Fast delivering a quieter and electric future
FUTURE MODELS/ Volvo Trucks has joined the race to get fully-electric trucks to the global market
If you believe the hype, 2019 will be the year in which Tesla launches its Semi, the brand’s first full-electric truck in the US. Given Tesla’s serious production issues and haemorrhaging of cash it seems ambitious, but the company is keen to be the first to market.
Meanwhile, other manufacturers are bringing their plans to fruition, with a number of alternative drivetrain models already available in various markets.
It does look as though 2019 will be the year in which the battle really begins, though, with Volvo announcing it will start selling electric trucks in Europe in 2019 and saying the first units will already be put into operation with selected reference customers as early as 2018.
Electric trucks drastically reduce noise and exhaust emissions and open up new ways to manage logistics. More transport assignments can be carried out at night, particularly in cities that have restrictions on the movement of trucks.
“Electromobility is fully in line with Volvo Trucks’ longterm commitment for sustainable urban development and zero emissions,” says Claes Nilsson, president of Volvo Trucks.
“By using electrically powered and quieter trucks for goods transport in urban areas, we meet several challenges simultaneously. Without disturbing noise and exhaust gases, it will be possible to operate in more sensitive city centres. Transport may also take place throughout less busy periods, for example in late evening and at night. This will reduce the burden on the roads during daytime rush-hour traffic, allowing both the road network and vehicles to be utilised far more effectively than today,” says Nilsson.
A recent project, Off Peak City Distribution, conducted by Stockholm city authorities and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, studied the effects of goods transport at night in central Stockholm. Since the trucks avoided having to operate in rush-hour traffic, transport assignments were carried out in one third of the normal time.
To improve the quality of life in urban environments, more sustainable transport solutions need to be adopted. According to the World Health Organisation and the UN, 60% of the planet’s population — about 5-billion people — will live in cities by 2030. This is an increase of just over 1-billion to current levels. This swift pace of urbanisation will impose immense demands on traffic systems, which in many cases are already battling to meet current needs.
A distribution truck has over 10 times the load capacity of a regular van. With well-developed logistics and more effective use of roads at night, it is possible for many smaller vehicles to be replaced by fewer but larger vehicles. This contributes to lower emissions and less traffic, says Volvo.
If a larger proportion of transport assignments could be carried out during hours when fewer people are on the road, it will also significantly reduce the risk of crashes.
“Our technology and knowhow within electromobility are based on proven commercial solutions already in use on Volvo’s electric buses, and solutions that were introduced in Volvo’s hybrid trucks as far back as 2010,” says Jonas Odermalm, head of product strategy for medium-duty vehicles at Volvo Trucks.
“The vehicles themselves are only one part of what is needed for large-scale electrification to succeed. Enabling long-term sustainable transport is a complex issue that requires a holistic and wide range of measures.
“We are working closely with customers, cities, suppliers of charging infrastructure and other key stakeholders to create the necessary framework for electrical trucks”
Says Nilsson: “We believe in full electrification for urban distribution as a first step.
“However, we are working with electrification for other transport applications. This is only the beginning.”