Swedish truck maker Volvo has revealed new long-distance battery electric truck technology which the company claims will have a a range of up to 600 kilometres with batteries that can be charged in a claimed 40 minutes.
Volvo unveiled its new heavy-duty electric flagship in Gothenburg recently claiming the new truck has the potential to revolutionise battery powered long-distance truck operations..
Volvo Trucks said it will formally launch and start taking orders for the new FH Aero Electric with e-axle in the second quarter of 2026, but gave the world a sneak peak of images and more details of the new electric truck, while offering customers the chance to sign a letter of intent to buy the new electric truck.
Volvo says its new FH Aero Electric has been designed for long-haul transport assignments , a segment that represents a big part of road transport CO2 emissions, which can be a challenge to electric, until now according to the company.
It says the new truck’s fast-charging capacity and range of up to 600 km of pure electric driving range is a major step forward.
“This is a real breakthrough in zero-emission transport. Now, transport companies can operate really long distances with electric trucks without having to compromise on productivity. The superfast charging and high payload capacity make this a very competitive solution,” said Volvo Trucks president,.Roger Alm.
“Electric trucks in long-haul operation will make an important contribution to reduce CO2 in our industry, since this is where you can save the most per truck and this is positive news for transport companies and for society.”
The company said charging the batteries in the new long-range FH Aero Electric will be handled more rapidly via new technology MCS or Megawatt Charging System.
Charging the truck’s battery pack from 20 per cent to 80 per cent will take approximately 40 minutes, meaning it can be done within the legislated rest period for EU based truck drivers , while Volvo says that fast charging will allow longer-distance battery electric transport within one day.
The company says its new electric truck can haul a total weight of 48 tonnes with a payload capacity close to that of a conventional diesel truck.
It said that the payload capacity is possible thanks to an extra supporting tag axle in 6×2 axle configuration, that allows for more batteries onboard s well as providing benefits in terms of weight distribution, given the weight of the extra batteries in combination with heavier trailers.
Volvo says its new driveline technology, using a consolidated e-axle, is one of the secrets to the longer range for the new Volvo’s FH Electric truck with the added space the combined electric motor/differential and transmission unit located on the rear axle. Volvo says the extra space created by the e-axle enablessignificantly more battery capacity onboard.
The company says the new FH Aero Electric can carry up to eight batteries with up to 780 kWh capacity.
Volvo claims the new truck, will be an important addition to its broad offer of electric trucks and related services.
The company says the new services will include everything from evaluation of suitable routes for electric trucks, the efficient charging of electric trucks on the road and idetailed follow-up on the performance of the electric truck fleet n the home depot.
“We have the industry’s most complete offer of electric truck transport solutions, and we have more than five years of experience in supporting thousands of customers, big and small, to go electric. Volvo Trucks is the go-to company for transport companies that want to start their decarbonization journey,” said Roger Alm.
Volvo claims it is a global leader in medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks with eight battery electric models currently in its portfolio.
It says its wide product range makes it possible to electrify city and regional distribution, construction, waste management and now also long-distance transport, with the company commencing serial production in 2019 and says that\ so far it has delivered more than 5,000 electric trucks to customers in 50 countries around the world.
The company claims it is driving the transition towards fossil-free transport, in its bid to reach its own net-zero emissions target by 2040 using a three-path technology strategy.
It says the three-path technology approach is built on battery electric, fuel cell electric and combustion engines that run on renewable fuels such as green hydrogen, produced using renewable electricity, as well as biogas, biodiesel or HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil.
