September 14 - Volvo Trucks is beginning mass production of electric versions of the company's most important product lines, namely heavy trucks: Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX. The total weight of these trucks is 44 tons (total combined weight GCW), and these three models account for about two-thirds of the company's sales.
With these new features, Volvo Trucks has six electric truck models worldwide -- the widest range of electric trucks in the industry.
"This is a milestone that proves we are leading the industry transformation. It's been less than two years since we first showed a heavy-duty electric truck. Now, we are increasing production and delivering these outstanding trucks to customers throughout Europe, and later to customers in Asia, Australia and Latin America, "said Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks.
Mass production of Volvo's heaviest electric trucks will begin at its Tuve plant in Gothenburg, Sweden, followed next year by a plant in Ghent, Belgium. Volvo builds electric trucks on the same production lines as conventional trucks, thereby increasing production flexibility and efficiency. The batteries are being supplied by Volvo Trucks' new battery assembly plant in Ghent.
It was learned that the demand for electric trucks is growing rapidly in many markets, and one of the driving forces is the need for transport buyers to shift to fossil-free transport in order to achieve their sustainability goals. Volvo Trucks' electric portfolio covers about 45 per cent of all goods shipped in Europe today. (According to Eurostat's "Road Freight by Distance" statistics (2018), 45% of goods transported by road in Europe travel less than 300km.)
"We have sold about 1,000 heavy-duty electric trucks and over 2,600 electric trucks. We expect sales to increase significantly over the next few years. By 2030, at least 50% of our trucks sold globally will be electric, "commented Roger Alm.
Volvo Trucks' lineup of six electric trucks covers a wide range of applications, such as urban distribution and waste disposal, regional transportation and construction.