Volvo: Electric Trucks ‘Viable’ for Hauling Freight Here and Elsewhere
Volvo initially sees electrically powered trucks delivering goods in city centers “without disturbing noise and exhaust gases.” Photo: Volvo Trucks
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Sweden-based AB Volvo announced on Jan. 23 that it will start selling electric trucks in Europe in 2019, with the first units entering service with select customers sometime this year – and the company’s North American operations say they see a future for “electromobility” here as well.
The global truck and engine maker noted that “work toward commercialization of electric trucks in North America is ongoing as advancements in battery technology accelerate viability for North American duty cycles and energy demands for a broad range of applications.”
Addressing the news on this side of the Atlantic, Göran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North America, commented in a statement that “electromobility is fully in line with Volvo Trucks’ long-term commitment to sustainable urban development and zero emissions.”
He explained that electrically powered trucks can deliver goods in more sensitive city centers “without disturbing noise and exhaust gases.” According to Nyberg, urban distribution and other P&D applications are “a starting point for battery-powered electric trucks.” He added that Volvo “envisions broader deployment of electric trucks for freight movement in North America as technologies and the market mature,” suggesting they may have a future place in Class 8 trucks.
Electric truck charging infrastructure needed
Keith Brandis, Volvo Trucks North America vice president for product planning, pointed out that the global OEM’s technology and its “deep understanding of electromobility are based on proven commercial solutions already used in Volvo’s electric buses, and solutions introduced in Volvo’s hybrid trucks as far back as 2010. Electric vehicles will be part of our future, but the vehicles themselves are only one part of what is needed for large-scale electrification to succeed.”
Brandis added that Volvo Trucks is “working closely with customers, cities, suppliers …Read the rest of this story
