“You need to start now. Don’t wait. The early you start the better.” That’s the verdict of Carlos Rodrigues, MD Renault Trucks UK, when he talks about electromobility
In an exclusive CV Focus podcast, he talks with Matt Eisenegger about why COVID-19 is not an excuse to take your foot off the pedal with the renewal of your fleet and move to electric vans and trucks.
One of Carlos’ key focuses is to drive the brand’s electromobility journey, with full-electric Renault Trucks from 3.1T to 26T now a reality.
“The deciders of tomorrow on carbon and climate change do matter; you should be on the front foot now.”
Carlos Rodrigues, MD Renault Trucks UK
For Carlos, making the decarbonisation of road transport sustainable is the only way to achieve the required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
With a finance background, Carlos knows that the equation will not be easy to solve, but believes that already there are enough components to solve part of it and begin the journey towards a fossil-free road industry.
“The deciders of tomorrow on carbon and climate change do matter; you should be on the front foot now,” he points out, observing that demand is already coming to operators from customers for clean vehicles.
On cost, he notes that some sectors such as waste are already competitive with diesel – and way better in environmental terms.
“You have to re-think your business and the way you do things,” he adds.
For those concerned about much publicised issues of grid capacity, he reveals that “more often than not, operators already have enough power into their building.”
And, unless you’re planning to double-shift your vehicle, then the charging infrastructure investment is not more than £2,500. And that’s before you factor in the reduced running and maintenance costs of battery-electrics.
The switch is easiest to make for smaller operators, especially in the van sector and he sets out the path for how to convert your fleet, without over-committing, but putting you in a position where you can make reasoned buying decisions.
He also talks about Renault’s 10-year promise on battery life, while looking longer term at what’s in the pipeline for long-haul.
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About Carlos Rodrigues
He has more than 15 years’ experience in the automotive sector, all spent within the Volvo Group.
Starting as an Internal Auditor, Carlos gained a deep understanding of the commercial business.
In 2009 he relocated to Spain where he successfully reshaped Renault Trucks’ wholly-owned operations during the financial crisis.
Carlos then moved to Sweden where he held various Vice-President roles on the financial side of the organisation and then in 2016, he relocated to the UK to become the Volvo Group UK & IE Chief Financial Officer.
He was appointed as MD Renault Trucks UK in October 2018.
Having lived in four different countries, Carlos also fluently speaks four languages. He holds two Master Degrees in Finance and Business Administration.
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