Volvo Trucks is expanding its Euro 6 truck line-up with a low-entry version of its new FE. Dubbed the FE LEC (Low Entry Cab), the truck has been designed for refuse operations and city distribution, with a cab that features a low-entry, flat-floor design with improved visibility and space for up to four people.
According to Pernilla Sustovic, segment manager, distribution at Volvo Trucks, the demand for efficient refuse transport and city distribution vehicles is increasing – and the FE LEC will offer operators a number of unique benefits. “With the new FE LEC, we are the only manufacturer to offer a refuse truck with a low entry and automated manual gearbox as an alternative to a fully automatic transmission,” Sustovic said. “I-Shift makes driving more fuel-efficient and the transmission’s lower weight means more payload.”
The FE LEC is based on the latest generation of Volvo’s medium-duty FE, so the chassis, driveline, design, instruments and controls are similar – but the new truck offers an entry height of 530 mm. With the kneeling function activated, this is lowered a further 90 mm. The doors can be opened 90 degrees and the floor is flat throughout the cab.
The cab can be fitted with up to three passenger seats. The driver’s seat is more forward-placed to improve visibility ahead and to the sides of the truck. The cab also features large rear-view mirrors and close-quarter mirrors. Extra side windows behind the B-posts are available as an option.
“The Volvo FE LEC has been designed to make daily operations easier for the driver and crew. That is why we attached considerable importance to the practical details,” said John Comer, product manager, Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland.
The Volvo FE LEC was recently unveiled at IFAT 2014 – one of the world’s largest exhibitions specialising in the environment and refuse handling – in Munich, Germany.
