Volvo Trucks is now presenting a new transport solution by marrying autonomous electrification with conventional vehicles. In Europe 2019, Volvo will commence sales of Volvo FL and Volvo FE Electric. The introduction is in hopes to expand into construction applications and eventually long-haul applications.
By producing electric trucks on the same line as conventional ones, makes production affordable. Battery power pack will be shaped like a diesel engine. The battery power pack will descend into a compartment underneath the cab which used to locate the diesel engine.
With increasing urbanization, electric trucks would be able to road within cities that have banned diesel trucks and address to environmental issues such as congestion, pollution and noise.
“The full potential of the transport industry is yet to be seen. Everything suggests that the global need for transportation will continue to significantly increase in the coming decade. If we are to meet this demand in a sustainable and efficient way, we must find new solutions. In order to secure a smoothly functioning goods flow system we also need to exploit existing infrastructure better than currently. The transport system we are developing can be an important complement to today’s solutions and can help meet many of the challenges faced by society, transport companies and transport buyers,”
says Claes Nilsson, President Volvo Trucks.
“Our system can be seen as an extension of the advanced logistics solutions that many industries already apply today. Since we use autonomous vehicles with no exhaust emissions and low noise, their operation can take place at any time of day or night. The solution utilises existing road infrastructure and load carriers, making it easier to recoup costs and allowing for integration with existing operations,”
explains Mikael Karlsson, Vice President Autonomous Solutions.