Volvo Penta showcased an electric terminal tractor at a recent port and terminal technology trade show in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The tractor was retrofitted with a Volvo Penta electric driveline, borrowing technologies from Volvo’s electric buses and trucks.

Volvo Penta has been active in establishing its presence in the EV industry, aiming to offer electrified power solutions by 2021. In February, the company announced it would provide the electric driveline for Austrian manufacturer Rosenbauer’s first electric fire truck and the propulsion system for Gothenburg’s electric ferry.

Volvo Penta CTO Peter Granqvist said, “We are seeing that certain electric applications are reaching a point where they are providing a lower total cost of ownership than diesel engines. Material handling is a promising segment for electrification due to its high machine utilization and greater accessibility to charging. We therefore decided to create a proof of concept for this segment in order to implement market feedback into our development.”

He added, “Our approach going forward in the development will centre around close collaboration with OEMs and operators. With deep application knowledge, our solutions will be fit for purpose and adapted to customer needs. We take a full systems supplier approach, using our global aftermarket service network to take responsibility for the full system installation.”

Source: Volvo via Green Car Congress