Volvo Trucks Miles Challenge: FH Electric accomplishes Munich-Berlin

Accompanied by and officially verified by the independent testing organization Dekra, Volvo Trucks sent its FH Electric on a journey from Munich to Berlin to test its long-distance suitability. The fully loaded heavy truck completed the 600 kilometers without any problems with only one stopover, the manufacturer reports in its press release.

Goal: Zero Emissions in Operation

The result, according to Christoph Fitz, Director of New Vehicle Sales at Volvo Trucks, indicates that the company has come a large step closer to the "Zero Emissions Goal." For Volvo Trucks, zero emissions means "zero emissions in operation." Fitz notes that the company is clearly accelerating the shift to modern drive technologies:

"With the Miles Challenge, we demonstrate that we can cover all technological areas and drive forward the technological transformation."

This first real practical use in regular freight transport was accompanied and officially verified at the end by two experts from Dekra. During a day's driving time, a total distance of 606 km was covered. The Volvo FH Electric, which has been available as a standard model since September and weighs 39 tons, required a mid-trip charge at the Selbitz service area, about eight kilometers west of Hof. It was driven under everyday conditions at a "practical" speed of 85 km/h. Among other things, I-See was used as an assistance system, which aims to optimize performance depending on the topography through intelligent system control.

Remaining Range: Just Under 130 Kilometers

In the final result, Dekra test engineers found that the 666 hp electric drive of the FH Electric consumed an average of 106 kWh/100 km. During the drive, a total of 119 kWh, or 18 percent of the energy consumed on the route, was recuperated from braking energy. Additionally, the battery capacity at the destination still had a remaining range of a good 130 kilometers with 35 percent capacity. With this result, the company aims to further advance the electrification of heavy transport:

"Volvo Trucks has set a goal to have at least 15 to 20 percent electric trucks on the roads by 2025. Between 2028 and 2030, the majority of trucks sold should have an electric drive. This is how we aim to break away from fossil fuels," says Fitz. 

Competitor to Classic Diesel

To substantiate the test result, three test drives were conducted on the same route "with leading German commercial vehicle journalists at the wheel," Volvo Trucks reports. "Here too, the electric Volvo ranged at the highest level of efficiency with only minor deviations between different drivers." All drivers were enthusiastic about the driving comfort and performance of the FH Electric. "This shows that the emission-free heavy Volvo can already compete with classic diesel trucks on long distances," the report concludes.

With the Miles Challenge, Volvo Trucks wanted to determine in practice whether electric trucks in the heavy variant are also suitable for long distances, or really only for urban deliveries or short distances in the light version. They wanted to find out if the long distance could be managed with only one mid-trip charge.