Volvo Trucks is opening its very first battery assembly plant. Located in Ghent, Belgium,
the plant will supply ready-to-install batteries for Volvo Trucks’ full electric heavy-duty
trucks.
“This investment shows our strong commitment to electrifying truck transportation. By
2030, at least 50 per cent of all trucks we sell globally will be electric and by 2040, we will
be a carbon-neutral company,” says Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks.
In the new battery plant, cells and modules from Samsung SDI will be assembled into battery
packs that are tailor-made for Volvo Trucks’ heavy-duty electric range: Volvo FH, Volvo FM
and Volvo FMX. Series production starts in the third quarter of this year.
Shorter lead times and increased circularity
Each battery pack has a capacity of 90 kWh and the customer can choose to have up to six
battery packs (540 kWh) in a truck. The number of batteries depends on each customer’s
specific range and load capacity demands.
“By integrating the battery assembly process in our production flow, we can shorten lead
times for our customers and secure high-performing batteries, while at the same time
increase circularity,” adds Alm.
Volvo Trucks’ batteries are designed so that they can later be remanufactured, refurbished
and reused. The plant itself is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.
Electric solutions for most transport needs
With production of three heavy-duty full electric models starting this year in Europe, Volvo
Trucks will offer a total of six electric truck models globally, covering everything from city
distribution and refuse handling to regional transport and construction work.
“We started series-production of electric trucks in 2019 and are leading the market both in
Europe and North America. With the rapid development of charging networks, and
improvements in battery technology, I am convinced that we will see a rapid transformation
of the entire truck industry in the very near future,” says Alm.
