way.

“We already have an excellent relationship with BRS/Renault Trucks and so when we knew this 100% electric vehicle was coming to market, we wanted to see how we could integrate it into our fleet in core urban areas.

“From the feedback so far, it works really well and there is great scope to introduce it into our fleet now to enable us to reduce our carbon and NOx footprint.”

The 3.1-tonne Master ZE being trialled by Whistl has a range of around 100 miles.

Earlier this summer, Renault Trucks manufacturer Carlos Rodrigues told Commercial Fleet that the manufacturer will become a driving force in the “electromobility revolution”.

He believes that now is the right time for urban fleets to switch to electric, with vehicles available from 3.1-tonnes to 26-tonnes.

“For Renault Trucks, electromobility was the obvious response to urban air quality and noise issues, and we have been preparing for the shift to electric vehicles for over 10 years,” he said.