Lunaz Applied Technologies (LAT) starts with the introduction of electrified and re-engineered refuse trucks, the first one will be built on the Mercedes-Benz Econic platform.
Vehicles in this class (5,6,7 and 8) represent a total addressable market, primed for upcycling and electrification, of 80 million existing units in the UK, EU and US alone. The company has already signed fleet electrification agreements with major councils and private entities in the UK and US and will be moving ahead to full market entry in 2023.
This expansion confirms Lunaz as a leader in the rapidly expanding clean-tech sector. The new upcycling and electrification industry responds to the pressing need to find more ecologically viable and cost-effective solutions to transition the more than 2 billion vehicles that currently exist to clean-air powertrains. This is in the wake of aggressive legislation to ban the sale of new Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles globally within the next decade.
The company’s growth has been built on the foundations of a highly strategic investor base. Together they have competencies and interests across the globe across relevant sectors including engineering, logistics, media, technology and investment banking. This includes Frederic Wakeman, the former Managing Partner of Advent International, one of the largest and most experienced global private equity firms. He adds to a group that also includes the Reuben, Barclay and Dallal families, David Beckham and US-based Brendan Iribe, co-founder and former CEO of Oculus VR which was acquired by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, in 2014.
The first Lunaz industrial upcycled electric vehicle
Before the diesel engine is removed and replaced with the Lunaz modular electric powertrain, every industrial vehicle that undergoes Lunaz’ remanufacturing and electrification approach is fully upcycled. This includes a full bare-metal restoration. This means fleet operators are presented with a vehicle in factory new condition.
Lunaz develops all its software in-house. This ensures end-users are presented with a vehicle equipped with the latest safety and control equipment. This includes the replacement of wing-mirrors with camera equipment and latest blindspot protection through side-facing RADAR and 360 birds-eye view cameras to increase awareness of surroundings and safety of workers when manoeuvring.
Lunaz’ senior engineering team have personally participated in refuse collection rounds to understand the requirements of Waste Collection operators. This has built a fundamental understanding of the very specific features and design elements they require. For example, they received almost universal feedback that passenger seats within existing OEM refuse trucks were very uncomfortable.
Lunaz’ in-house design team will respond with a new seat design to address this issue utilising the same craft-skills that has seen Lunaz Design lead the market for the electrification of pinnacle classic cars. This extends to a full refurbishment and re-design of interior spaces to ensure the vehicle is presented in a factory-new standard and is furnished with the latest technology.
This approach extends to the technology and even to the lay-out of switch-gear within the cabin. This follows detailed consultation with Waste Collectors and the Workshop Managers that work with refuse trucks on a daily basis. This feedback is shaping every design and functional decision meaning Councils will be provided with vehicles entirely tailored to their requirements, rather than the one-size-fits-all approach new product development cycles dictate.
Lunaz’ technology marries seamlessly to the vehicle’s existing systems and following up-cycling, the useful life of these vehicles is dramatically extended. This saves significant capital expenditure for public and private sector entities. This extends to the specification of battery pack sizes which can be tailored to specific routes within a Council’s requirements. For example, a refuse truck that focuses on shorter urban rounds will be specified with a smaller battery pack than its equivalent that drives on longer rural routes. This dramatically saves cost and weight versus the one-size-fits-all approach offered with new electric refuse trucks.
Lunaz UEV refuse trucks will also be specified with the latest telematics technology, meaning fleet operators can dynamically track and manage their fleets. This technology also provides significant service and maintenance benefits through an approach pioneered in the airline business. Central operators at Lunaz will be able to diagnose issues and alert council workshops to repair requirements. This will reduce fleet downtime and cost burden in servicing.
Source: Lunaz
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