• Volvo division Volvo Trucks has just sold its 5,000th all-electric heavy-duty truck.
If there’s one sector where the electrification of transportation will have very beneficial effects, particularly regarding pollution, it is that of heavy-duty trucks. And way back in 2017, we thought we saw the future just around the corner with Tesla’s promised Semi semi-trailer truck. That promise remains unfulfilled.
One company, however, has kept its promises in this area, working in a much more discreet manner. Volvo, via its Volvo Trucks heavy-duty truck division, recently sold its 5,000th unit all-electric rig. And unlike Tesla, Volvo doesn't just have one model to offer businesses, but eight.
That 5,000-unit milestone was attained in just six years, the first model having launched in 2019. And Tesla? It has reportedly managed to produce 140 Semis since 2022.
Volvo says the customers for its trucks are spread out in 50 countries around the world. The most important markets are Germany, the Netherlands, the U.S., Norway and Sweden.
Almost half the European market belongs to Volvo Trucks
The company didn’t divulge in which countries it sold the most units, but it did say that 47 percent of all-electric heavy-duty trucks sold in Europe last year bore a Volvo logo. In total, 1,970 units are registered in that region.
“It’s rewarding to see that transport companies continue to embrace the benefits of electric trucks in a wide range of transport segments. Volvo’s battery-electric trucks are available here and now, providing our customers and transport buyers with a more sustainable alternative that makes business sense, and many of our customers are coming back to us to grow their electric fleets.”
- Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks
Volvo Trucks is one of the most prolific manufacturers of electric trucks on the planet. It currently sells eight different battery-powered models: FL Electric, FE Electric, FM Electric, FM Low Entry, FMX Electric, FH Electric, FH Aero Electric, and VNR Electric. By the way, the Volvo Group also owns Mack Trucks, which recently unveiled an electric version of its Class 8 Pioneer tractor.
The latest generation of the long-haul FH Electric model is expected to launch later this year and will offer a maximum range of 600 km according to the more-generous European WLTP cycle, thanks to a more efficient electric axle than that of the outgoing model.
