Volvo Trucks delivers the first heavy-duty electric agitator

The battery electric truck is the latest development in an agreement signed between Volvo and Cemex in 2021 to achieve reduced carbon emissions and improved productivity.

The Volvo FMX electric heavy-duty truck, which was handed over at an event in Berlin this week, can complete a full day’s work with a single top-up charge during the driver’s regular lunch break.

The agitator will be operating at a ready-mix concrete plant in Spandau in Berlin, starting this month.

Electrification of concrete transportation is challenging due to the heavy loads and continuous mixing demands. As fully electric heavy-duty transport is gradually increasing, Volvo Trucks and Cemex are working to develop and scale the technologies needed to make emissions-free transport a reality in the construction industry.

“We are very happy to take this important step in the partnership with Cemex. Both our companies have committed to ambitious sustainability targets and collaboration is the way to get there,” said Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks.

“Together we will work to implement emission-free transport in the construction industry. Our electric trucks are zero emissions and their silent operation also provide a better environment for people working at construction sites, as well as for residents living nearby,” he added.

“Cemex is committed to becoming a net-zero CO2 company; innovation and collaboration are at the core of this commitment,” said Fernando A. González, CEO of CEMEX. “Our partnership with Volvo has incredible potential to contribute to the decarbonization of our business. Rolling out our first fully electric ready-mix truck is a strong progress in that direction.”

Volvo Trucks says it has the most complete electric line-up in the global truck industry, with vehicles that can operate at a total weight of 16 to 44 tonnes, covering everything from city distribution and refuse handling, to urban construction transports and regional haulage.

Volvo Trucks is the market leader in heavy electric trucks in Europe and the US. The company’s target is that half of its total sales of new trucks will be electric by 2030.

This week, Volvo Australia boss Martin Merrick announced that the first deliveries of Volvo electric trucks are expected to begin here in the coming weeks, and that the company is on track to commence building electric trucks at its Wacol (Qld) plant by 2027.

Facts Volvo FMX Electric concrete mixer truck:
Electric driveline: Two motors, 330kW (440hp)
Batteries: Four batteries, 360kWh
Mixer body: Powered by a hydraulic system that gets its power from a traction battery
Gearbox: I-Shift
Wheelbase: 4100mm
Body: Concrete Mixer, nine cubic metres