Volvo Trucks is constructing its first battery assembly factory. The factory, which is located in Ghent, Belgium and will provide ready-to-install batteries for Volvo Trucks’ complete electric heavy-duty trucks.
“This investment shows our strong commitment to electrifying truck transportation. By 2030, at least 50 percent of all trucks we sell globally will be electric and by 2040, we will be a carbon-neutral company,” says Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks.
Cells and modules from Samsung SDI will be combined in the new battery facility into battery packs specifically designed for Volvo Trucks’ heavy-duty electric range: Volvo FH, Volvo FM, and Volvo FMX. The series production will begin in the third quarter of this year.
Each battery pack has a capacity of 90 kWh, and the client may put up to six battery packs (540 kWh) in a vehicle. The quantity of batteries required is determined by each customer’s individual range and load capacity requirements.
“By integrating the battery assembly process in our production flow, we can shorten lead times for our customers and secure high-performing batteries, while at the same time increase circularity, ” says Roger Alm.
Volvo Trucks’ batteries are meant to be reconditioned, refurbished, and reused. The factory itself is fueled entirely by renewable energy.
Volvo Trucks will offer a total of six electric truck types internationally, ranging from city distribution and refuse handling to regional transport and construction operations, with the manufacture of three heavy-duty full electric versions beginning this year in Europe.
“We started series-production of electric trucks already in 2019 and are leading the market both in Europe and North America. With the rapid development of charging networks, and improvements in battery technology, I am convinced that we will see a rapid transformation of the entire truck industry in the very near future,” says Roger Alm.
No comments yet