Kiloutou is testing a 100% electric Vul compact tipper

The equipment rental company Kiloutou has decided, as part of its approach to reducing global CO2 emissions and its fleet of equipment and vehicles, to test a small 100% electric light utility vehicle, the Muses. This compact Vul fitted with a triverse tipper was presented at the last Paris Motor Show on the French manufacturer’s stand.

An original choice

The choice of this electric Vul is thus justified by Audrey Miclard, director of sustainable development for the Kiloutou group: “Our sustainable development policy is to be more virtuous in terms of CO2 emissions. More than 60% of our direct emissions are linked to our transport fleet (light and heavy vehicles). of the group are linked to the equipment offered for hire: earthmoving equipment, lifting equipment, tools and vehicles.Among rental vehicles, tipper trucks represent the largest share of CO2 emissions.We have many of these vehicles and they consume a lot of fuel year-round.” Faced with these challenges, but also those related to the implementation of low-emission zones (ZFE), Kiloutou sought a small urban vehicle to tackle these new issues. “We chose the Muses for several reasons. This small electric utility is very innovative. It is eco-designed and the environmental aspect has been taken into account throughout the production chain, in particular with a reduction in the quantity of material used for its manufacture: 40% less material needed for its manufacture, including half as much material (lithium, cobalt and manganese) in its battery Its low energy consumption allows it to be satisfied with one more battery low capacity. The fact of being able to interchange the battery pack is also an interesting point for us since it makes it possible to limit the immobilization time for its recharging. An essential point for our customers whose uses are not always compatible with a time of long immobilization.”

For specific uses

If Audrey Miclard recognizes the somewhat “toy” design of the vehicle, the fact that it is light while having a range of 130 to 260 kilometers with a payload of 670 kilos the “makes it compatible with certain uses in an industrial environment or on large construction sites”. The Muses also has a very low loading sill as well as a central driving position which makes it “a prevention and safety ally for its users”. For now, only one Muses equipped with a triverse tipper is being tested for six months in a nuclear power plant. “We will see after this test how to project ourselves with this type of vehicle and what are the uses and customers potentially interested”, explains Audrey Miclard. The director of sustainable development thus acknowledges thinking about the deployment of other versions of the small tricolor electric VU, in particular in a van for the group’s deliveries in urban areas: “Our environmental approach is global and our short-term objective, by 2025, is to have a fleet of utility vehicles made up of electric models or models running on ethanol. For the utility part, we estimate going to 100% electricity by 2030.” Audrey Miclard also closely studies the solution ofhydrogen even if, for the moment, the selling prices of vehicles are still prohibitive. Case to follow.