Fox orders electric tipper trucks

“This is one of the most exciting new truck orders I’ve ever taken,” said Thomas Hardie Commercials manager Neil Crook.

Expected to enter service in March 2022, the two zero tailpipe emission FE Electrics will be mounted with Thompsons tipper bodywork and used for local operations in predominantly urban areas.

Fox Group managing director Paul Fox said: “Placing this order marks the start of the electrification of our fleet. We understand we are the first company in the UK to invest in electric tippers – and one of the first in Europe. We are strongly committed to playing our part in the UK’s push to reach net zero and we will be making more of our fleet electric in the future.”

Both trucks will be built with a day cab, hydraulically-steered rear axle and plated at 27-tonnes; with the additional one-tonne allowance helping to compensate for the additional weight of the vehicle’s batteries.

Charging will be carried out on-site overnight, with each full charge offering a projected range of around 150km – plenty for local urban work.

The FE Electric powertrain consists of two electric motors and a two-speed gearbox, with power being generated by an electric motor with an output of 400 kW and 850 Nm of torque. It is based on the same technology used in thousands of electrified Volvo buses around the world.

Based in Blackpool and operating from eight locations, Fox specialises in the supply and haulage of aggregates, recycled materials, muck-shift, earthworks and civil engineering projects. It has a fleet of more than 90 vehicles, including eight-wheel tippers, artics, low loaders, road sweepers and the new addition of Walking Floor trailers.

In 2020, Fox acquired Clive Hurt (Plant Hire) and this year JJ O’Grady, to create the largest provider of haulage and plant hire services in Lancashire, with a combined fleet of 205 trucks and more than 400 items of plant and machinery.

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