Volvo recently unveiled an impressive new long-range electric semi-truck that could change the trucking game for good. According to Electrek, the new Volvo FH Electric semi can travel over 370 miles on one charge, twice what the company's current version can accomplish, something Volvo calls "a breakthrough."
The trucking industry is largely made up of vehicles that run on dirty energy and is currently responsible for about 7% of global carbon pollution, the driving force behind the overheating of the planet, contributing to extreme weather that threatens lives and livelihoods, as well as the global food supply.
Introducing trucks that can travel an entire day on clean energy, recharge at night, and be ready to go again the next day would significantly decrease the negative effects of this necessary industry.
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"It will be a great solution for transport companies with a high annual mileage on their trucks and with a strong commitment to reduce CO2," said Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucks, in a statement from the company.
What makes this breakthrough possible is a fully electric axle that Volvo unveiled in 2022. The e-axle integrates the electric motors and the transmission into the rear axle, allowing more space for batteries, which increases range capabilities.
Besides being better for the planet as a whole, the new truck from Volvo will benefit the drivers as well.
"Besides the important environmental gains that electric trucks bring," Alm said, "they offer truck drivers a much better working environment, with much lower levels of noise and vibrations."
The new long-range FH Electric semi is expected to go on sale sometime in the back half of 2025. It's just one part of what Volvo Trucks calls its "three-path technology" approach to a clean energy transition that includes "battery electric, fuel cell electric, and combustion engines that run on renewable fuels like green hydrogen, biogas, or hydrogenated vegetable oil."
This technology from Volvo is just the latest development in the clear shift the trucking industry is making toward clean energy. A Swedish trucking company is in the process of developing hybrid solar-powered trucks covered in solar panels (which makes perfect sense). Walmart Canada has begun integrating electric semi-trucks into its fleet.
These are just a few examples of a positive trend in the trucking industry toward a cleaner future.
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