JJ’s Waste teams with Volvo Trucks for electric trial

Affectionately dubbed Oscar by VGA staff, the 6x2 FE Electric featured on the Volvo Group Australia stand at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show. The truck has been fitted with a rear-loading and 16-cubic-metre waste body, making it ideally suited for urban operations.

The three-month trial will take place on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and will provide insights into the impact of electric PTO use on range and productivity.

Using four Gen 2 batteries with a capacity of 265kWh, the dual-motor FE Electric has a potential range of up to 220 kilometres.

“The electromobility and waste management really do go hand in hand,” said Gary Bone, Vice President Volvo Trucks Australia. “The stop-start nature of this application in densely populated urban areas should prove to be a promising zero-emissions solution for our cities.

“I look forward to seeing the results of this trial, which will prove invaluable as we continue on our decarbonisation journey.”

“Recent developments in battery technology, which will flow down to Volvo’s medium-duty electric range, have seen significant increases in both range and charging performance which will only add to the attractiveness of electric vehicles in waste applications,” Mr Bone said.

With the rear-loading waste body, the FE Electric has a potential payload of up to seven tonnes depending on body positioning and the corresponding front-axle load.

Joe Branagan, Operations Manager, JJ’s Waste and Recycling, also shared his enthusiasm for the trial. “This is the perfect opportunity for us to understand how we can decarbonise our fleet over time.”

“Clearly we can’t just switch to electric overnight so partnerships like the one we have with Volvo Trucks are vital to see what applications we can put electric trucks to work in now as well as what the future of zero-emissions waste management could look like.

“I will be watching the outcome of this exercise with great interest,” Mr Branagan concluded.