Independent tests show it excels in both range and energy efficiency.
The first independent energy efficiency test with a fully loaded heavy-duty electric Volvo truck has been done in Germany. The electric truck exceeded its official range and used 50% less energy than its diesel counterpart. The electric driveline is very efficient, making the all-electric truck a very powerful tool for reducing CO2 emissions.
The tested truck was a Volvo FH Electric, a zero-exhaust emission vehicle with 490 kW (666 hp) of continuous power and a gross combination weight of 40 tonnes. The German trucking journalist Jan Burgdorf tested the truck on the Green Truck Route, a 343 km long route that includes a variety of motorways, hilly terrains, and tighter roads that is used for testing different manufacturer's trucks in a wide range of conditions.
The Volvo FH Electric kept an average speed of 80 km/h over the whole route, which was on par with the Volvo FH equipped with a diesel engine and the fuel efficiency package I-Save. Based on the energy consumption of only 1.1 kWh/km, the electric truck had a total range of 345 km on one charge. These test results show that it is possible to drive up to 500 km during a regular work-day, with a short stop for charging, for example during lunch time.
In the Green Truck Route tests, the Volvo FH Electric used 50% less energy than a Volvo FH with a comparable diesel engine. Volvo Trucks goal is that electric vehicles will account for half of its truck sales in 2030 and in 2040, 100% well-to-wheel based CO2-reduction for new trucks sold. Source