GREENSBORO, N.C. — Volvo Trucks has delivered an electric truck for heavy transport to a carrier in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The truck can handle a total weight of 74 tons, according to a news release.
“More and more (haulers) are now starting to invest in electric trucks, also for heavy transport. Mattsson Åkeri in Gothenburg, Sweden, is one of them, and the company has now bought three heavy electric Volvo FH trucks from Volvo,” the news release stated.
For the past few weeks, testing has been ongoing on one of the trucks in container traffic in the port area of Arendal in Gothenburg. The test is a so-called HCT (High-Capacity Transport) project. The truck with two trailers is 32 meters long and can handle a gross combination weight of 74 tons, Volvo officials said.
“We want to show that all-electric solutions also work in applications with high total weights and a high utilization rate. Together with Mattsson Åkeri, the Swedish Transport Administration and several other partners, we are now looking at how we can optimize the operation of the electric truck, including how charging should take place in the most efficient way,” said Lena Larsson, project manager of the HCT project within Volvo’s technology organization.
The electric truck being tested is a Volvo FH Electric 6-by-4 and is charged with green electricity at the two fast 180 kW chargers that Mattsson Åkeri has installed in the company’s depot in Arendal. In the long term, the truck will also run between Gothenburg and the city of Borås, 70 km from Gothenburg.
In operation 12 hours a day
“Driving long and heavy loads using electricity works very well so far, and we can carry as much cargo as a diesel truck,” says Jan-Olof Mattsson, CEO of Mattsson Åkeri. “The truck runs 12 hours a day, with a stop for charging when the driver takes a break. We charge with green electricity and thus get no CO2 emissions. Silent, electric operation also means a better working environment for the driver.”
Since Volvo Trucks started production of all-electric trucks in 2019, the company has sold nearly 5,000 electric trucks in 40 countries around the world. Volvo today offers the industry’s widest product range with six electric models in series production that meet a broad range of needs for transport in and between cities. Globally, Volvo Trucks has set the target that half of all trucks sold are electric by 2030.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
