In order to expand its electric truck offerings to support more use cases, Volvo Trucks has teamed up with DHL Freight to test out an all-electric FH that will operate between two of DHL’s Swedish terminals. However, this particular model is designed for regional operations, whereas most other FH Electrics have been used primarily for local and urban applications.
The vehicle can support a gross combination weight of up to 60 tonnes (66 U.S. tons), and as it takes part in real-world pilot testing, Volvo says it will use the information gleaned to “optimise the right balance between operated distance, load weight, and charging points in daily road freight operations.”
The project will officially commence in March and will see the FH Electric follow a route between Gothenburg and Jönköping, which are roughly 150 kilometres (93 miles) apart. The vehicle will recharge between journeys at the Volvo Truck Centre in Gothenburg and at DHL’s facility in Jönköping.
Two Companies, Same Goal
DHL has long been working on becoming a more sustainable transporter and has successfully reduced its own carbon emissions by 35% since 2007. The company also has a system in place in Sweden where customers can pay one fixed surcharge for every parcel or pallet they ship, and DHL invests all of that income in clean technologies for use in its Swedish operations.
However, as is the case with Volvo Trucks, the ultimate goal is to completely eliminate CO2 emissions from all operations, which requires projects like this one, focused on everything from the vehicles themselves to charging infrastructure, route planning, and much more.
Volvo is already making strides on the vehicle front, having started full production of the FE Electric and FL Electric in Europe and the sale of VNR Electrics in North America. A heavy-duty, all-electric solution is also set to launch this year in Europe. These are important steps for Volvo in reaching its stated goal of making every vehicle it produces fossil fuel-free by 2040, if not sooner.
An Important Partnership
“The transport business is changing rapidly and to be sustainable is an increasingly important business advantage for many of our customers,” says Volvo Trucks President Roger Alm. “We offer effective transport solutions that help make a fast transition to fossil-free fuels such as electricity. We have a longstanding relationship with DHL. Their broad and global expertise in logistics allows us to study the conditions to progress with this technology shift, adapting it to customer needs and their type of transport operation.”
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Source: Volvo
