Electric mobility is not just for urban commuting anymore, as Volvo Trucks demonstrates with its new line of heavy-duty electric trucks designed for the construction industry. The FM Electric and FMX Electric models feature simple chassis and various superstructures, including tippers, mixers, and cranes, all powered by an electric drivetrain.
Volvo Trucks offers its electric construction vehicles in a variety of cab and battery options, as well as a wide range of axle configurations. Customers can choose from six battery packages with capacities ranging from 180 to 540 kWh, which can be tailored to match the actual use and route of the vehicle. “By not having more batteries on board than necessary, the payload and thus productivity can be increased,” says Jessica Sandström, global product manager at Volvo Trucks.
See also: Volvo launches rigid versions of its heavy electric trucks: the Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX
The trucks also come with one of three power take-offs (PTOs) – electric PTO, transmission PTO, and electromechanical PTO – to suit different applications.
Series production of the first variants of the FH, FM, and FMX Electric models started in Gothenburg in September 2022, with further variants planned for release this year. The model with three electric motors, a 490 kW powertrain, and five to six batteries with a total capacity of 450 to 540 kWh will start production this month. The 330 kW variant with two electric motors and a 360 kWh battery pack will launch in May.
A smaller variant with a battery capacity of 180 to 270 kWh is scheduled for production in September 2023, but Volvo Trucks says the vehicle can be ordered as early as June.
See also: Volvo Trucks Officially Opens Orders for Heavy Duty Electric Trucks
According to Volvo Trucks, these electric construction vehicles are a perfect fit for the industry’s needs. “Construction trucks usually travel quite short distances and operate with repetitive sequences, for example, when delivering materials to construction sites,” Sandström said. “This makes them very suitable for electrification.”
Volvo Trucks has already sold 4,300 electric trucks to customers in 38 countries since production began in 2019, with the first FMX Electric all-electric ready-mix concrete mixer delivered to a construction materials manufacturer in Berlin in February. With its innovative electric trucks, Volvo Trucks is breaking new ground in sustainable mobility for the construction industry.
