Volvo’s new electric range – evolved from real life customer experience

Eight years, millions of kilometers of real-world experience and countless learnings now deliver more range and productivity in Volvo’s new heavy-duty, next-generation electric trucks.

“Being a follower has never been in Volvo’s DNA,” says Jonas Odermalm, product strategy lead at Volvo Trucks, on the decision to launch electric trucks eight years ago.

Volvo’s first fully electric trucks were delivered to customers in 2018 and went into serial production a year later. Since then, Volvo has steadily expanded its offering: today it has the widest truck range on the market with eight different models and successive battery generations in operation.

Yet the learning has gone far beyond engineering. “It’s not only about developing an electric truck,” Jonas says. “It’s about everything around it as well: selling electric trucks, parts distribution, workshop readiness, charging solutions, warranty systems, residual values and working with transport buyers and bodybuilders.”

Since launching electric trucks, Volvo has learned that electrification isn’t solved by range alone. As operations extend beyond the city into regional and long-haul routes, fleets need to also consider route planning, charging access and energy management.

This has pushed Volvo to think beyond the truck itself. Developing services that support drivers and fleet managers while improving productivity. The result is a more holistic approach to electrification, focused on keeping electric trucks working efficiently in realworld fleet operations.
 

Pioneers in electric

Volvo’s decision to lead in electrification rather than wait and observe was deliberate. It’s in the overall profile of Volvo Trucks to drive transformation and be at the forefront of development.

“The risk of not being in the forefront would be too big,” Jonas says. “We chose to drive the change towards electric mobility because we believed we would learn in technology, in developing the right solutions for different applications, and also as a company. By collaborating with customers and society we also moved forward faster together towards cleaner transportation.”

As early as 2010, Volvo explored hybridization through refuse trucks and buses. It soon became clear that full electric was viable for city distribution and refuse collection.

“Refuse trucks cover short distances, carry relatively lighter loads and return back to their home base,” adds Jonas. “The technology was mature enough to make a full day’s work and charge back at base, so we started there.”

Since then, Volvo has continued on its “beachhead” strategy, starting in areas where electric makes most sense and upgrading technology in tune with the rapid development. As well as adding applications, products and markets, and investing in knowledge and market share. The new Volvo FH, FH Aero, FM and FMX Electric are the distillation of many years of learnings and experience, combining longer range with faster charging and higher payloads to boost productivity.

“We started with markets that had an appetite for electromobility, charging infrastructure and renewable electricity,” says Jonas. “Then the strategy was to grow with the technology and the demand.” For Jonas, the success and market appetite for electric has exceeded his expectations. “In2019 we didn’t believe we would have sold electric trucks in 50 markets. That’s wider than expected,” he adds.

At the same time, electrification progress has slowed in recent years. “In 2020, the whole industry felt things would move fast,” explains Jonas. “But a pandemic, wars, political change and financial instability have slowed things down.”

Despite this, Volvo’s strategy remains unchanged. “Electrification is a cornerstone on our journey towards zero emissions,” adds Jonas. “Five to seven years ago it was about creating momentum. Now it’s about efficiency and speed.”

This experience has shaped how Volvo approaches electrification today: not as a single technology shift, but as a long-term operational transition for customers and society at large for cleaner transports.


 

Find out more about Volvo’s electric truck range here.