The first independent road test with a heavy duty electric truck has been conducted by the German journalist Jan Burgdorf from Trucker magazine. Jan Burgdorf drove the Volvo FH Electric on the renowned Green Truck Route in the south of Germany. The route is 343 km long and contains a variety of motorway, hilly terrain, and tighter roads to test the different manufacturers’ trucks in a wide range of conditions.
The fully loaded Volvo FH Electric had a gross combination weight of 40 tonnes and 490 kW of continuous power. The electric truck had a total range of 345 km on one charge, excelling the trucks’ official range of up to 300 km.
The truck had a range of 345 kilometers and consumed 50% less energy than a corresponding Volvo FH diesel truck.
During the lunch break Jan Burgdorf presented his impressions:
“It drives as agile or even more agile than a diesel truck. It climbs the hills like normal. You don’t notice the gear switching”, says Jan, who has conducted numerous tests with diesel trucks on the same route.
The Volvo FH Electric performed the test on par with the record-breaking Volvo FH with I-Save 500 horsepower diesel truck,. The Volvo FH Electric maintained an average speed of 80 km/h and had an energy consumption of 1.1 kWh per km.
“A driver will be very surprised how quiet it is even when driving at 85 km/h and with a total weight of 40 tonnes. There are no vibrations whatsoever. It is something special, that this is possible”, concludes Jan Burgdorf.
The test also proves that the Volvo FH Electric consumes 50% less energy than the diesel truck on the same transport assignment. That’s because the electric driveline is much more efficient, making the all-electric truck a powerful tool for reducing CO2 emissions.
This confirms that Volvo has a highly energy-efficient heavy-duty truck, ready to meet the demands of regular transport assignments
Facts about the test and the Volvo FH Electric
Gross combination weight: 40 tonnes
Average speed: 80 km/h
Energy consumption: 1,1 kWh/km
Battery capacity: 540 kWh
Output power: 490 kW continuous power
Total test track distance: 343 km
Total range on one charge: 345 km
The tested Volvo FH Electric can cover up to 500 km during a normal workday if a top-up charge is added during the lunch break
