Vienna, Austria: Volvo Trucks delivered the first of its hybrid trucks in the German-speaking countries – Germany, Austria and Switzerland – to Spar Austria.
The hand-over ceremony for the first delivery of a 26-tonne Volvo FE hybrid was at Vienna’s historical Lusthaus pavilion.
The low-emission, low-noise Volvo truck will mainly be used by Spar in Vienna’s city traffic in order to promote effective climate protection and reduce noise pollution. The hybrid truck reduces the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by as much as 20%. Depending on usage, it can travel shorter distances silently and with zero emissions at speeds of up to 50 km/h on its electric motor alone.
Volvo expects to sell 100 of these Volvo FE hybrids in European countries by 2013.
The low-emission, low-noise Volvo truck will mainly be used by Spar in Vienna
Gerhard Drexel, chief executive, Spar Austria, says, “I think it’s sensational that the fully-hybrid truck, unlike e-bikes and e-cars, does not need to be charged at the mains, but that the battery recharges itself through the vehicle’s own braking force. That’s why the truck will mainly be used on the streets of Vienna, where constant starting and stopping is unavoidable.”
Herbert Spiegel, managing director of Volvo Austria, says, “The Volvo FE hybrid represents a significant milestone for Austria. Volvo Trucks is taking the lead in innovation when it comes to the manufacture and provision of efficient transport solutions. Volvo has already attracted a great deal of interest with this production-ready technology and we look forward to achieving further milestones in the area of sustainable logistics in future.”
