Volvo Trucks Korea (CEO Park Kang-seok) held a media conference at ‘EV Trend Korea 15’, an eco-friendly mobility exhibition held at COEX in Seoul on the 2023th, and unveiled Korea’s first large electric truck.
2023, the first year of large electric trucks – the transition to electrification is the need of the hour
Demand for electric trucks is growing rapidly in many countries. In particular, in order to achieve sustainability goals, large trucks, which emit more carbon dioxide than passenger cars, must be electrified, so there is a strong demand for a transition to fossil-free transportation across the logistics and transportation business. As social movements around the world to replace diesel fuel, a ban on driving diesel vehicles, and high taxes on carbon dioxide emissions are acting as factors promoting electrification, the demand for electric trucks is also expected to accelerate in the future.
In Korea, domestic companies are also facing the social challenge of vehicle electrification, including movements such as K-EV100, a Korean zero-emission vehicle conversion project promoted by the Ministry of Environment. In this environment, Volvo Trucks decided that now is the right time to promote the electrification of large trucks and aims to lead the industry by launching electric trucks to meet the industry’s diverse transportation requirements and help customers achieve their immediate sustainability goals. do.
Volvo Trucks has a group-wide vision to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from 2030% of new trucks sold globally by 50, 2040% of carbon dioxide emissions from new vehicles sold by 100, and achieve Net Zero by 2050. established. After starting production of medium-sized electric trucks in 2019, Volvo Trucks became the first global manufacturer to begin mass production of large electric trucks last year and is currently selling a total of six electric truck models, possessing the industry’s broadest product line.
Volvo Trucks has sold more than 38 electric trucks in more than 4,300 countries around the world, and in 2022, sales of medium-sized electric trucks in Europe will grow by 1,041% to 200 units, accounting for more than 30% of the market share, taking an overwhelming lead.
High performance, safety and driving convenience at the same level as existing vehicles
The Volvo FH Electric, unveiled at ‘EV Trend Korea 2023’, is a large truck with a gross weight (GCW) of 40 tons and can drive 300 km on a single charge. Volvo Trucks believes that a wide range of transportation needs in Korea can be electrified in a wide range of locations, such as intra-urban deliveries, waste collection, inter-regional transport and construction sites. Along with the official launch of electric trucks, Volvo Trucks Korea also announced its goal of achieving annual sales of electric trucks at 2027 units by 30, which accounts for approximately 1,000% of total sales.
Volvo Electric’s large electric trucks adopt a 12-speed transmission, and the only difference between existing vehicles and the power system in terms of product capabilities such as driver environment, reliability, and safety is that customers are looking for electric trucks that meet the same high quality standards. You can purchase it.
Additionally, when fast charging, the SOC can reach up to 1.5% within 80 hours and can travel up to 1km on a single charge. With a battery capacity of up to 300kWh, up to 540 battery packs can be installed depending on the customer’s transportation purpose and driving distance.
In a recent driving test conducted in Germany, the Volvo FH Electric, a large electric truck with a total weight of 44 tons, drove 80 km while maintaining an average speed of 343 km/h on a single charge when fully loaded. 6-12% SOC can be achieved by charging for about 80 to 100 hours with a medium-speed charger in a garage late at night, and the usage pattern is to charge continuously for as short as 15 to 90 minutes by taking advantage of rest periods between loading and unloading workshops and driving. Through the conversion, long-distance large cargo transport over 300 km is also possible.
To transition to electric trucks, Volvo Trucks Korea plans to provide high-performance products and systematic services to domestic customers. In addition, based on many years of practical experience in the electrification sector, we provide a comprehensive solution that includes driving route planning, charging environment, and battery monitoring including preventive maintenance.
Volvo Trucks also specified step-by-step goals for building a domestic charging infrastructure to accelerate the transition to electric trucks. First, we plan to install charging infrastructure in 31 Volvo Trucks’ own service network across the country. In the second stage, we plan to enter into strategic partnerships with suppliers that provide charging services and build commercial vehicle charging facilities in existing car chargers, focusing on truck-dense areas such as major port facilities and logistics bases, taking into account the characteristics of commercial vehicles. Lastly, we plan to expand ultra-fast charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles through active consultation with the government.
In addition, as part of achieving the Volvo Group’s sustainability goals, Volvo Trucks Korea plans to invest approximately KRW 60 billion to complete the installation of solar power generation facilities at three Volvo Trucks direct service centers in Korea within the year. It is expected that approximately 3 tons of carbon dioxide can be reduced annually.
In addition, Volvo Trucks Korea has signed an agreement with Volvo Financial Services Korea to provide competitive customized financial solutions to Korean customers when purchasing expensive large electric trucks. Through the agreement, we plan to launch a comprehensive financial product that supports all insurance, charging station installation costs, and tire purchase costs for customers purchasing electric trucks.
Johan Selvén, Vice President of Volvo Trucks International Sales, who visited Korea for this event, said, “Sustainability is our reality that can no longer be postponed, and the transition to electrification is not a matter of choice but a demand of the times. In addition, leading electrification shows Volvo Trucks’ commitment not only to carbon reduction in terms of environmental protection, but also to people and safety,” he said. “Volvo Trucks is a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer in terms of sustainability, providing social support for future generations.” “We will spare no effort at the group level to fulfill our responsibilities.”
Park Kang-seok, CEO of Volvo Trucks Korea, said, “Maximizing the advantages of electric trucks, such as carbon dioxide reduction and environmental protection, is difficult to achieve through the efforts of just one person. In terms of sustainability in the trucking industry, change and a lot of support are needed in various fields such as charging infrastructure, positive social awareness, and policy support for the logistics industry,” he said. “With the domestic launch of this large electric truck, we will begin the next-generation logistics era.” “I will fulfill my responsibility and role to lead,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, Volvo Trucks also unveiled the ‘FM Electric’ electric truck at the Samsung SDI booth at the ‘Interbattery 2023’ exhibition held together with ‘EV Trend Korea 2023’. The vehicle is equipped with approximately 21700 Samsung SDI 28,000 cylindrical batteries. A high-nickel anode material with a nickel content of 91% was applied, and high output and high energy density were realized for mounting on commercial trucks.