Zenobē, Aggregate Industries and Sany Putzmeister bring electric readymix concrete truck into operation
Aggregate Industries wanted to expand its vehicle fleet and welcome another electric readymix concrete truck as part of its continued journey to net zero.
Aggregate Industries worked with SANY and Putzmeister who provided two 350kWh battery electric trucks with iONTRON eMixer drums. But they needed the charging infrastructure too, turning to Zenobē’s vast experience to support their operations.
The project demonstrates the viability of heavy-duty electric vehicles, specifically of e-mixers. At Coleshill, Aggregate Industries can now service construction of HS2 with reliable, back-to-base electric operations.
Challenge
A first: This was the first time this configuration of vehicle had been used in the UK. This meant that before its compatibility with charging infrastructure could be tested, it needed to go through type approval. Additionally, Aggregate Industries have only implemented one electric vehicle to date, meaning their data and knowledge on operational efficiencies have not yet developed.
Site design: the existing earthing capacity and location on the site was not sufficient for the safe integration of the electric e-mixers.
Solution
Zenobē worked closely alongside all parties to design, test and build the 120KW/h charging infrastructure required for the new e-Mixer.
We designed the charging infrastructure to support a mixture of both overnight and opportunity charging, to ensure the vehicle is always sufficiently charged.
The installation was designed taking into account the existing site setup, allowing both e-mixers to be charged at the same time whilst ensuring sufficient earthing.
Our proprietary EV charging software was installed to monitor the charging profile of the e-mixer and provide valuable insight into the operational performance of the batteries on the vehicle. This data will be used to develop and roll out Aggregate Industries’ long-term strategy to electrify its heavy fleet.
Working with Zenobē
Matt Avery, Category Manager, Logistics for Aggregate Industries UK, said: “We chose to work with Zenobē to provide our charging infrastructure on site due to their track record in the transport industry. The service, expertise and responsiveness they delivered was second to none. They rose to the challenge of locating the 120KW/h charger in the most accessible location in what is a tight, restricted and busy site. Zenobē were also able to integrate the EV charging software to monitor the charging profile of the e-mixer and provide valuable insight into the operational performance of the batteries on the vehicle. This will help us as a company to develop the roll out of a longer-term strategy to electrify our heavy fleet.”
Kevin Eichele, Head of Business Development at SANY eTrucks, said: “In urban areas electric trucks are a real alternative. Drivers will particularly like the power delivery and the low noise level. We are very excited to start this revolutionising journey together with Aggregate Industries and Zenobē”
Steven Meersman, Co-Founder Director of Zenobē, said: “This demonstrates that with cross industry collaboration, solutions to heavy-duty fleet electrification are readily available. We’re excited to bring our charging infrastructure and data expertise and proven track record in facilitating the electrification of large-scale electric bus fleets to enable the integration of a second e-mixer into Aggregate Industries’ electric fleet.”
