In an independent energy efficiency test with a fully loaded heavy-duty electric Volvo truck in Germany, the truck exceeded its official range, and used 50% less energy than its diesel counterpart.

The tested truck was a Volvo FH Electric, which has a gross combination weight of 40 tons, a 540 kWh battery pack and continuous power of 490 kW. German trucking journalist Jan Burgdorf tested the truck on the Green Truck Route, a 343-kilometer route that includes a variety of motorways, hilly terrains and small roads, and is used for testing different manufacturers’ trucks in a wide range of conditions.

“When driving this truck, it is as agile, or even more agile, than a diesel truck,” says Jan Burgdorf. “Drivers will be very surprised about how easy it is to drive, how quiet it is and how well it responds. There are no vibrations whatsoever.”

The Volvo FH Electric kept an average speed of 80 km/h over the whole route, which was on par with the Volvo FH equipped with a diesel engine and the fuel efficiency package I-Save. Based on the energy consumption of only 1.1 kWh/km, the electric truck demonstrated a total range of 345 km. It used 50% less energy than a diesel Volvo FH.

“These test results show that it is possible to drive up to 500 km during a regular workday, with a short stop for charging, for example during lunch time,” explains Tobias Bergman, Press Test Director at Volvo Trucks.

Volvo Trucks offers a range of six all-electric trucks, designed to cover many different transport assignments. The Volvo FH, FM and FMX Electric models have a GCW of up to 44 tons. Sales are ongoing in Europe, and production will start in the second half of 2022. Serial production in Europe of the Volvo FL and FE Electric, for city distribution and refuse handling, started in 2019. Production of the Volvo VNR Electric for North America began in 2020.

Volvo Trucks’ goal is that electric vehicles will account for half of its truck sales in 2030, and 100%  in 2040.

Source: Volvo Trucks