Volvo Trucks believes the time is right for a rapid upswing in electrification of heavy road transport. The positive outlook is based on the ability of Volvo’s electric trucks to meet a broad variety of transport needs.
Large national and international transport buyers are showing strong interest in electric vehicles. This is being driven by buyers’ own climate goals, as well as consumer demand for decarbonisation and cleaner transport.
“More and more transport companies are realizing they need to start their electrification journey right now, both with the environment in mind and for competitive reasons to satisfy customer requirements for sustainable shipping,” said Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks.
“With our wide and deep offering, it is totally feasible for far more transport companies to go electric.”
Heavy duty additions
The company is adding three heavy duty trucks to its electric line-up. With the new electric Volvo FH and Volvo FM models now on sale, electrified transport is possible not only in urban areas, but also for regional traffic between cities. The new electric Volvo FMX model is another way that Volvo Trucks is making construction transport operations both quieter and cleaner.
For the European market, production of these new electric models will start in the second half of 2022. They will join the Volvo FL Electric and Volvo FE Electric for urban transport, which have been in serial production since 2019. In North America, however, sales of the Volvo VNR Electric began in December 2020. This means Volvo Trucks now has a line-up of six medium and heavy duty electric trucks.
“There is huge potential to electrify truck transports in Europe, and also in other parts of the world, in the very near future,” said Alm.
“To prove this, we have set the ambitious goal to have electric trucks account for half of our sales in Europe by 2030. And these three new heavy-duty trucks we are now launching mark a giant step towards reaching this target.”
The news comes after Mercedes-Benz Vans announced it will expand production of the eSprinter and Renault Trucks said it intends to offer an all-electric range from 2023.
An electric ecosystem
In addition to electric vehicles, Volvo Trucks’ electrification program includes service, maintenance and financing solutions, as well as other options that can help facilitate an easier and faster transition to electrified transport. The setup will help customers to stay productive and in control of their new electric transport fleet.
“These complete electrified transport solutions that we, along with our global network of dealers and service workshops can provide, will play a vital role in ensuring our customer’s success,” said Alm.
Volvo Trucks’ electric vehicle offering for European models includes the Volvo FH Electric, for regional and intercity transport; the Volvo FM Electric, a versatile truck for heavy local transports and regional distribution; the Volvo FMX Electric, for cleaner and quieter construction transport; Volvo FE Electric, for local and city distribution, waste transport; and the Volvo FL Electric, for local and city distribution. The program also includes the Volvo VNR Electric for the North American market.
