The first independent energy efficiency test with a fully loaded Volvo FH Electric electric heavy vehicle was recently carried out in Germany. The electric truck exceeded its declared range and consumed half the energy of its diesel counterpart.
The test video of Volvo FH Electric
The tested truck was a Volvo FH Electric, a zero-emission vehicle with continuous power of 490 kW and total ground weight of 40 tons. The German journalist Jan Burgdorf, road transport expert, put the vehicle to the test on the Green Truck Route, a 343km long road that includes several highways, hilly terrain and narrower roads and is used to test trucks from various manufacturers in a wide range of conditions .
“I have to say that while driving the truck proves to be just as agile, if not even more agile than a diesel truck. Drivers will be surprised at how easy and quiet it is to drive and how well it responds. Vibrations are completely absent, ”he says Jan Burgdorf.
The Volvo FH Electric held up an average speed of 80 km / h over the entire journey, the same as the Volvo FH with diesel engine, equipped with a diesel engine and I-Save package to reduce fuel consumption. Based on energy consumption of just 1.1 kWh / km, the electric truck boasts a total range of 345 km on one charge.
“The test results show that you can travel up to 500 km in a normal working day, with a short stop for charging, for example during the lunch break,” he explains. Tobias Bergman, Press Test Director di Volvo Trucks.
In tests on the Green Truck Route, the Volvo FH Electric consumed 50% less energy than a comparable diesel-engined Volvo FH. “The electric drive is very efficient and makes this fully electric vehicle an extremely powerful tool for reducing of CO2 emissions, ”concludes Tobias Bergman.
The goal of the brand? Encourage the purchase of electric trucks
Volvo Trucks’ goal is to bring electric vehicles to 50% of total truck sales in 2030 and 100% CO2 reduction on a well-to-wheel basis for new trucks sold by 2040.
“We are committed to respecting the Paris Agreement on climate change. We are taking action to accelerate the development towards a drastic reduction of CO2 emissions related to road freight transport. In my opinion, the wide electric range that we already have on the market demonstrates this very clearly ”concludes Tobias Bergman.