Volvo Trucks starts production of Electric Trucks in Ghent

The Volvo FH, the Volvo FM, and the Volvo FMX Electric will be three different electric vehicle models that will be produced in Ghent.

Gothenburg, Sweden- Volvo Trucks NA., will begin serial production of heavy battery electric trucks at the Ghent factory in Belgium. This means that electric Volvo trucks are now built in four factories – three in Europe and one in the US.

Mr. Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks said that, I´m thrilled! This is a major accomplishment because the Ghent factory is the biggest in our network. With Volvo, even more transportation businesses can now go electric. For their exceptional quality, safety, design, and driver comfort, our vehicles are well regarded. I'm thrilled that our clients can take use of all these advantages while also shipping items without releasing any CO2.

The Volvo FH, the Volvo FM, and the Volvo FMX Electric will be three different electric vehicle models that will be produced in Ghent. These vehicles can be modified to meet a variety of transportation purposes and have a total operating weight of 44 tonnes.   

With a production capacity of over 45 000 vehicles per year, the Ghent factory is the largest Volvo vehicles manufacturing facility. The diesel and gas trucks are built alongside the electric trucks on the same platform and assembly line, providing the plant with a high degree of adaptability when it comes to handling various versions and needs. The battery packs are made at the Ghent battery assembly plant, which just recently opened and is situated near to the production line.

The fourth Volvo Trucks factory to produce battery electric trucks is in Ghent. In 2019, Volvo began producing electric trucks for refuse handling and city distribution in Blainville, France. The VNR Electric, designed for regional transportation, began serial production at the New River Valley, US, facility a year later. Then, a significant achievement was made last year when Volvo Trucks, the first worldwide manufacturer to do so, put their heaviest range into serial production at the Tuve factory in Sweden.
So far Volvo Trucks has taken orders, including letters of intent to buy, for around 6000 electric trucks in 42 countries on 6 continents.

''Many people once believed that it was impossible to electrify large truck transportation. However, we made the early decision that electrification is the primary route to zero emissions. We can now provide a market-leading selection of electric trucks that were created specifically for commercial use and are in use worldwide,” says Roger Alm.

However, for the big electric shift to happen, governments need to act now and offer incentive programs for those who invest in the new technology, increase capacity in the power grid and also introduce CO₂ taxes, to make sustainable transport more competitive.