Volvo Trucks unveils fully electric trucks and charging stations
The Volvo Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions (LIGHTS) program has unveiled new Class-8 electric trucks at its Innovation Showcase
Volvo has unveiled the first five pilot Volvo VNR Electric trucks on a closed course at the Fontana Speedway alongside the first deployments of several heavy-duty fleet charging stations .
The Volvo VNR Electric project trucks will be put into real-world with Dependable Supply Chain Services and NFI. Volvo Trucks engineers and project managers will closely monitor and evaluate the vehicles' performance, driving cycles, load capacity, uptime, range and other parameters in these real-world applications over the next several months. The company will take those learnings into the final stages of product development and begin the first phase of serial production and commercial offering of the Volvo VNR Electric in late 2020.
Volvo hopes the truck will be deployed on short- and regional-haul applications like heavy urban distribution, drayage and other applications where electric trucks will first have the greatest impact.
The company will also lease 15 battery-electric Volvo VNR Electric trucks to interested customers for real-world trials as part of the overall project scope, and offers a uptime support team for assistance with parts and service on these new electric vehicles.
LIGHTS in the dark
The Volvo LIGHTS project is a collaboration between 15 public and private partners to demonstrate the viability of all-electric freight hauling in high-density traffic and urban areas. The Volvo LIGHTS project's transformative impact on fleet operations is designed to be scalable and replicable to reduce emissions throughout the freight eco-system.
The Volvo LIGHTS project was made possible by an award to South Coast AQMD of $44.8 million from CARB as part of California Climate Investments (CCI). CCI is a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Volvo Group contributed $36.7 million for the project total of $90 million, and South Coast AQMD contributed $4 million from the Clean Fuels Fund, administers the grant and oversees the Volvo LIGHTS project.
"We're excited to share the milestones reached and lessons learned in the development of a battery-electric transport eco-system," said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. "This project is unique in the sense of its scope, and that it takes into account the entire system from charging stations to yard haulers to solar panels to workforce development to heavy-duty trucks. We are putting trucks on the road and fully testing them in real-world commercial applications, proving out this innovative approach to learn and prepare for commercial operations for zero-emission freight hauling," said Voorhoeve.
"This forward-thinking coalition has developed both a zero-emission truck and the whole eco-system that supports these state-of-the-art vehicles, from charging to maintenance and repair. This is what it takes to transform this critical freight-hauling sector," said California Air Resources Board chair Mary D. Nichols. "This project will put more ultra-clean, zero-emission trucks on the roads and highways of communities like Fontana and Ontario that are heavily burdened with growing diesel truck traffic. Volvo Trucks' vision is helping to clean the air in the communities that need it most."
"Our partnership with Volvo Group began with efforts to develop a prototype of a hybrid-electric diesel truck, something that was novel in the industry at the time. Now, we have reached a huge milestone that lays a path for the commercialization of fully electric truck technologies," said Wayne Nastri, executive officer for the South Coast AQMD. "These battery-electric trucks showcased today will have positive air quality impacts in local communities across our region, but especially in disadvantaged communities that need it most."
"Volvo Trucks is leading the way in electric transport globally," said Keith Brandis, vice president of partnerships and strategic solutions, Volvo Group. "We relied a great deal on the technological know-how of our sister company Volvo Buses, which has already built over 5,000 hybrid and electric vehicles, and on Volvo Trucks' production of all-electric, medium-duty vehicles in Europe."
"The Volvo LIGHTS project demonstrates that for the entire endeavoru to come together, it takes more than just the truck. It's the delivery of the complete eco-system for zero-emission, heavy-duty transport, and taking responsibility for that ecosystem," said Voorhoeve. "You can only achieve this by having a common goal, fully integrated collaboration amongst all stakeholders, and agreeing to be pioneers together."
Greenlots and Volvo Trucks partner on first installation of chargers for Volvo LIGHTS electrified trucking project
Greenlots, a member of the Shell Group and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure developer, has announced the installation of charging infrastructure for a fleet of electrified commercial trucks as part of its ongoing partnership with Volvo Trucks. The heavy-duty fleet charging stations are the first of four installations by Greenlots at warehouses across Southern California.
Greenlots installed two fully operational 50kW DC fast chargers at the Fontana site and has plans to install an additional 150kW DC fast charger in the next month. All of the charging equipment for the project is connected to Greenlots' SKY™ EV Charging Network Software, which enables management of Volvo's fleet and charging stations while balancing grid demand.
"Heavy-duty fleets have unique charging characteristics and needs," said Harmeet Singh, Chief Technology Officer at Greenlots. "Greenlots' SKY platform is built for scale and designed to deliver a charging solution that meets Volvo Trucks' electric fleet's unique requirements and is optimized for cost and power. The open standards-based charging approach built into Greenlots' platform enables Volvo to future-proof its investments in the charging infrastructure."
"We're excited to be part of the development of a battery-electric transport eco-system along with our Volvo LIGHTS project partners," said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. "This project is unique in the sense of its scope, and that it takes into account the entire system, with the charging infrastructure provided by Greenlots being one of the key components to this transport solution."