Aussie debut for Volvo FH Electric

Volvo Trucks Australia has pulled the covers off its first heavy-duty battery-electric truck to arrive in Australia, with a Volvo FH Electric taking pride of place beside the lectern at the brand’s Sustainability Summit, held in Brisbane today (May 17) ahead of the Brisbane Truck Show (May 18 to 21).

Currently the only example of the vehicle in Australia, the FH Electric is shining a light on Volvo’s efforts to decarbonise road transport as it works towards its goal of achieving 100 per cent net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

The Volvo FH Electric is said to offer a range of up to 300km on a single charge and has a gross combination mass of up to 44 tonnes. Offering 490kW of continuous power, Volvo says the truck’s batteries can be charged in around 10 hours with AC charging or two hours with DC charging (or 90 minutes to reach 80 per cent capacity), depending on the available charging infrastructure.

Volvo Trucks’ top brass was in attendance for the unveiling of the truck at Volvo Group Australia’s Wacol headquarters, with Volvo President, Roger Alm, Senior Vice President Volvo Trucks International, Per-Erik Lindstrom, Volvo Group Australia President, Martin Merrick, and Vice President Volvo Trucks Australia, Gary Bone, all on hand to discuss the truck and Volvo’s wider sustainability efforts.

“We are, as Volvo Trucks and the Volvo Group, extremely committed to this transformation,” Mr Alm said. “We are investing more than ever to make this happen. We are leading the range, we have the largest [electric] offering in terms of product globally, and we have the largest number of [electric] trucks out with customers in operation, we have the market share – over 50 per cent in Europe – and we are leading in Australia as well.”

While acknowledging the vital importance of supportive government policy and strategy to embrace the adoption of electric trucks in Australia, particularly in terms of vehicle design regulations (Volvo’s electric trucks are both wider and have higher front axle mass than Australia’s standard design regulations currently allow), Mr Alm said the gravity of the transition went far beyond any commercial case.

“Now we are willing to introduce these electric trucks in Australia as well, but we need some support [from government] with the heavy-duty range,” he said. “But we are also doing this for another reason, for a higher purpose. The young girl pictured on the slide here, she doesn’t really care about range, charging infrastructure, or technology – she wants to have something different. She wants to have a belief in the world that she is living in.

“We need to support the next generation to give them that. And to do that we need to work together – suppliers, OEMs, decision makers and also the customers – to make the transformation. Because we have a responsibility.

“We need to give the future generation a world that they would like to live in. We should make that happen. And they should feel proud about us, that we made it happen, and that we supported them to believe in the future. So please, join us, and give the next generation a better world to live in.”

A selection of Volvo's electric trucks will be on the Volvo Trucks stand at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show, which will be held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre over May 18 to 21.