At the Port of Ghent, the Volvo Penta and MOL team has collaborated with the port equipment specialists at MOL to create a forward-thinking, 4×4 electric RoRo.
An endearing term for a “roll-on, roll-off” terminal truck is “RoRo.” These vehicles are usually torquey, powerful Class 8 tractors that are designed to handle extreme payloads in all weather conditions and the constant high g-forces associated with hitching up to a heavy trailer up to 100 times in a single shift. They are primarily used at shipping terminals, logistics centres or rail yards. Yes, and they have to work multiple shifts a day to complete it.
Sometimes yard dogs, yard hostlers, or terminal trucks, these vehicles are a perfect use case for low-maintenance, high-torque electric motors – and this latest one from MOL and Volvo might be even better, thanks to a 4WD powertrain that gives the truck extra traction on the potentially wet, slippery ramps in an around the Port of Ghent, a strategic European shipping hub.
“The technical progress achieved through our collaboration with Volvo Penta in creating the full electric 4×4 RME225 terminal tractor demonstrates our efforts to expand our range of new emission-free vehicles specifically for the rigorous needs of heavy-duty port equipment,” says Conrad Verplancke, a sales engineer from MOL. “We’re ensuring that it performs reliably, efficiently, and effectively in real-life operational scenarios.”
The truck itself features a fully electric Volvo Penta driveline consisting of three battery packs totaling 270 kWh of installed energy, an EPT802 gearbox, and two, 200 kW drive motors (one on each axle). A separate, 50 kW motor powers the truck’s hydraulic systems and fifth wheel. up on new, 4WD electric RoRo trucks.