Volvo electric trucks reach 80-million kilometre milestone

Volvo’s electric trucks have driven more than 80-million kilometres or 2,000 laps around the world since the Swedish brand launched its first battery-powered models in 2019.

They have reduced CO₂ emissions and improved the working environment for drivers significantly, says Volvo. It adds that covering an 80-million kilometre distance with equivalent diesel-powered trucks would have consumed more than 25-million litres of diesel and produced 68,000 tonnes of tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions.

“The transport sector represents 7% of global carbon emissions and battery-electric trucks are an important tool to reduce the climate footprint. Thanks to many early adopters we can already now see the huge potential of this technology,” says Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks.

“Volvo’s early entry in the electric truck segment has built a unique expertise in electric zero-emission transport — learnings that are used in the development of Volvo’s next-generation electric offers. Transport companies with electric trucks have a strong competitive advantage when being able to offer emission-free transport to transport buyers.”

The benefits of electric trucks go beyond the environmental gains — drivers are experiencing a significantly better working environment with much lower levels of noise and vibrations, he says.

Volvo Trucks’ global deliveries of electric trucks increased by 256% to 1,977 trucks in 2023 and the company sees continued interest from customers in 2024.

The company has delivered more than 3,500 electric trucks to customers in 45 countries, and in 2023 delivered its first extra heavy electric trucks to Latin America, with vehicles going to customers in Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. Volvo also became the first truck maker to deliver battery-electric in Morocco, South Korea and Malaysia, as well as the first to introduce extra heavy electric tractor models in SA.

Volvo Trucks is also developing trucks with combustion engines that run on hydrogen. On-road tests will begin in 2026, and the commercial launch is planned towards the end of this decade. The company says trucks that run on green hydrogen provide a significant step for it to achieve its net zero goal and support customers in reaching their decarbonisation targets.