Gothenburg, Sweden: Volvo Trucks is the European market leader for all-electric heavy trucks.
Volvo took 42% of the market in 2021, and expects electric truck sales worldwide to be more than 1,100.
The international road transport industry is undergoing a transformation towards more sustainable logistics as sales of battery electric heavy trucks are starting to pick up, with Europe in the lead, Volvo says.
An increasing number of all-electric heavy trucks are now running in commercial traffic. Statistics from IHS Markit show that during 2021, sales of electric trucks over 16 tonnes were 346 in Europe – an increase of 193% from 2020. Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands account for the majority of electric heavy trucks.
“We are determined to drive the electric truck revolution and our market leading position in Europe is proof that we are doing just that. Even if volumes are still low, we see rapidly growing interest, both in Europe, North America and in other parts of the world. It’s quickly becoming a key competitive advantage for our customers to be able to offer electric, zero emission trucks,” says Roger Alm, president, Volvo Trucks.
IHS Markit’s figures do not include the UK where sales are low. Christian Coolsaet, managing director, Volvo Trucks UK and Ireland, estimates the UK would likely rank no higher than eighth in the table, despite being one of the largest commercial vehicle markets in Western Europe.
“When you look at the incentives offered in other European markets, it’s clear that the UK government needs a more robust strategy to drive the change to e-mobility for HGVs,” he said.
“Other countries have put far more on the table to support operators in making the switch, such as Norway, where one measure they have adopted includes the state-owned enterprise Enova funding electric vehicles with up to 50 % of the additional investments compared to a diesel truck.
“We also need to see immediate investment in a nationwide charging infrastructure to support electric HGVs. It’s not product availability which will delay our ability to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions within this sector – it’s the lack of electrical infrastructure. Building a renewal energy charging network is vital if we are to hit our net zero goals.
Last year Volvo Group formed a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz Trucks and the Traton Group to set up a company which will roll out charging points for HGVs in Europe, and the first sites to get these charging points will be motorways. “As manufacturers we are demonstrating our commitment to e-mobility – but a collaborative approach with government is crucial if we are to meet our global climate objectives,” Coolsaet says.
Volvo Trucks began serial production of electric trucks in 2019, as one of the very first truck brands in the world to do so. The company’s target is that half of its total truck sales will be electric by 2030.
“Clearly, these numbers show that we’re off to a very good start in sales. With our broad electric truck line up, i t’s now possible to electrify a large part of the heavy road transport sector already today,” Alm says.
“This proportion will grow even larger as the distance that electric trucks can drive increases and the charging infrastructure for heavy trucks becomes further developed.”
IHS Markit statistics for the number of registered electric trucks over 16 tonnes in Europe in 2021, excluding UK
Switzerland 77
Norway 56
Sweden 47
Netherlands 42
Germany 37
France 25
Denmark 21
Spain 11
Italy 9
Hungary 7
Poland 4
Belgium 3
Czech Republic 2
Finland 2
Ireland 2
Austria 1
Total 346
