Volvo Trucks will demonstrate its all-electric VNR trucks in California in distribution, regional-haul, and drayage operations. The trucks will be available for sale in 2020.
Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, said:
“The Volvo VNR Electric leverages the versatility of the new Volvo VNR series with a proven fully electric powertrain, and represents a strategic stride toward a comprehensive electrified transport ecosystem. Cities prioritizing sustainable urban development can leverage electrified transport solutions to help improve air quality and reduce traffic noise. Cleaner, quieter, fully-electric commercial transport also creates opportunities for expanded morning and late-night operations, helping cut traffic congestion during peak hours.”
“The Volvo VNR is ideal for applications like heavy urban distribution, drayage, and other regional applications where electric trucks will first have the greatest impact,” said Johan Agebrand, Volvo Trucks North America director of product marketing. “The VNR series has received tremendous industry acceptance since its April 2017 introduction and the addition of an all-electric powertrain provides even greater opportunities to expand its footprint in the regional-haul market.”
The will incorporate propulsion and energy storage technology currently being used in the Volvo FE Electric. Sister company Volvo Buses has sold more than 4,000 electrified buses since 2010.
The demo project is part of LIGHTS (Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions), a partnership between the Volvo Group, California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), and industry leaders in transportation and electrical charging infrastructure.
“The LIGHTS project is a truly unique opportunity to showcase a holistic approach to electrification of the freight transport industry as we handle ongoing challenges including electricity generation and battery optimization,” said Voorhoeve. “We appreciate that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the SCAQMD have recognized our leadership and trusted us to oversee this project that will ultimately result in the commercialization of fully electric heavy-duty trucks.”
The demo project will enable fleets to look at driving cycles, load capacity, uptime, range and other parameters, said Agebrand.
“Within the project we’ll look at everything from route analysis and battery optimization to servicing and financing. We always aim to offer high uptime and productivity.”
CARB has preliminarily awarded $44.8 million to SCAQMD for the Volvo LIGHTS project.
Source: Volvo Trucks
