From next year, fully electric versions of heavy Volvo trucks will be available for European hauliers. This means that from 2021, Volvo Trucks will offer a complete heavy-duty range with electric powertrain. Volvo Trucks' huge commitment to electrification marks an important step forward on the road to CO (2) neutral transport. 

Volvo Trucks is now testing the Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX heavy-duty electric trucks with a view to their commitment to regional transport and urban construction operations in Europe. These trucks have a train weight of up to 44 tonnes. Depending on the battery configuration, the range is up to 300 km. Sales will start next year and series production will start in 2022. This means that from 2021, Volvo Trucks will start selling a full range of electric trucks in Europe for distribution, waste collection, regional transport and urban construction activities.

“We want to rapidly expand the number of heavy duty electric trucks to help our customers and fleet operators achieve their ambitious sustainability goals. We are committed to leading our industry to a more sustainable future, ”said Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks.

V started production of the Volvo FL Electric and Volvo FE Electric in 2019. These are electric trucks intended for urban distribution and waste collection, mainly in Europe. In North America, sales of Volvo VNR Electric, a regional transport truck, will start on December 3, 2020.

A gradual transition to CO (2) neutral alternatives

Electric trucks for demanding and heavy international transport will follow within the next ten years. These are electric trucks with batteries and a fuel cell that have a longer range. Volvo Trucks plans to start selling electric trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cell fuel in the second half of this decade. Volvo Trucks is aiming for a completely CO (2) neutral product range by 2040.

“To reduce the impact of transport on the climate, we must quickly switch from fossil fuels to alternatives such as electricity. But the conditions for this change and the pace of the transition differ considerably per carrier and market. They also depend on many variables such as subsidy schemes, access to charging infrastructure and the type of transport activities ”, says Roger Alm.

This is the reason that most transport companies will not switch to electric driving all at once. In practice, many companies will have a transition period over the next 20-30 years with a mixed fleet of different fuels. These can then be fossil-free alternatives such as Bio-LNG or HVO.

“Our chassis is designed to be independent of the powertrain used. Our customers can choose to buy multiple Volvo trucks of the same model, with the only difference that some are electric and others run on gas or diesel. In terms of product features, such as the driver's environment, reliability and safety, all our vehicles meet the same high standards. Drivers must be familiar with their truck and be able to operate it safely and efficiently, regardless of the fuel or propulsion used, ”explains Roger Alm.

From the perspective of Volvo Trucks, it is very important for the transition to more sustainable transport that the transition is as smooth as possible so that transport companies can adapt. The solutions offered must be CO (2) neutral while at the same time enabling carriers to be profitable and achieve sufficient productivity.

“Our primary task is to ease the transition to electric vehicles. We do this by offering a total solution consisting of route planning, correctly specified vehicles, charging equipment, financing and services. The long-term security that we and our worldwide network of dealers and service workshops provide to our customers is more important than ever, ”Roger Alm concludes.

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