UPN and F&G Transport “Go Green” in 2021 and join the Volta Trucks’ Pioneer Programme
As we all move into New Year 2021 and move forward from the pandemic traumas of 2020, the outlook is beginning to look a lot more positive. With vaccines appearing all across the world it’s a good time to be looking forward rather than back.
That’s just what leading UPN (United Pallet Network) Member, F&G Transport are doing. F&G Transport have just announced that they are joining the Volta Trucks’ Pioneer Programme.
F&G Transport will be the first pallet freight distribution operator to be evaluating the full- electric Volta Zero, as UPN celebrates its 20th year in business as a market leader cutting edge palletised freight distribution network.
With zero emissions, cheaper running cost, and less on-going maintenance, Electric vehicles are proving to excel in virtually every way. Within just ten years, petrol and diesel-powered vehicles could be irrelevant. With companies and governments all over the world aiming for carbon-neutrality within the next three decades, we are witnessing the dawn of the electric transport industry.
The new vehicle will also be the first to include the powerful new “FGT Logistics” logo which is part of a major 2021 rebrand for F&G Transport.
Serving West Sussex as key part of the established UPN pallet distribution network, the company currently operate a wide range of vehicles from 3.5 tonne vans to 44 tonne articulated vehicles from its 50,000 sq. ft. distribution centre in Bognor Regis.
“It’s really exciting news for UPN that our member F&G Transport is leading the way with this important initiative,” said UPN Managing Director – David Brown, “As a company we are widely known for our high-quality service and cutting-edge IT support, so I am really pleased to be working with F&G Transport on this ground-breaking evaluation.”
F&G Transport is a privately-owned and sustainability-focussed logistics operator, with an ambition to transition its entire fleet of vehicles to electrification as a means of reducing the air pollution in the smaller cities, rural towns, and villages it operates in.
“We found the Volta Pioneer Programme ideally suited to our needs for our pallet distribution network specifically for safety, distance, and weight capacities”, said Emma Lindsley, Managing Director of F&G Transport, announcing the trial,
“We are excited for the trials to start and our hope is that the shared vision of Volta Trucks and FGT Logistics will be highly successful and lead to a partnership that will see us achieve our target of replacing the entire fleet as quickly as possible.”
F&G Transport has already taken significant steps to decarbonise their operations with 80% of the forklift trucks already battery powered, and a 100% renewable energy supply. The Pioneer Programme trial of the Volta Zero is the company’s first evaluation of a full-electric commercial vehicle on their fleet, and the results will be extensively evaluated by both F&G Transport and Volta Trucks to understand the specific use case of pallet distribution.
“With the announcement of F&G Transport joining the Volta Trucks Pioneer Programme, we are adding yet another valuable use case to our understanding of how a full-electric commercial vehicle integrates into the many different types of logistics operations”, continued Chief Executive Officer of Volta Trucks, Rob Fowler,
“Given F&G Transports focus on sustainability and the electrification of their fleet, I was delighted that they chose Volta Trucks as their partner for this significant step.”
The Volta Zero is the world’s first purpose-built full-electric 16-tonne vehicle designed for inner-city freight deliveries, reducing the environmental impact of freight deliveries in city centres. Designed from the ground up with an operating pure-electric range of 95 – 125 miles, the Volta Zero will eliminate an estimated 180,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2025. Safety is also at the heart of Volta Trucks, with its ambition of being the safest large commercial vehicle manufacturer.
The Volta Zero was designed for electric from the outset, which facilitates a step-change in vehicle, driver and pedestrian safety. Thanks to the removal of the internal combustion engine, the operator of a Volta Zero sits in a central driving position, with a much lower seat height than a conventional truck. This combination, plus a glass house-style cab design, gives the driver wide 220-degrees of visibility, minimising dangerous blind spots.
The first prototype Volta Zero was launched in September 2020, with the first pre-production vehicles due to start evaluation with customers in 2021 ahead of the start of series production in 2022. Volta Trucks is a start-up full-electric goods vehicle manufacturer and services company. Volta Trucks has offices in Sweden, France and the UK and is partnering with a number of global leaders in the supply chain for the development and production of the Volta Zero.
