UK’s first electric concrete mixer completes trial

The UK’s first all-electric ready-mix concrete mixer has successfully completed a three-month trial of commercial deliveries across Birmingham for Tarmac.

The ‘e-mixer’, created in partnership with Renault Trucks and TVS Interfleet, is claimed to be the first of its kind to operate anywhere in the UK with zero tailpipe emissions.

With the same average capacity as a conventional diesel vehicle, it is expected to save 42 tonnes of CO₂ annually, with zero emissions per mile compared to 1.55 kg of CO₂ per mile for its diesel equivalent.

The mixer forms part of Tarmac’s strategy to develop low-carbon logistics by offering decarbonised transport for the last mile of a construction project. It will operate out of the company’s rail-fed Birmingham Plant at Washwood Heath.

Ben Garner, head of Tarmac’s low-carbon logistics, said: “With the arrival of this new vehicle, we’re able to offer something completely new to the market and demonstrate a fully integrated low-carbon logistics model is possible.”

As part of the vehicle’s development, the partnership team created an entirely new digital operating system alongside improving safety measures during operation.

The truck also offers reduced noise and vibrations, while contributing to improving air quality, particularly when operating in urban areas and low and zero emissions zones, such as Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone.

“To develop the new electric mixer, the TVS Interfleet team was asked to completely forget everything they thought they knew about building mixers and start from scratch, which has resulted in a mixer with several new patents,” added Kevin Walker, technical director at TVS Interfleet.