- The AA has become the first UK vehicle recovery firm to add fully-electric recovery trucks to its fleet.
- The three EVs which consist of Volvo and Iveco models, will be added to the firms added to its 3,000-large recovery fleet, and operated on a trial basis, to see how the vehicles perform in the real world.
- The Volvo FE Slidebed, the largest EV on the trial, has the most impressive loading capacity of 6,000kg, along with a range of 170 miles and fast charge time of just 2.25 hours.
The AA continues its electrification
These electric trucks aren’t the first EVs we’ve seen added to The AA’s nationwide fleet, with many of its smaller response vans also being switched out for electric models, as the company aims for a 2035 net zero target. This new trio consists of a Volvo FE Slidebed, set to be trailed in urban environments, in cities with low-emission zones such as Birmingham and London. The second is an Iveco eDaily Powerload, with a 3,000kg payload capacity, enough to recover the vast majority of vehicles on the road, alongside a 100 miles range which also suits it to urban recoveries. The third EV on trial is an Iveco eDaily van, converted to accommodate a compact recovery trailer, suiting it for even smaller streets. This particular model will be capable of 160 miles driving range, along with a recharge time of under an hour on an 80kWh charger, which is crucial for vehicles that will have little downtime.
Edmund King OBE, President of The AA, commented:
“Introducing these exciting new concept vehicles to our fleet is an important step towards our goal of becoming a net zero company by 2035… As a market-leading organisation, we are committed to showing the way as the country transitions to a zero emissions future.”
The RAC has also been busy adding electric patrol vans to its fleet, but has not yet launched any trials for larger electric recovery vehicles. With this move by The AA, we’ll be waiting to see if the RAC launches a similar trial in the coming months.
