As Volvo Group Australia celebrates the 75,000th truck produced at its Wacol plant, the brand has launched not one, but two future-focussed vehicles to the region – the FH Electric and FM Electric.

These are joined by the FMX Electric, which will be available to order and will be available as a prime mover.

According to Martin Merrick, president of Volvo Group Australia, the company has more than 80 orders in the pipeline for EVs, with the first vehicles already delivered.

The FH, FM and FMX Electric are rated to 44 tonne and offer a 300km range. While the FL and FE Electric are rated to 26 tonne, also with up to 300km range.

“Thirty-five percent of freight in Australia is covered in urban areas, that’s the perfect operation for electric. It’s possible to charge, operate and return to base for charging,” Merrick adds.

Roger Alm, president & CEO Volvo Trucks, commented that Volvo Trucks was one of the first movers into the electric-drive transformation.

“We decided early going electric is the best way to reach zero transport emissions. In 2019 we started serial production of our first electric trucks, and in September 2022 we started series production of heavy-duty electric trucks. Today we have six electric trucks in production covering the majority of customer needs, the widest offering of electric trucks in the industry.”

“Drivers appreciate the silent operation and easy drive. They feel less tired, and feel proud to deliver with zero emissions. The transition will take time, it’s still something new,” Alm added.

Read the full story in the June issue of New Zealand Trucking magazine.