Volvo electric truck production begins in Ghent
Volvo’s heavy battery-electric trucks are set to raise the industry bar as manufacturing gears up at the company’s Ghent factory.
The Volvo Truck factory in Ghent is ramping up production to meet market demand for heavy battery-electric trucks, marking a significant milestone for the largest factory in Volvo’s network.
Roger Alm, the president of Volvo Trucks, expresses his enthusiasm. “I’m thrilled! The Ghent factory is the largest one in our network, so this is a very important milestone. Now even more transport companies can go electric with Volvo.”
The factory will produce three distinct electric models: the Volvo FH, the Volvo FM and the Volvo FMX Electric. These versatile trucks can handle a total weight of up to 44 tonnes and can be customised to meet various transportation requirements.
Alm highlights the unique selling points of Volvo trucks. “Our trucks are much loved for their outstanding quality, safety, design and driver comfort. It makes me very pleased that our customers can get all these benefits and at the same time transport goods without emitting any CO2.”
Ghent’s production capacity is substantial, with the factory capable of manufacturing around 45 000 trucks annually. Electric trucks are assembled alongside their diesel- and gas-powered counterparts, ensuring high flexibility to accommodate different variants and market demands. Battery packs are sourced from the newly established battery assembly plant in Ghent, conveniently located adjacent to the production line.
To date, Volvo Trucks has secured orders, including letters of intent, for approximately 6 000 electric trucks across 42 countries on all continents. Alm emphasises the company’s commitment to electrification. “Just a few years ago, many thought it was impossible to electrify heavy truck transport. But we decided early on that electrification is our main path to zero emissions. Now we can offer an industry-leading range of purpose-built electric trucks in commercial operation all around the world.”
However, Alm underscores the importance of government support to drive the electric shift, calling for incentive programmes for technology investments, grid capacity expansion, and the introduction of CO2 taxes to enhance the competitiveness of sustainable transport.
Source: Tanje Wandrag
