Volvo Trucks continues to develop and advanced its battery electric trucks and has presented an innovative new e-axle at the ongoing IAA Transportation event in Hannover, Germany.
The new e-axle developed by Volvo Trucks integrates the electric motors and the transmission into the rear axle. This means the truck manufacturer can fit more batteries, increasing the range of its electric trucks and allowing them to be used for longer journeys.
Volvo will commence serial production of trucks with its new e-axle in a few years and will also implement it in its fuel-cell electric trucks that will be launched in the second half of the decade. The company says the e-axle will benefit hydrogen trucks by providing it extra space to install additional components.
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“This is a breakthrough for electric trucks and a clear signal that there will be a huge demand for public fast-chargers for heavy trucks in the near future, not the least along highways,” senior vice president of global product management at Volvo Trucks, Jessica Sandström, said. “We will continue with our versatile battery electric trucks that are already in production. They can currently cover a wide range of transport assignments. In a few years, we will add this new rear e-axle for customers covering longer routes than today.”
Volvo Trucks is developing battery electric, fuel cell electric and combustion-powered engines that burn on renewable fuels like biogas, HVO, and green hydrogen as part of its plan to achieve zero emissions.
“Different technical solutions are needed to tackle climate change, since the availability of energy and fuel infrastructure differs between countries and regions and also between different transport assignments,” Sandström added.