Volvo Trucks starts series production of heavy electric trucks

Volvo Trucks is the first global truck manufacturer to begin series production of heavy electric, 44 tonne GVM trucks.

Volvo Trucks last week began production of the electric versions of the company’s most important product range, its heavy-duty trucks, the Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX. These trucks can operate at a total weight of 44 tonnes, and the three models represent around two thirds of the company’s sales.

With these new additions, Volvo Trucks now has six electric truck models in series production – the broadest electric truck line up in the industry.

“This is a milestone and proves that we are leading the transformation of the industry,” says Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks.

“It’s less than two years ago since we showcased our heavy electric trucks for the very first time. Now we are ramping up volumes and will deliver these trucks to customers all over Europe, and later to customers in Asia, Australia and Latin America,” he added.

Series production of Volvo’s heaviest electric trucks has started in the Tuve factory in Gothenburg, Sweden and next year, the factory in Ghent, Belgium will follow. Volvo produces its electric trucks on the same line as its conventional trucks, which gives high production flexibility and efficiency gains.

The batteries are supplied by Volvo Trucks’ new battery assembly plant in Ghent and are then transported to the Tuve plant for installation into the electric trucks

Volvo says the demand for electric trucks is rapidly increasing in many markets, with one driving force being the need for transport buyers to shift to fossil-free transports in order to meet their sustainability goals. Volvo Trucks’ electric portfolio could cover around 45% of all goods transported in Europe today.

“We have sold around 1000 units of our heavy electric trucks and more than 2600 of our electric trucks in total.

"We expect volumes to increase significantly in the next few years. By 2030, at least 50 per cent of the trucks we sell globally should be electric,” said Roger Alm.

Volvo Trucks’ electric line-up of six truck models covers a wide range of applications such as city distribution and refuse handling, regional transport and construction work.

Keep watching these pages for our review of the new heavy-duty electric trucks as we become the first to drive the series-produced trucks on the roads of Gothenburg.

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