Sweden’s Volvo has announced that it will launch a long-range variant of its FH Electric truck, which it says will be capable of covering up to 600 km on a single charge, the truckmaker said on this week.
The new model, is expected to hit the market in the second half of 2025 and will cater to customers requiring longer hauls by maximising battery space while improving the truck’s software.
Volvo Trucks said it would use an electronic axle technology that combines motor, gearbox and axle into one unit, increasing battery capacity. This is unlike the ‘jury rig’ the company has initially used on its heavy duty electric trucks, which used its traditional multi speed AMT transmission in a ‘conventional’ driveline configuration, between the centrally mounted electric motor and a traditional differential on the rear axle. Using a lighter weight and more efficient ‘e-axle’ that incorporates the electric motor, differential and axle in one unit is seen as, and has proven itself as the best solution for electric trucks.
Volvo Trucks’ head of product management and quality, Jan Hjelmgren said the company was accelerating its green investments, but further action from politicians would be crucial for broader adoption of zero-emission vehicles.
The heavy truck market in Europe is expected to slow this year after three years of high demand, which resulted in the highest delivery levels in more than 15 years as supply chain disruptions eased last year.
Battery-electric vehicles are also losing market share in Europe due to what is seen as inconsistent green policies and a lack of sufficient subsidies.
As of last year, electric trucks were still significantly more expensive than their diesel counterparts, with prices ranging from around $AUD414,000 ( 250,000 euros) to $AUD 660,000 (400,000 euros) .
Volvo last month announced it had settled on the location for a new North American plant at Monterrey in Mexico where it intends to invest more than $AUD 1 billion ($US700) in the new factory that is scheduled to start operations as early as 2026.
Hjelmgren said the Monterrey factory would play a critical role in supporting the Volvo Trucks’ North American growth strategy by providing the industrial capacity needed to meet increasing demand in the North American market.
