When transport company DAF recently invited us to trial one of their new eco-friendly hybrid trucks, of course we jumped at the chance. These new trucks have been developed after years of research into electric vehicle technologies and boast state of the art components in their design.

The 12-tonne DAF LF Hybrid we tested uses a rather clever parallel diesel/electric hybrid system. An on-board computer monitors battery charge and automatically switches between diesel and battery power when needed, plus the energy released during braking is captured in the lithium-ion batteries, and can be used when accelerating. The engine cuts out automatically when the vehicle has stopped, to further reduce consumption. Thanks to these features, emissions can be reduced by up to 20% and the 4.5-litre engine naturally complies with ultra-low EEV emission requirements.

Our Distribution Coordinator Simon, who had a go at test-driving the truck, said “it handles much like our regular vehicles but it has a very clever automatic gearbox, which makes it a pleasure to drive in urban environments and heavy traffic. The payload is less affected than you might imagine considering the weight of the onboard batteries”. Overall the test-drivers were very pleased with the hybrid truck, and welcome the opportunity to reduce our carbon emissions with new technologies such as this. After all, we do pride ourselves on being environmental pioneers and protecting the natural environment that supplies us with many of the products we sell.