Better batteries, extended ranges, more charging stations, and increased demands for zero emissions: industry trends point towards a continued transition to electric trucks. Now is the time for every business to ask and test yourself is electric a viable option yet.
In just a few years, the range of a medium-duty electric truck has more than doubled, from around 200 km toup to 450 km today.
At the same time, the number of public charging stations is growing in many countries; government subsidies and incentives for investing in alternative fuels are often available; and battery technology continues to improve. With each advancement, electric trucks can become viable for more businesses.
As of June 2024, Volvo’s electric trucks have been sold in 45 countries on six continents, which have collectively driven over 80 million kilometers.
Test yourself: Can you start the shift to electric trucks today?
Here are some questions and key considerations can help to guide you:
However, even if the answer is ‘no’, it can still be possible to use an electric truck if an opportunity for top-up charging can be implemented into the truck’s route. For example, 45 minutes of charging during a driver’s break – depending on the available charging power – can be enough to extend an electric truck’s range to 500-600 km per day.
Having your own charging infrastructure enables you to fully recharge a vehicle overnight and depending on the proximity of its route, charge during the day as well.
For example, with two fast chargers at its depot, Swedish haulage firm Mattson Åkeri can operate a combination of up to 74 tonnes gross weight, for up to 12 hours a day, by charging during the driver’s break.
Just one strategically placed charging point can significantly extend your truck’s range. Look for charging points along your common routes and stay up to date with your local developments.
If there are no public charging stations directly on your route, or conveniently located when you need to recharge, can this be rectified by changing your route?
Route planning can not only be an important strategy for enabling electrification, it can also help make operations more efficient.
For example, since recuperating energy on downhill slopes or while braking is an effective way to extend the range of an electric truck, some companies rearrange their routes to capture as much kinetic energy as possible. For instance, by scheduling the last stop at the top of a hill. The gains are even higher if the truck is fully loaded.
The optimal time to recharge an electric truck is when it is already stationary, such as loading or during a driver’s break. If you can implement charging during such stops, you can extend an electric truck’s range without losing productivity.
Good route planning can help and potentially enable you to coordinate a driver’s break with a stop at a charging station. Collaborating with customers and partners to secure chargers at delivery spots is also worth exploring.
The easiest segments to transition to electric trucks are ones that typically involve driving regular routes. They offer predictability and make it easier to implement charging when you know exactly where and when the vehicle will stop.
Refuse collection and urban distribution are good examples. However regional and long-haul distribution can also be serviced with electric trucks if you’re able to establish charging stops on route.
For example, Swedish haulage firm Börje Jönsson Group has managed to drive an electric truck for close to 1000 km per day, six days a week, for two years, covering a total distance of 500,000 km.
