Volvo heavy-duty electric tested
Volvo’s heavy-duty electric truck is put to the test in Europe racking up 343kms on a single chargeA German journalist has conducted the first independent energy efficiency test on a fully-loaded heavy-duty electric Volvo truck.
He reports that the electric truck exceeded its official range and used 50 per cent less energy than its diesel counterpart.
The truck on the test was a Volvo FH Electric, a zero-emission vehicle with 490kW (657hp) of continuous power and a gross combination weight of 40 tonnes.
German trucking journalist Jan Burgdorf tested the truck on the Green Truck Route, a 343km route that includes a variety of driving conditions including motorways, hilly terrain, and tighter roads. The route is used for testing different manufacturer's trucks in a wide range of conditions.
The Volvo FH Electric kept an average speed of 80 km/h over the whole route, which was on par with the Volvo FH equipped with a diesel engine and the fuel efficiency package I-Save. Based on the energy consumption of only 1.1 kWh/km, the electric truck had a total range of 345 km on one charge.
“These test results show that it is possible to drive up to 500km during a regular work-day, with a short stop for charging, for example during lunch time,” said Tobias Bergman, Press Test Director at Volvo Trucks.
Volvo said that in the Green Truck Route tests, the Volvo FH Electric used 50 per cent less energy than a Volvo FH with a comparable diesel engine.
“The electric driveline is very efficient, making the all-electric truck a very powerful tool for reducing CO2 emissions,” commented Bergman.
Volvo Trucks goal is that electric vehicles will account for half of its truck sales in 2030.
“We are committed to the Paris Agreement on climate change. Science-based targets have been set and we are taking action to fast-forward the development to dramatically lower CO2 emissions related to on-road freight transports. I believe that the broad electric range we already have on the market is very clear proof of that,” Bergman concluded.
Truck facts and figures:
Gross combination weight: 40 tonnes
Average speed: 80km/h
Energy consumption: 1.1kWh/km
Battery capacity: 540kWh
Output power: 657hp (490kW) continuous power
Total test track distance: 343km
Total range based on one charge: 345km
Related reading:
Volvo pushes electric transition
Linfox get second electric truck
Partnership to remove electric freight vehicle barriers
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