Volvo Trucks develops electric trucks for construction industry

Volvo Trucks has developed a range of heavy-duty electric trucks for the construction industry. With the deployment of electric trucks, companies can now meet the increasing demand for vehicles with lower noise levels and zero exhaust emissions on and around urban construction sites.

The demand for electric vehicles in the construction industry is increasing. The main driving forces behind this are zero-emission zones in cities and the need for construction companies to meet climate targets.

Volvo Trucks has therefore developed heavy-duty electric trucks that enable customers in the construction segment to switch to more sustainable transport. Conventional trucks with a simple chassis and a variety of bodies such as tippers, mixers and cranes are now being offered in electric versions.

“Construction vehicles tend to travel quite short distances and work with repetitive processes, for example delivering material to construction sites. This makes them very suitable for electrification. Our electric trucks can be tailored for many of these tasks, i.e. construction. They can now get the electric version of the same truck they use today, giving them better maneuverability, lower noise levels and no exhaust emissions,” said Jessica Sandström, global product manager at Volvo Trucks.

The new electric trucks can be used flexibly thanks to a variety of cab and battery options and a wide range of axle configurations. This allows for a wider choice of chassis and a shorter wheelbase of up to 3,900mm. This creates the flexibility to adapt the truck for a variety of construction jobs.

Customers can choose battery packs with up to six batteries to meet their specific range and payload requirements . The new trucks have a battery capacity of between 180 and 540 kWh.

“As far as battery capacity is concerned, the truck can be configured to suit the actual operation and route. By not having more batteries on board than necessary, the payload and therefore productivity can be increased,” said Sandström.

Three PTOs

Three types of power take-offs (PYO) on electric trucks make it easier to fit electrical or mechanical bodies: electric PTO, geared PTO and electromechanical PTO. Both the electromechanical and the geared solution offer good opportunities to optimize energy consumption and avoid excessive noise.

Volvo Trucks is the only truck manufacturer in the world that already offers a full range of electric trucks in series production. The company has set itself the goal of electrifying half of the new trucks it sells worldwide by 2030 at the latest.