All-electric truck

An award-winning Lake District holiday park is cutting noise and air pollution after investing in an all-electric truck.

Park Cliffe camping and caravan estate features a mixture of privately-owned lodges and caravans, along with touring and tent pitches for hire. Owners Susan and Derek Dickson had been using a Land Rover to get around the 25-acre site, but found it was uneconomical.

“We do a lot of short, stop-start journeys in the Land Rover and it was inefficient,” said Susan.  “Our son suggested that we look into electric vehicle as an alternative.”

The couple purchased an Alke ATX 210E utility truck from ePower Trucks, one of the UK’s leading independent suppliers of EVs. The vehicle is deployed in a wide range of applications on the estate, from towing trailer-loads of 47 litre gas cylinders to grounds maintenance and site cleaning.

“We didn’t think an EV would be able to cope with the terrain, as it is very hilly,” said Susan. “But the Alke can do everything that the Land Rover was expected to do. Our employees really like it, especially the improved visibility from the cab.”

The ATX 210E is a road-legal electric truck that is equally comfortable working off-road. Park Cliffe’s vehicle has a hydraulic tipper body with a tarpaulin cover, providing a payload of 635kg. The powerful electric motor offers a maximum towing capacity of 2,000kg. Independent MacPherson front suspension struts and a De-Dion rear axle help to ensure permanent wheel grip and reduce the risk of skidding.

Located near Windermere, Park Cliffe holds a gold standard David Bellamy Conservation Award. It is known for its rich variety of wildlife, including badgers, buzzards, and roe deer.

“The truck is much quieter than the Land Rover, so it minimises impact on the wildlife and also doesn’t disturb our guests,” said Susan. “However, it isn’t completely silent, so people can still hear it coming, which is an important safety element on a busy site like ours.”