Volvo Trucks will be launching its fully-electric prime movers in Malaysia this July. These Volvo models are said to be the first heavy-duty electric trucks to be released in Malaysia although the move to bring them over here has already been in the making for quite some time.
Back in August last year, Volvo Trucks Malaysia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Swift Haulage Berhad as the first local logistic service provider to integrate heavy-duty EV trucks into its fleet. In addition to the trucks themselves, the MoU also covered charging networks, technology sharing, and technical training.
A few months later, the company also signed another MoU with the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) in regard to the MyHijau initiative. Under this particular MoU, it enables companies that purchased Volvo electric trucks to take advantage of related tax incentives such as the Green Investment Technology Allowance.
Meanwhile, Volvo Trucks has yet to reveal which models it will launch in Malaysia this coming July though. In general, the company has three heavy-duty EV trucks under its wings including the FH Electric, FM Electric, and FMX Electric.
According to Volvo Trucks’ global website, the FH Electric is designed for city-to-city transportation while the FMX Electric is meant for carrying heavyweight materials and machines. On the other hand, the FM Electric is designed to be versatile and can be used for a variety of jobs including high-capacity grocery deliveries, container transportation, and crane services.
Despite the segmentation, all three Volvo heavy-duty EV trucks have the same general capabilities. Comes with a maximum Gross Combination Weight rating of 44 tonnes, these trucks can be fitted with up to three electric motors that deliver up to 490kW (666hp) and 2400Nm of torque.
Battery-wise, they support up to six battery packs with overall battery capacities of up to 540kWh which allows them to deliver a maximum range of 300km. As for the charging time, Volvo said that these EV trucks take around 9.5 hours to be fully charged when using a 43kW AC charger although it can be significantly reduced to 2.5 hours by using a 250kW DC fast charger.
