Volvo Electric truck meets local challenges

Range, charging and productivity are at the forefront of anyone considering an electric vehicle future.

How far will the vehicle go? How long will it take to charge? And will it get the job done?

Volvo Group Australia (VGA) tested its FL Electric truck to see how fast charging and extreme heat affected its range, battery charging and vehicle performance.

Equipped with second-generation battery packs with a capacity totalling 265kW, local VGA engineers subjected the FL Electric to a series of on-road tests in 35-degree plus heat.

Loaded to a gross weight of 15,000kg, the FL Electric covered more than 730km over a variety of traffic conditions and terrain including a climb up the (6% gradient) Toowoomba bypass as well as routes through inner-city traffic.

The second-generation battery packs have a predicted energy consumption of 0.9 kWh per kilometre, however local testing has found consumption at this point to be slightly lower at 0.73 kWh per kilometre.

The potential of regenerative braking came to the fore coming down the Toowoomba range with braking energy alone enough to replenish battery power by nearly 5%.

“Temperature is the enemy of battery performance in any vehicle,” said VGA Vice-President Technology Business Development, Paul Illmer.

“For our industry to go electric our customers need to know we’ve tried and tested our technology in adverse conditions rather than report contrived figures derived from testing in a controlled environment.

“And I’m extremely happy to see the results of this testing, which proves the FL Electric is a viable option for a range of urban distribution roles while being able to tolerate Australia’s harsh climate.”

The test drives also included a 40-minute fast charge from 40% battery capacity using a 150Kwh DC charger in an effort to understand how opportunity charging may be integrated into an everyday transport operation.

“Our electric trucks are more than just a vehicle, they are a part of an electromobility eco-system,” Mr Illmer said.

“Before a customer signs up for our electric offering we conduct a feasibility study using our bespoke range estimation tool to plot out exactly how this vehicle can be integrated into an existing transport task.

 “Once in service we can help the customer monitor vehicle performance through our Volvo Connect telematics portal.

 “These proprietary tools give us a 360-degree view of our customer’s needs and the operation at hand.

“This year marks the start of commercial sales here in Australia and I look forward to seeing an electric truck with real world usability hit the local market.”

The 4x2 Volvo FL Electric has a gross vehicle weight of 16,000kg and creates 130kW of continuous power which is delivered to the rear wheels via a two-speed automated transmission.

Depending on application, range can be up to 300km between charges.

Charging times range from 11 hours (22Kwh AC) to two hours (150Kwh DC).