Volvo pushes envelope with EV weight limits

Volvo Trucks has delivered an electric truck to a Swedish heavy hauler that will use it to handle a total weight of 74 tonnes (163,142 pounds).

Mattsson Akeri in Gothenburg, Sweden, ordered three of the electric Volvo FH trucks. It has been testing them over the past few weeks handling containers in a high-capacity transport (HCT) configuration with two trailers totaling 32 meters (105 feet) long.

“We want to show that all-electric solutions also work in applications with high total weights and a high utilization rate. Together with Mattsson Akeri, the Swedish Transport Administration and several other partners, we are now looking at how we can optimize the operation of the electric truck, including how charging should take place in the most efficient way,” said Lena Larsson, project manager of the HCT project within Volvo’s technology organization. 

The 6×4 trucks are charged with green electricity using two 180-kW chargers installed at the fleet’s depot. They are being operated 12 hours a day.

“Driving long and heavy loads using electricity works very well so far, and we can carry as much cargo as a diesel truck,” says Jan-Olof Mattsson, CEO of Mattsson Akeri. “The truck runs 12 hours a day, with a stop for charging when the driver takes a break. We charge with green electricity and thus get no CO2 emissions. Silent, electric operation also means a better working environment for the driver.”