The headline might not make a lot of sense, so it might be worth explaining what LAT and UEV mean first!
So, LAT stands for Lunaz Applied Technologies, a business that was started in 2018 in the shadows of the famous Silverstone racing circuit in the UK.
UEV stands for Upcycled Electric Vehicles, in other words, trucks that have previously been powered by diesel engines, converted to run on electricity.
The latest news from LAT is that a fleet of their upcycled (or converted) end-of-life Mercedes-Benz Econic-based trucks are about to get down and dirty collecting waste from outside UK homes.
The company tells us these trucks are cleaner, cheaper, and better equipped than their all-new battery-electric counterparts.
And, they will be operating recycling collection routes for several councils, including a number of London boroughs.
“UEV recycling trucks will save millions of tonnes of embedded carbon from land-fill.” – LAT statement.
“An independent environmental audit commissioned by LAT confirmed that more than 80% of embedded carbon over a total lifetime is saved when upcycling rather than replacing an existing refuse truck with a new EV equivalent.
“Repurposing these end-of-life vehicles into UEVs that are cleaner, less expensive, and better-equipped than their all-new equivalents supports the urgent requirement for fleet operators and governments worldwide to reach carbon neutrality”.
The trucks boast an up to 400kwh battery capacity with advanced thermal management that improves range by up to 25%, as well as proprietary technology that allows them to manage low-speed torque demands and higher cruising speeds too.
But it isn’t just the powertrain that gets all the attention, the pre-owned Benz trucks also get an interior refresh, including new seats/seat-covers, wireless and USB device charging, and, in response to feedback from drivers and crew, cup holders!
There’s also a camera monitoring system that is fitted to the trucks.
And while many parts of the trucks are anything but new, each LAT UEV is warrantied as a new vehicle.
