Volvo’s heavy-duty electric truck has undertaken an independent energy efficiency test in Germany, exceeding its official range and using 50% less energy than its diesel counterpart.
The tested truck was a Volvo FH Electric, a zero-exhaust emission vehicle with 490kW of continuous power and a gross combination weight of 40 tonnes. It was tested on the Green Truck Route, a 343km long route that includes a variety of motorways, hilly terrains, and tighter roads that is used for testing different manufacturer’s trucks in a wide range of conditions.
The truck kept an average speed of 80 km/h over the whole route, which was on par with the Volvo FH with a diesel engine and the fuel efficiency package I-Save. Based on the energy consumption of only 1.1kWh/km, the electric truck had a total range of 345km on one charge.
“These test results show that it is possible to drive up to 500km during a regular work-day, with a short stop for charging, for example during lunch time,” said Tobias Bergman, press test director at Volvo Trucks.
“The electric driveline is very efficient, making the all-electric truck a very powerful tool for reducing CO2 emissions.
In the Green Truck Route tests, the Volvo FH Electric used 50% less energy than a Volvo FH with a comparable diesel engine.
