With the push to zero emission transport continuing apace in the Northern Hemisphere Volvo Trucks has announced it has received its largest order so far for electric trucks, with Northern Europe’s largest shipping and logistics company, DFDS ordering 100 electric versions of the Volvo FM model.
Volvo says the deal is the largest commercial order to date for Volvo electric trucks, and one of the largest ever for heavy electric trucks worldwide.
The first Volvo FM Electric for DFDS was handed over by Volvo Trucks’ global president, Roger Alm, recently, but the delivery of the new 100 truck order will start in the fourth quarter of next year and continue throughout 2023.
“This is a major milestone in our commitment to fossil-free transportation and I am very proud of the partnership we have with DFDS,” said Roger Alm.
“Together we are showing the world that electrified heavy truck transport is a viable solution already today and I believe this will encourage many more customers to confidently take the first step in their own electrification journey,” he said.
The Volvo FM Electric to DFDS will be used for both short and long transport in the DFDS logistics system across Europe.
“At DFDS, we’re determined to play our part in reducing CO2 emissions and creating a sustainable supply chain,” said executive vice president of DFDS’ logistics division.
“ We know how important electrification is in the journey to reach our CO2 targets, and I hope we can inspire others as we move forward in this vital transition,” he said.
Volvo says the FM Electric has a GCW of up to 39 tonnes and boasts a range of up to 300 km.
The company claims that with a top-up charging session during lunch the distance can be extended and can be charged both overnight through depot charging via the truck’s own AC charger and via high power DC charging on route.
The electrification trend in the heavy truck market is accelerating in Europe with several hundred trucks above 15 tonnes being registered in the EU so far this year, with Volvo claiming that around 40 per cent of them coming from the Swedish company.
“Our clear aim is to drive the electric truck transformation and our market-leading position shows that we are definitely on the right track. Our target for 2030 is that half of our global truck deliveries will be electric. We are pleased to see that growing interest among our customers is starting to be reflected in firm orders, not least by this impressive order from DFDS,” said Roger Alm.
Volvo Trucks was one of the very first truck brands in the world to start series production of electric trucks kicking off in 2019.
The company says that its product range now includes six electric models including the FH, FM, FMX, FE, FL and its North American only Volvo VNR.
