FEATURE
The first Volvo FL Electric to reach New Zealand is being put through initial testing with a customer to be announced in September.
Volvo’s electric move VOLVO TRUCKS HAS STARTED ROLLING OUT ITS ZERO-EMISSIONS transport solutions for New Zealand customers. Local importer Motor Truck Distributors (MTD) has been carrying out pre-commercial trials on the first Volvo FL Electric truck to reach New Zealand. The battery electric 16-tonne 4x2 medium duty truck arrived in April with its initial runs on New Zealand roads to validate performance data from Volvo headquarters in Sweden. The Volvo announcement follows Swedish rival Scania revealing its first electric truck in June. However the Volvo FL sits in a lighter category than the Scania 25P which boasts a 29-tonne GVM and 6x2 options. MTD says the FL Electric was scheduled to make its public debut at the EROAD Fleet Day 2022 on July 20 at the Globox Arena, Claudelands in Hamilton. Volvo has also been testing the FL Electric in Australia since late-2021. “The next few months will see us go through the approval and training process to test the FL’s performance under New Zealand conditions,” says MTD’s General Manager Clive Jones. “It will also give our on-the-ground technical service and support teams the chance to do some hands-on training, putting our team in a great position facing alternative technologies.” The Volvo FL Electric has a single electric motor developing 130kW, a 600V electrical system and a two-speed transmission. It can be equipped with between three and six battery packs offering a storage capacity of between 200-395kWh. The truck in New Zealand has four batteries which European trials have set at 150-300kms depending upon conditions and load.
Batteries can fully charge over a six-to-eight-hour period using a standard charging system. However, this accelerates with a 150KW charger which gets a flat battery to 85% in just 60 minutes. New Zealand tests are to determine how different driving styles and terrain impact the battery range. Volvo says the batteries have an expected life of eight to ten years. At the point when the long-term value of an electric vehicle battery becomes limited for the trucking industry, there is the opportunity for a second life. Electric vehicle batteries retain 70- 80% of their original capacity and can be used in applications within construction and residential settings. The Volvo FL electric is all about the delivery of smooth power and immediate torque that outperforms a diesel engine, according to MTD Senior Product Engineer, Jamie Bell. “There’s no delay in pulling away from a standing start with an electric powered truck,” commented Jamie. “Where a diesel engine takes some time to get to the top of the torque curve, the FL is there immediately.” The announcement of a key customer partnership for the commercial phase of the Volvo FL trial is expected in September. While the FL Electric is designed for a medium duty role and is ideal for metropolitan delivery work, the range of Volvo Trucks electric models is expanding rapidly and Volvo has signalled its intention to offer the entire Volvo Trucks product range fossil-free by 2040. Globally Volvo Trucks already offers six battery-electric models. Series production of the Volvo FL and FE Electric for city distribution and waste management started in 2019 in Europe while the FH, FM Truck & Driver | 77
