AFTER travelling 23,000 kilometres across Europe, Renault Trucks’ Diamond Echo electroluminescent electric truck brought its roadshow to a close in Finnish Lapland.
Since leaving the manufacturer’s headquarters in Lyon in April, 2024 the Renault E-Tech Diamond Echo has driven through France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany, completing daily stages of up to 700km. The longest distance accomplished on a single charge was 360km, a single journey between Switzerland and Germany.
For the final phase, the Diamond Echo set off for Finland in December 2024, with a view to demonstrating the performance of electric trucks in harsh climatic conditions. On arrival in Finland, Diamond Echo covered 1,600 kilometres between Helsinki and Rovaniemi in Lapland, including a 250km stage on a single charge and a day culminating in 700km, with two intermediate charges.
With temperatures falling to -19°C, the electric truck kept up performance levels comparable to those of diesel trucks. The cold caused a slight increase in consumption (between 10 and 15%), mainly due to common factors affecting all types of powertrains, such as aerodynamics and winter tyres.
