Heavy vehicles for applications such as construction sites or in campus-based industries such as mining environments usually have to travel short distances at known intervals. Vehicles in this sector are perfect for electrification. Fleet management for things like charging and installation of charging stations at depots or on-site in campus-based environments also becomes quite easy.
Volvo Trucks has identified this sector as one of its key areas of focus and has developed a range of heavy-duty electric trucks tailored for the construction industry. With the use of electric trucks, companies can now meet the increasing demand for vehicles with lower noise levels and zero tailpipe emissions on and around urban construction sites. Demand for electric transport is also increasing in construction, given the emphasis on zero-emission zones in cities and the need for construction companies to meet climate targets as part of their broader ESG goals.
Volvo Trucks has therefore developed extra heavy-duty electric trucks that enable customers in the construction segment to switch to more sustainable transport. Conventional single chassis trucks and body applications for a wide range of body systems, such as tippers, mixers and cranes, are now offered in an electric version.
“Construction trucks usually cover fairly short distances and operate in repetitive flow patterns, for example when delivering material to construction sites,” explains Eric Parry, Sustainable Solutions Manager at Volvo Trucks SA. “That makes them very suitable for electrification. Our electric trucks can be tailored to handle many of these jobs, meaning construction customers can now get the same truck they are using now in the electric version. This ensures better maneuverability, lower noise levels and no tailpipe emissions.”
These bespoke trucks are already available for order by South African customers – how cool is that!
Volvo Trucks says the new electric trucks are flexible, thanks to a variety of cab and battery options and a wide axle configuration offer. This allows for a wider range of chassis and the option of a shorter wheelbase, up to 3,900mm, which in turn creates flexibility to adapt the truck for a wide range of construction work. Customers can choose battery packs from six to two batteries, depending on their specific range and charging requirements. The new box trucks have a battery capacity between 180-540 kWh.
“When it comes to battery capacity, the truck can be configured to match the actual operation and route. By not taking more batteries on board than necessary, the charging capacity can increase and therefore productivity,” says Parry.
There are also three types of PTO (power take-off) solutions on the electric trucks that facilitate the installation of electric or mechanical superstructures: electric ePTO, transmission PTO and electromechanical PTO. Volvo says that both the electromechanical solution and the transmission solution offer good opportunities to optimize energy consumption and avoid excessive noise. Volvo Trucks is the only global truck manufacturer with a full range of electric trucks already in series production today. The company’s goal is for half of global new truck sales to be electric by 2030. Volvo Trucks South Africa will start delivering its first electric extra heavy trucks to local customers from May 2023.
Volvo FM and FMX electric trucks with body applications can be equipped as follows:
- Powertrain: 490 kW
- Drive: 3 electric motors
- Battery: 450-540 kWh, 5-6 batteries
- Cab: Sleeper, High, X-High sleeper cab
- Wheelbase: 4,300 – 6,700mm
- Axle configurations: 4x2R, 6x2R, 6x4R, 8x2R and 8x4R
- PTO: electric ePTO, transmission PTO and electromechanical PTO
Or:
- Powertrain: 330 kW
- Drive: 2 electric motors
- Battery: 360 kWh, 4 batteries
- Cab: Day cab
- Wheelbase: 3,900 – 6,700mm
Or: Battery: 180-270 kWh, 2-3 batteries
This is a very cool development. Having electric trucks like tippers, mixers and cranes that you can order now and get in 2023 is a big step forward on the path to electrifying everything. What’s even better is that countries like South Africa are also getting these electric heavy vehicles.
Images courtesy of Volvo Trucks
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