Volvo Trucks Korea (hereinafter referred to as Volvo Trucks) unveiled the Volvo FH Electric, Korea's first large electric truck, at xEV Trend Korea 2023 held from the 15th to the 18th.

Volvo Trucks announced at xEV Trend Korea 2023 that following the unveiling of the large electric truck FH Electric, it will become the first global manufacturer to start selling large electric trucks in Korea.

Volvo Trucks sees a wide range of transport needs in Korea that could be electrified, including urban delivery, waste collection, inter-regional transport and construction sites.

Volvo Trucks' FH Electric, unveiled at this year's xEV Trend Korea 2023, can produce 666 horsepower with three motors.

This model uses a battery from Samsung SDI and is equipped with 28,080 cylindrical 21700 battery cells. With a battery capacity of 540kWh, it can travel 1,500km when unloaded and 300km when loaded with 44 tons.

The Volvo FH Electra, a large electric truck with a total weight of 44 tons, was recently tested in Germany.Rick has driven 343 km on a single charge with a full load, maintaining an average speed of 80 km/h.

▲Samsung SDI battery installed in Volvo FH Electric

This battery features a high-nickel cathode material with a nickel content of 91% and is characterized by high output and high energy density for use in commercial trucks.

The FH Electric can reach 80% SOC in 1.5 hours with rapid charging and can be equipped with up to six battery packs depending on the user's transport purpose and driving distance.

A Volvo Trucks official told xEV Trend Korea, “We have minimized potential risks on the road with externally mounted camera sensors and radars,” and “You can see that Volvo trucks are fully equipped with sensors inside the vehicle to ensure safety, including avoiding drowsy driving.”

Along with the official launch of the electric truck, Volvo Trucks Korea also announced its goal of achieving annual sales of 1,000 electric trucks by 2027, which would account for approximately 30% of total sales.

Domestic companies are also facing the social challenge of vehicle electrification, including movements such as the K-EV100, a Korean-style zero-emission vehicle conversion project promoted by the Ministry of Environment.

In this environment, Volvo Trucks has decided that now is the right time to promote electrification of large trucks and is working with various companies in the industry.announced its ambition to lead the industry by launching electric trucks that meet transportation needs and help customers achieve their immediate sustainability goals.

Volvo Trucks has also outlined specific step-by-step goals for building a domestic charging infrastructure to accelerate the transition to electric trucks.

Volvo Trucks announced plans to install charging infrastructure in 31 of its own service networks nationwide, and in the second phase, it plans to form strategic partnerships with suppliers who provide charging services and build commercial vehicle charging facilities in existing car-only chargers, centered on truck-dense areas such as major ports and logistics hubs, taking into account the characteristics of commercial vehicles.

In addition, we plan to expand the ultra-fast charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles through active consultation with the government.

As part of its efforts to achieve the Volvo Group's sustainability goals, Volvo Trucks plans to invest approximately KRW 6 billion to install solar power plants at three Volvo Trucks direct service centers in Korea within the year, which is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 574 tons per year.

Volvo Trucks has signed an agreement with Volvo Financial Services Korea to provide Korean customers with competitive, tailored financing solutions when purchasing high-priced, large electric trucks.

Through the agreement, we plan to launch a comprehensive financial product that will support all insurance, charging station installation costs, and tire purchase costs for customers purchasing electric trucks.

Johan Selvén, Vice President of Sales International at Volvo Trucks, said at xEV Trend Korea, “Sustainability“Electrification is an inevitable reality and the transition to electrification is not a matter of choice but a call of the times,” he said. “As a commercial vehicle manufacturer that leads the industry in terms of sustainability, Volvo Trucks will spare no effort at the group level to fulfill its social responsibility for future generations.”

Park Kang-seok, president of Volvo Trucks Korea, said, “In order to maximize the benefits of electric trucks, such as reducing carbon dioxide and protecting the environment, it is difficult to achieve this through the efforts of one person alone. In terms of sustainability in the truck industry, changes and a lot of support are needed in many areas, such as charging infrastructure, positive social awareness, and policy support from the logistics industry.” He added, “We will fulfill our responsibility and role to lead the next-generation logistics era, starting with the domestic launch of this large electric truck.”