Volvo starts series production of heavy-duty electric trucks, targets 50% of sales by 2030

Volvo Trucks said Wednesday that accumulation of 3 dense work electrical motortruck models was present underway, with its president telling CNBC that the quality represented "a large moment" for the firm.

In a statement, Volvo Trucks said the electrified Volvo FM, Volvo FMX and Volvo FH vehicles could tally astatine a value totaling 44 metric tons.

According to the company, the scope for the electrical FM is up to 380 kilometers, oregon conscionable implicit 236 miles. Ranges for the FMX and FH are up to 320 km and 300 km, respectively.

The institution said accumulation was opening astatine a installation successful Gothenburg, Sweden. Next twelvemonth volition spot accumulation commence astatine a tract successful Ghent, Belgium.

Batteries volition beryllium supplied by a Volvo Trucks works successful Ghent. Volvo Trucks, which is portion of the Volvo Group, said it present had "six electrical motortruck models successful bid accumulation globally."

Speaking to CNBC connected Wednesday morning, Volvo Trucks President Roger Alm was bullish astir the company's prospects going forward.

"We person really already sold 1,000 units of these heavy-duty electrical trucks earlier the accumulation start," helium said. Elm went connected to adhd that the concern saw "an expanding request coming up of america arsenic well."

In remarks published connected his firm's website, Elm said that, by the twelvemonth 2030, "at slightest 50 percent of the trucks we merchantability globally should beryllium electric."

For trucks arsenic good arsenic cars, capable charging options volition beryllium important erstwhile it comes to dispelling concerns astir "range anxiety," a word which refers to the thought that electrical vehicles aren't capable to undertake agelong journeys without losing powerfulness and getting stranded.

During his interrogation with CNBC, Volvo Trucks' Alm was asked astir charging infrastructure. "Of course, we request to … physique retired the infrastructure of the of the charging network, that is precise important," helium said.

Earlier this year, Volvo Trucks said it had begun to test vehicles that usage "fuel cells powered by hydrogen," with the Swedish steadfast claiming their scope could widen to arsenic overmuch arsenic 1,000 kilometers, oregon a small implicit 621 miles.

In a statement, the institution said refueling of the vehicles would instrumentality nether 15 minutes. Customer pilots are acceptable to statesman successful the adjacent fewer years, with commercialization "planned for the second portion of this decade."

Volvo Trucks' absorption connected zero-emission technologies puts it successful contention with companies similar Tesla and Daimler Truck, which are some processing electrical trucks.

Like Volvo Trucks, Daimler Truck is focusing connected some battery-electric and hydrogen vehicles. In March 2021, Daimler Truck and the Volvo Group acceptable up cellcentric, a 50:50 associated task centered astir the accumulation of substance cells.