​Volvo Trucks has announced that it is running tests of electric versions of the heavy-duty Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX trucks, which will be used for regional transport and urban construction operations in Europe. Sales will begin in 2021 and volume production will start in 2022.

Long-haul electric vehicles will soon follow

Volvo says electric vehicles for heavy long-haul operations will follow in the next few years. These will be battery-electric and fuel cell electric trucks with a longer range. Volvo Trucks aims to start selling electric trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells in the second half of this decade. The objective is for the company’s entire range to be fossil-free by 2040.

Roger Alm, President, Volvo Trucks said, "To reduce the impact of transport on the climate, we need to make a swift transition from fossil fuels to alternatives such as electricity. But the conditions for making this shift, and consequently the pace of the transition, vary dramatically across different hauliers and markets, depending on many variables such as financial incentives, access to charging infrastructure and type of transport operations."

For this reason, most transport companies will change over to electric operation in stages. In practice, many of them will have a mixed fleet of trucks powered by different fuels during a transition period.

Roger continued, "Our chassis are designed to be independent of the driveline used. Our customers can choose to buy several Volvo trucks of the same model, with the only difference being that some are electric, and others are powered by gas or diesel. As regards product characteristics, such as the driver's environment, reliability and safety, all our vehicles meet the same high standards. Drivers should feel familiar with their vehicles and be able to operate them safely and efficiently regardless of the fuel used."

Volvo says the transition to more sustainable transport is largely about making the shift as smooth as possible for haulage operators, so that they can begin to adjust. The vehicles offered must be fossil-free and allow hauliers to achieve the necessary levels of profitability and productivity.

Photos: Roger Alm; Volvo electric truck range; Electric charging station.