POWERDAY BECOMES FIRST BUSINESS IN LONDON TO PLACE ORDER ON NEW ELECTRIC SKIP LOADERs

After successfully trialling Volvo Trucks’ first fully electric skip loader, Powerday – London’s leading recycling and waste management company – has become one of the first companies in the UK to place an order for the Swedish manufacturer’s vehicles.

Powerday currently operates a fleet of over 70 vehicles, servicing construction clients across the south east. The two new Volvo electric vehicles will come into service in September and are expected to save more than 30 tonnes in CO₂ emissions per year. The new skip loaders will initially be based at the company’s Old Oak Sidings site, in north west London.

Transition to electric

The shift to using the electric skip loaders comes after Powerday launched its latest Sustainability Manifesto, which revealed its commitment to achieve net zero status by 2040.

The annual report outlines the company’s targets for the year, and reports on progress for the previous year, under five sustainability pillars: employees, community, carbon management, clients, and procurement. 

Powerday has been measuring its Scope 1 and 2 emissions since 2020. It has set the 2040 net zero target – relative to a 2021 baseline – with interim goals of a 20% reduction in 2023, 35% by 2026 and 50% by 2030. The commitment has been registered with SME Climate Hub to count towards the UN Race to Net Zero.

Powerday is the first in London to order two of Volvo’s Electric Skip loaders

A revolution in skip loading vehicles

Driven by a two-speed transmission, offering a smooth and comfortable driving experience, the Volvo’s electric’s power is handled by a unique traction control system developed to master even slippery surfaces, while different drive modes are available to set the desired performance, comfort, and energy usage levels.

Equipped with four batteries, it offers a range of approximately 190km and can be recharged in just 2.3 hours using the 150kW DC charger that has been installed at Powerday’s Willesden Junction site.

Chris Donnelly, Sales Director, Volvo Truck says: “I would like to thank Powerday for the support they have given us recently.  Some may recall that Powerday conducted trials last year when we first launched our fully electric skip loader demonstrator for Volvo Truck & Bus Centre South & East, installing infrastructure at their own cost I might add in order for the trial to take place.  This showed immediate commitment and we were very grateful.

“The data received from Powerday was staggering.  We had predicted returns of course from our Electric Range Simulator, however, the performance was far better than expected.  The stop-start traffic in London helps us produce a huge amount of regenerated power back into the battery which meant that Powerday could not have enough drivers’ hours to deplete that battery in London in one shift.  For Powerday it meant that two days’ worth of work was possible on one charge.  The proof?  Well they ordered 2 and I cannot wait to see them on the road in September.      

“We would like to thank Powerday for the business partnership we have, and the faith shown in Guili Chemello, Transport Solutions Executive.  We congratulate them on their bold environmental targets and look forward to supporting them on their road to Net Zero.”     

Edward Crossan, CEO, Powerday says: “In line with our net-zero roadmap, adopting these electric skip loaders into our fleet shows our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and contributing to cleaner air and environment in London.

“As a pioneer in the waste management industry, we proudly stand as the first company to embrace the future of sustainability. By investing in electric skip loaders, we lead the charge towards cleaner, greener solutions.”

Powerday set out its net zero target for Scope 1 and 2 emissions in its Sustainability Manifesto 2023.  The annual report, published each spring, outlines the company’s targets for the year, and reports on progress for the previous year, under five sustainability pillars: employees, community, carbon management, clients, and procurement.