Volvo Trucks Australia has just announced sales start of its all-electric medium duty truck range, equipped with a full suite of active safety features.
The new Volvo FL and FE Electric medium duty range will provide a zero emissions option in GVM applications ranging from 16,000 to 26,000 kg.
The FL Electric utilises a single motor driveline that provides power through a 2-speed automated transmission, and develops 135 kW of continuous power with 425 Nm of torque readily available from standstill.
Wheelbases range from 3,800 mm to 5,000 mm for the FL as a 4×2 only, while the FE offers wheelbases from 3,900 mm to 6,100 mm in both 4×2 and 6×2 tag axle guise.
Battery packs are also able to be configured to suit different applications, with a choice of three or four battery packs on offer. Four batteries on the FL and FE Electric offer 265 kWh capacity, while the 3-battery alternative offers 200 kWh.
Volvo Group Australia Vice President Emerging Technology, Paul Illmer, said now was the perfect time to release the vehicles into the wild.
“Customer demand for electric transport options is fast becoming a tsunami, and with the arrival of our medium duty electric range we are now well placed to ride that wave of demand,” he said.
The first trial units of the Volvo FL Electric arrived in Australia last year, which proved to be efficient, effective and reliable in urban distribution roles. Illmer said the company’s delivery of its first two electric trucks for customer trials was just the start of Volvo’s electro-mobility journey.
“That journey is now gathering pace as we offer a viable, safe and productive range of zero emissions medium duty trucks for the first time locally.
“Customer and driver feedback on our first two vehicles in service has been fantastic to date.”
The FE Electric shares the same battery configuration as the FL’s lighter capacity one, but utilises a 225 kW/850 Nm dual-motor driveline, also backed by a 2-speed automated transmission. Operational range across the medium duty range is up to 300 kilometres depending on the configuration and application of the battery.
Charge times for both vehicles vary from nine hours (AC) to two hours (DC) via a Type 2 or CCS2 charge port, and a factory fitted electric PTO unit is also an option available across the entire medium duty electric range.
Illmer said customers can look forward to the brand’s leap to electric vehicles.
“We look forward to seeing many more Volvo Electric vehicles quietly plying our urban roads over the next 12 months as we expand our Electric range even further.”
All Volvo Electric trucks are sold with a Gold Service agreement, meaning customers can choose between an outright vehicle purchase or an operating lease.
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