In its latest bid to make the trucking industry electric, Volvo Trucks worked with Swedish mining company Kaunis Iron and Wist Last & Buss and Vattenfall to explore how heavy trucks could work north of the arctic circle.
On a 280 km (174 miles) round trip, electric trucks transported up to 14 tonnes of iron ore concentrate from the company’s mine in Kaunisvaara, 100 km (62 miles) north of the arctic circle, to the Narvik harbor in Norway.
Driven on days where the temperature fell to -32 degrees celsius (-25 F) the trucks were capable of making the 140 km (87 miles) trip to the harbor, though Volvo admits that the trucks were forced to recharge at each end of the journey to avoid any risk of stopping on the road.
Read Also: Germany Is Already Testing Overhead Charging Cables For Trucks On Highway
The companies say that the test showed them that there are still challenges that need to be addressed. Drivers participating in the test, though, were happy with the experience of operating the trucks.
“The electric truck is in many ways similar to the one I normally drive, same type of cab and so on, just even easier to drive,” said Lino Martino, one of the drivers. “And this truck is so quiet, you can’t hear the engine. Not even when it’s straining, only the tires can be heard. And the vibrations are also much less than with a diesel. All in all, it’s a much more pleasant place to work.”
Martino admits that it’s not a perfect solution yet, but the efforts to reduce the transportation industry’s reliance on diesel are still worthwhile. And as research progresses, the solutions only become better.
“Up here, the cold is a problem, but there are other technical solutions, for example, overhead lines could be one way forward,” he said. ” If we are to realize a fossil-free society, we need electric transport. I’m convinced that the technology will develop in the near future.”
