Volvo to start selling electric trucks in Europe
Volvo Trucks has announced that it will start selling electric trucks in Europe – and the first units will be put into operation with selected customers this year.
In a statement issued today (23 January), Claes Nilsson, President Volvo Trucks, said: “Electromobility is fully in line with Volvo Trucks’ long term commitment for sustainable urban development and zero emissions.
“By using electrically powered and quieter trucks for goods transport in urban areas, we meet several challenges simultaneously. Without disturbing noise and exhaust gases, it will be possible to operate in more sensitive city centres. Transport may also take place throughout less busy periods, for example in late evening and at night. This will reduce the burden on the roads during daytime rush-hour traffic, allowing both the road network and vehicles to be utilised far more effectively than today.”
The Volvo statement referenced the recent “Off Peak City Distribution” project, conducted by Stockholm City, Sweden and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, which studied the effects of goods transport at night in central Stockholm. According to Volvo: “Since the trucks avoided having to operate in rush-hour traffic, transport assignments were carried out in one-third of the normal time.”
Jonas Odermalm, Head of product strategy medium duty vehicles at Volvo Trucks, said: “Enabling long term sustainable transport is a complex issue that requires a holistic and wide range of measures.We are working closely with customers, cities, suppliers of charging infrastructure and other key stakeholders to create the necessary framework for electrical trucks.”
