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Rapid charging expert Heliox has announced the launch of its 180kW Flex Charge System™, designed for high-powered depots and overnight charging across multiple vehicles, including buses and trucks.

The Heliox 180kW Flex Charge System™ has recently been rolled out by Multiobus in Belgium, with GVB Amsterdam and Transdev Hermes in Eindhoven to follow shortly.

From 1 January 2025, at least 30 cities must have established a zero-emission zone as per their commitment to the Paris Climate Accord of 2015. The goal brings into focus balancing the immediacy of transition with an eye on being future-proof. Flex Charge also allows fleet owners to scale up charging infrastructure as their fleet grows, as opposed to a higher up-front cost, reducing upfront payments and in the long run, lowering the total cost of ownership.

THE FLEX CHARGE SYSTEM IS COMPATIBLE WITH MULTIPLE VEHICLES, REMOVING BARRIERS TO ENTRY AND ENABLING A GIANT STRIDE AHEAD OF THE E-MOBILITY REVOLUTION

“With Heliox Flex Charge, fleet operators can expand their charging infrastructure at the same time as their fleet and add power as needed. Startup and capital costs are the biggest challenge for electric vehicle adoption, and we are excited to be leading the charge with Flex, at a pivotal moment for the industry.” said Michael Coljin, CEO of Heliox Group.

The Heliox 180kW Flex Charge System™ is a simple plug-in system designed to be compatible with vehicles and interfaces built to last over 15 years.

Other benefits include:

Dynamic charging: Flex Charge can deliver the right amount of power as needed - 180, 120 or 60 kW - while charging multiple vehicles at the same time.

Scalable and modular: Expand as you grow, Flex Charge allows fleets in transition to start slowly and scale in the long run.

Flexible installation: It is not necessary to design the fleet around chargers, especially as the Flex Charge System™ is compatible with any interface, including pantograph, contact cap, dispenser box, etc.

Small and cost-effective footprint: Cost per point of sale is lower than a standard charging system, reducing the total cost of ownership for operators.

High-Powered: A single hour of charge allows an e-bus to travel up to 180 kilometers in urban environments.

In the last 6 months, Heliox has supplied over 1 million high power charge sessions, or 6000 sessions per day, with over 25,000 commercial EVs powered by Heliox globally. On average, this equates to a daily carbon saving of 3000-4000 tons per day. Simply put, this is the equivalent of lighting up 3000 homes annually. Additionally, cities that have adopted Heliox’ solutions for public transportation are working towards a 97% reduction in emissions en route the 2025 zero-emissions target.

“For both environmental and economic reasons, the decision to electrify a fleet or switch to an electric vehicle is now clearer than ever. Total cost of ownership is competitive with diesel, with EV expected to be nearly a dollar a mile cheaper by 2030. This is an attractive switching argument for any ambitious fleet owner,” says Colijn.

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Further Reading:

• Read more about Service Innovation and Design @ www.fieldservicenews.com/service-innovation-and-design
• Read More about Sustainability on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/sustainability
• Read more about Carbon Emissions on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/carbon-emissions
• Find our more about Heliox @ www.heliox-energy.com
• Follow Tavant on Twitter @ www.linkedin.com/company/heliox-energy/

Volta Trucks, a leading and disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has issued a guarded welcome to the publication of the UK Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan, but has called for a greater level of ambition to tackle the climate and air quality emergency faced by the environment.

Chief Executive Officer of Volta Trucks, Essa Al-Saleh, said; “The publication of the UK Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan is welcome because it gives British fleet operators and buyers a level of certainty that didn't previously exist. That said, the ban on internal combustion engine trucks by 2040 is nearly 20 years away, and today's climate emergency cannot wait. Trucks account for less than 2% of road vehicles but 22% of CO₂ emissions from road transport, and the relative share of truck emissions is certain to increase as emissions from passenger cars are driven downwards by the surge in the sales of electric cars.

THE VOLTA ZERO IS THE WORLD'S FIRST PURPOSE-BUILT FULL ELECTRIC VEHICLE DESIGNED FOR INNER-CITY LOGISTICS, REDUCING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF FREIGHT DELIVERIES IN CITY CENTRES

“It’s therefore disappointing that the UK Government hasn't been as ambitious as the French authorities, for example, who have banned diesel engine trucks from the streets of Paris and other large city centres by the end of 2023. This type of progressive legislation, twinned with incentives, is what's needed to accelerate the migration to zero emission large commercial vehicles. The Volta Zero is the first purpose-built full electric large commercial vehicle designed specifically for logistics within city centres where air quality is at its worst. We will begin customer trials in London and Paris next year ahead of the start of full-scale production by the end of 2022. This will ensure we can meet our customer's demands, and the needs of the wider population, to have full-electric zero emission commercial vehicles available in the market as soon as possible."

About the Volta Zero

The Volta Zero is the world’s first purpose-built full-electric 16-tonne vehicle designed for inner-city logistics, reducing the environmental impact of freight deliveries in city centres. Designed from the ground up with an operating pure-electric range of 150 - 200 kms (95 – 125 miles), the Volta Zero will eliminate an estimated 1.2M tonnes of CO₂ by 2025.

Safety is also at the heart of Volta Trucks, with its ambition of producing the safest trucks for our cities. 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 a wide 220-degrees of visibility, minimising dangerous blind spots. The prototype Volta Zero was launched in September 2020, with the first vehicles expected to be operating with customers in late 2021.

About Volta Trucks

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.

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Further Reading:

• Read more about Service Innovation & Design @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
• Read more about Sustainability on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/artificial-intelligence
• Find out more about Volta Trucks @ www.voltatrucks.com/
• Follow Proact on Twitter @ twitter.com/trucksvolta

Omdia’s first research into service providers’ ESG initiatives finds that green energy was accountable for the highest number of individual measures over the research period, equivalent to 25.3% of the total, followed by digital inclusion (16.7%) and social welfare (16.7%).

Omdia’s “ESG Service Provider Index”, which provides a view on telecoms operating groups and sector ESG initiatives announced from 2019 to November 2020, covers 192 announcements from the largest 15 service providers by revenues.

THE NUMBER OF COMPANIES PLEDGING TO A DATE BY WHICH THEY WILL REDUCE THEIR CARBON EMISSIONS TO NET ZERO IS INCREASING

The research reveals that all fifteen service providers announced at least one green energy initiative, while 73.3% announced at least one measure in social welfare, and 60% announced measures to improve the recycling capabilities of their operations.

However, diversity and digital ethics are two ESG areas that saw less activity over the research period, with 53.3% of operators announcing no diversity measures, and 73.3% making no announcements around digital ethics.

Governance-focused environmental ESG initiatives such as green bonds enable companies to fund plans to reduce their carbon footprint and source energy from renewable sources. While Vodafone, Orange, Verizon and Telefonica each launched green bonds over the research period, Omdia expects the relatively low levels of industry-wide activity in this area will grow over the coming years as telcos look finance their network modernization plans and other ESG initiatives.   

Among the fifteen companies covered in the tracker, Vodafone, BT, Orange, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, Verizon, Comcast, and KDDI pledged a date by which they will reduce their carbon emissions to net zero, a major milestone an increasing number of companies are planning for.

Paul Lambert, Principal Analyst at Omdia, commented: “In formulating ESG strategies, service providers have followed a broad range of measures to improve their near-term ethical standing, and, over the mid and long term, reduce their impact on both the environment and their costs by using sustainable energy.

“Service providers covered in the research have also been active in putting in place inclusion, social welfare, and digital initiatives in ways that enable them to apply their strengths and capabilities in new ways to bring tangible benefits to diverse communities. Looking forwards, an industry that thrives from connecting people can be expected to accelerate its efforts to forge better connections between us, our society and the environment.”

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Further Reading:

• Read more about Service Innovation and Design @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/service-innovation-and-design
• Read the ESG Service Provider Index @ omdia.tech.informa.com/ESG-Service-Provider-Index
• Read more about Sustainability on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/sustainability
• Find out more more about Omdia @ omdia.tech.informa.com
• Follow Omdia on Twitter @ twitter.com/Omdiahq

Claudine Mosseri, General Manager, ByBox explains how the use of technology and Big Data has allowed field service to lower emissions and reduce environmental impact...

Simply type the word emissions into Google news, and it’s clear that the issue of what’s coming out of our exhausts has never been so high on the agenda. Obviously, this has a tremendous impact on those who move items and parts around the country daily.

Recent news about the number of vehicle fleets looking at shifting the proportions of their alternative fuel vehicles is just the tip of this iceberg. However, the use of technology and big data has allowed field service to lower emissions and reduce the environmental impact of their, and others’, businesses, beyond simply looking at the fuel sources of their engines.

Operating in the sector that we do, of course we are all aware of the simple fact that moving goods from A to B creates emissions, and the vehicles used in large supply chains are often among the worst polluters. Heavy good vehicles and vans produce, on average 7% of the UK’s overall carbon emissions.

With that being said, the investment in technology and the better use of data has allowed us to find cost and resource effective ways to send replacements. The world is becoming ever more reliant on technological automation, especially given Gartner’s recent prediction that 8.7 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices will be installed by the end of this year. These connected devices and the data they produce are allowing business to pin point areas of improvement.

 

The industry’s environmental role goes well beyond head office commitments to carbon offsetting.

Our products, such as virtual warehouses, use data so that wherever your parts are, they can be accessed and moved to the right place. For example, in a busy field service supply chain, there will always be a significant amount of stock out in the field.

This might include good stock that an engineer has just picked up or it might also include returns which have just been taken off a customer site. This data tells you precisely what stock you have in the field and where it is. Clever stock systems, big data and tracking allow a logistics manager to raise an order, reroute and group together items, ultimately reducing congestion and reducing carbon emissions.

Away from cities, deliveries still require large vehicles, so to cut down on emissions, many are looking to instead limit their mileage. One approach involves investigating downtime data. For example, when replacing parts for a client, we spotted that typically, within a week of part A breaking and a replacement being issued, part B would also fail.

This allows us to be able to get our engineers to replace part A and part B simultaneously, which cuts down transport times, and ultimately reducing congestion due to fewer vehicles on the road.

 

ByBox has integrated technology and data to every part of its products, with Smart Boxes, our mobile applications, the use of our Thinventory™ platform and Stockonnect which has systematically allowed us to connect devices into our field services. With continuous changes like these occurring and influencing how we live our lives, there is a real demand on supply chains to ensure that when products or parts wear out or fail, they can be fixed or replaced quickly.

Of course, not all of these technological solutions will work for every business. Some face a lack of 24/7 access to their facilities, or have to factor in travel to remote locations. ByBox is lucky: point to point delivery is part of the DNA of the business, so we move the data, not the part.

However, by looking at the big picture and considering the influences of increasing automation on a number of different industries, it is clear that the field services sector has a bright and fascinating role to play in keeping businesses and devices running both effectively and environmentally.

 

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