Volvo Trucks ready to ramp up electrification of heavy road transport

With sales starting this year of three new heavy-duty all-electric models, Volvo Trucks believes the time is right for a rapid upswing in electrification of heavy road transport.

This positive outlook is based on Volvo’s electric trucks’ ability to meet a broad variety of transport needs. In the EU for example, almost half of all truck transport can be electrified already.

Large national and international operators are showing strong interest in electric vehicles, according to Volvo, and this is being driven by their own ambitious climate goals, as well as consumers’ demand for decarbonisation and cleaner transport solutions.

Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucks, commented: “More and more transport companies are realising they need to start their electrification journey right now, both with the environment in mind and for competitive reasons to satisfy customer requirements for sustainable shipping. With Volvo Trucks’ wide and deep offering, it is totally feasible for far more transport companies to go electric.”

Volvo Trucks has also announced plans for three new heavy-duty electric models, with the Volvo FH and FM models now available. A new electric Volvo FMX model is also underway and production for Europe will start next year.

They join the Volvo FL Electric and Volvo FE Electric for urban transport that have been in serial production since 2019 for the same market. In North America, the sale of VNR Electric started in December last year. With the new models, Volvo Trucks currently has a line-up of six medium and heavy-duty electric trucks.

“There is huge potential to electrify truck transports in Europe, and also in other parts of the world, in the very near future,” said Alm. “To prove this, we have set the ambitious goal to have electric trucks account for at least half of our sales in Europe by 2030. And these three new heavy-duty trucks we are now launching mark a giant step towards reaching this target.”

In addition to the electric vehicles, Volvo Trucks’ has announced an electrification programme which includes a complete eco-system with numerous service, maintenance and financing solutions, as well as other options that will help facilitate an easier and faster transition to electrified traffic.

“These complete electrified transport solutions that we, along with our global network of dealers and service workshops can provide, will play a vital role in ensuring our customers’ success,” added Alm.

“This technology is developing rapidly and our ambition is also to make the long driving distances electrified, using both batteries and fuel cells.

“Our aim is to start selling fuel-cell electric trucks in the second part of this decade and we are confident we can make this happen.”