DHL Freight and Volvo Trucks have initiated a project focusing on longer-distance heavy transport.
The cooperation includes exclusive, worldwide first pilot tests of a fully-electric Volvo FH truck with gross combination weights up to 60 tonnes. Starting in March, the truck will operate between two DHL Freight logistics terminals in Sweden, a distance of approximately 150km. During the trial, Volvo and DHL will gain important experience and information regarding the setup and operation of an adequate charging infrastructure. The collected insights will help to optimise the right balance between operated distance, load weight and charging points in daily road freight operations.
The DHL-Volvo project is part of REEL, an initiative run by Sweden’s innovation agency Vinnova to promote the transition to an electrified freight transport system. The route is between the cities of Gothenburg and Jönköping in Sweden, which is a distance of 150km one way. Charging will be done at DHL in Jönköping and the Volvo Truck Centre in Gothenburg.
“The logistics sector is facing a huge challenge, which also offers a great opportunity at the same time – the decarbonisation of freight transportation. The collaboration with Volvo Trucks helps DHL Freight to play an even bigger role in the transition to sustainable alternatives and is another significant proof point for our long-term strategy towards climate-neutral transportation,” explains Robert Zander, CEO of DHL Freight Sweden.
The Volvo FL Electric and Volvo FE Electric trucks, for city distribution, are already in serial production. DHL Supply Chain recently put a new Volvo FL Electric into operation in London – the first purpose-built fully electric Volvo truck for city distribution in the UK. At the end of last year, Volvo Trucks in North America started sales of the VNR Electric, and this year will mark the sales start in Europe of the heavy-duty electric product range.