The Volvo FE Electric, shown here in a promotional image, will go on sale in Europe next year. A North American truck based on European-style technology will come to North America in 2020.
Volvo Trucks said it will introduce an all-electric truck in California next year before making it commercially available in North America in 2020.
As part of a partnership with the South Coast California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), Volvo (VOLVB:Stockholm) and other industry groups will begin a demonstration project in 2019 for the company’s Volvo LIGHTS (Green Low Impact Heavy Haulage Solutions) program. Lights has 16 partners, including two unnamed fleets of trucks that will see their facilities take part in the programme.
Volvo said in a statement that Lights is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that allocates “billions of dollars to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, boost the economy and improve public health and the environment — especially in underserved communities.” statement.
“This is another important step towards our zero emissions vision. We are convinced that electric trucking will be a key driver of sustainable transportation, and we are proud to contribute Volvo Group’s expertise to this innovative public-private partnership,” said Claes Nilsson, President of Volvo Trucks.
The concept vehicles will be based on technology currently used in the Volvo FE Electric, which was first introduced in May. The FE Electric will go on sale in Europe next year.
The North American program will have eight units with multi-configuration battery systems rated for a GVWR greater than 15 tons. Additionally, there are 15 pre-commercial and commercial units, located throughout California’s South Coast Air Basin. Volvo said the project will also integrate non-truck battery electric equipment, non-proprietary chargers and solar energy production equipment.
“This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the comprehensive potential of electrification,” said Peter Voorhoff, President of Volvo Trucks North America. “From solar energy harvesting at our customers’ sites, to uptime services for electric vehicles, to potential second uses for batteries, this project will provide invaluable expertise and data for the entire value chain.”
A variety of intelligent technologies – including remote diagnostics, geo-fencing and the company’s web-based service management platform – will be used to monitor all aspects of truck performance on the project and maximize vehicle uptime.
The FE Electric is designed in Europe for a weight of up to 27 tons and a range of up to 125 miles on a single charge. The FE Electric has two motors with a maximum power of 370 kW, mated to a Volvo two-speed transmission. Energy is stored through lithium-ion batteries, which can hold 200-300 kilowatt-hours. The same technology is used in more than 4,000 Volvo electric buses currently in service around the world.
The FE Electric’s charging time is 1.5 hours from empty using the 150 kW DC CCS2 charger. It takes 10 hours to charge the truck with a low-power charger that produces 22 kilowatts of AC power.