In Europe, Renault Trucks, part of the Volvo group, has set up a joint venture with electric vehicle manufacturer EDF to create a light duty electric truck. The new collaboration plans to develop a truck that will be named the Renault Maxity Electric, based on the current Renault light duty truck range on sale in Europe.
The plan is to create a truck with a payload of 2 tonnes and a maximum top speed of 90 km/h. The zero emission vehicle will be capable of producing maximum torque from zero rpm, the ultimate flat topped torque curve. Using regenerative braking to top up battery charge, the allowable range is expected to be around 100km.