In June 2022, beverage distribution group Rega acquired a 16-tonne, 200 kW four-battery Volvo FL Electric of the second generation. The goal: to decarbonize downtown Nancy’s distribution. Interview with Gilles Claudel, Chairman of the Rega Group.
Fleets: why did you choose a Volvo FL Electric 16 t?
Gilles Claudel: We have been a Volvo Trucks partner for a long time and a large part of Rega’s fleet consists of Volvo vehicles. In addition, the manufacturer provided us with very good pre-sales support, with a clear and comprehensive presentation of the solution, including a business simulation of the FL Electric with the ERS electric range simulator. This simulation turned out to be convincing and a posteriori realistic. It allowed us to determine the mileage, payload and actual range in different conditions, different seasons and different loads.
What were Rega’s expectations for the Volvo FL Electric business and did they meet them?
We wanted a clean vehicle to run our rounds of beverage distribution in Nancy city center completely autonomously and in line with our urban logistics plan. According to Volvo Trucks, the advertised range was 200 km. Because our platform is located 20 km from Nancy, the FL Electric completed its daily 150 km round trip on a single electric charge, carrying 7.5 tons of cargo and picking up boxes of returned or lost glasses. On his return, he charges his batteries in 11 hours at one of the 22 kW terminals available in our building. And he leaves on tour the next day at eight o’clock. The FL Electric therefore met our expectations.
Was your driver previously trained?
Yes, Volvo Trucks gave him a full day of training, then a trainer accompanied him on the first tour. Finally, after three months, a second training is planned to take place in October. Essential to drive well in electromobility, this training was also essential to gain driver support. I can tell you that we were satisfied on this point.
Indeed, our driver praised the ease and pleasure of driving, the smoothness of the engine and the acceleration. In addition, there is a quick recovery and the absence of nuisances specific to combustion engines, such as noise and vibrations. We notice that an innovative truck like this can hold drivers.
Are you satisfied with your Volvo FL Electric and do you have positive feedback from your customers?
For now, yes. But we’ll let winter pass to see how it performs in cold weather before giving a final opinion. We are also very happy with our partnership with our coachbuilder, the Carfar group. He built our FL Electric as a tail lift mixing platform in just three months, between April and June. Customers who see it in circulation or have followed our communication campaign show their interest in this truck by asking questions. So we have an image advantage, even if it is for our CSR approach that we bought this Volvo FL Electric.
Which financing method did you choose for this Volvo FL Electric?
Because it is new to us and we have little knowledge of batteries, we rented it for six years with a Full Service contract. With a cost price three times higher than that of a thermal vehicle, the purchase of an electric vehicle is a major investment for an SME like ours that wants to participate in the energy transition with its fleet.
Fortunately, we have benefited from the ecological bonus of 50,000 euros, but we have not yet been able to get hold of the “Ecosystem heavy electric vehicles” grant. This covers 65% of the difference in purchase price between the electric car and its diesel equivalent. But the process is cumbersome and complicated. We did not need to finance our four 22kW electrical terminals for charging FL Electric, as we purchased them for €16,000 with a grant during the construction of our warehouse.
When do you expect a profitable TCO?
It is difficult to determine this date because we have too little hindsight. But we have noticed that the costs of Full Service are lower for an electric vehicle than for a thermal truck. In three months of operation, we had zero maintenance costs. Consumption is 1.21 kWh/km, with an efficiency of more than 90%.
What will Rega do with the acquisition of the Volvo FL Electric?
We will continue our fleet decarbonization plan, which is in place through 2025, to support cities that want to green their traffic. In 2023, we will acquire a second FL Electric to supply the center of Metz. We will also test other models of electric urban distribution trucks to expand our electrified fleet. We will continue our study in Epernay, in Champagne, on the use of biogas or B100 in more rural towns, to analyze all methods of decarbonisation.
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