Urban mobility is one of the major challenges of the century
Urban mobility is one of the major challenges of the century and one which plays a pivotal role in city economic development. Over the past three years, Renault Trucks and Chereau have worked on the Citymove European research programme. This project was carried out in partnership with private and public players such as the plastics manufacturer Plastic Omnium and the LET (Transport Economic Laboratory).
The aim of Citymove is to develop a comprehensive transport solution including the vehicle and its bodywork so as to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and improve safety for drivers, delivery agents during loading and unloading of goods as well as other road users.
The first phase of the project involved getting a better understanding of how customers’ needs have changed in a highly strained economic context and in view of the increasingly stringent societal challenges in town centres. The workshops throughout Europe brought together carriers and the various players involved in urban mobility. These included administrative authorities, urban logistics suppliers and consultancy firms.
The second phase consisted of building an experimental vehicle choosing the most appropriate technologies capable of achieving the project’s goals. This vehicle, developed by Renault Trucks and Chereau, is currently being tested under real-life conditions by hauliers Transport Jammet, based in Poitiers. This will allow the company, specialised in refrigerated consolidated distribution, to assess a clean and quiet solution within the city centre. It is an initiative which will also enable local elected representatives, shop holders and the town population to share in this test program and react to it.
This experimental vehicle is an all-electric Renault Trucks Midlum: its powertrain and refrigerated body operate entirely on electricity. The vehicle has a GVW of 16 t and a payload of 5 t. It has an operating range of approximately 100 km.
For its part, Chereau, true to its claim “Innovation puts you ahead”, has developed a specific structure made up of multiple compartment bodywork (15 palettes), a two-way side door, an electric insulating curtain, an “Air Shutter-C” air curtain and an independent, all-electric refrigeration unit. The whole vehicle complies with Piek label requirements.
The vehicle also incorporates elements for improving safety, particularly that of other road users (pedestrians, cyclists, scooters, etc.).
The “Birdview” system displays images coming from four cameras fitted to the front, rear and sides of the vehicle on a single screen. This system, particularly appreciated in urban environments, makes it possible to reduce the risks associated with blindspots and help drivers when they are manoeuvring.
The vehicle’s technical characteristics
Type: Renault Midlum Motor: asynchronous electric delivering a power of 103 kilowatts
GVW: 16 tonnes
Payload: 5.5 tonnes
Operating range: approx. 100 km
Technical characteristics of the refrigeration unit
Type: CARRIER Supra 950MT (multi-temperature) City-Z
Supply: electrical with no CO2 emissions when on the road or at the loading bay
Noise <60dB Temperature range: from -20°C to 10°C
Characteristics of the batteries:
– Technology: Lithium-Ion
– Capacity: 11kWh at more than 60kWh
– Autonomy: between 2h and 10h at 0°C when regulating
