Finding commercial truck battery charging is a key obstacle in the wide rollout of zero-emissions solutions in transportation, but Volvo Trucks on Thursday announced a new soon-to-be global initiative that takes the onus of the search off the motor carrier.
Volvo has partnered with multiple companies on fast-charging network development in Sweden, where 130 charging stations are planned to open this year and next.
Volvo Trucks' new service lets motor carriers find and access the charging stations, regardless of truck manufacturer, and displays all charging stations suitable for heavy-duty vehicles, regardless of who operates them. The user can pay for charging via the new platform. The service will first be launched in Sweden, with markets in Europe and other parts of the world to follow.
The first wave of Volvo's charging service will provide access to 29 charging stations operated by OKQ8. The charging stations will be powered by green electricity.
"This is a real breakthrough for the electrification of heavy transport," said Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucks. "Our customers will be able to access public fast chargers all around Sweden, and as a result going electric is easier than ever. Customers will be able to obtain reliable information about where to find charging stations for heavy electric trucks, and they can be assured that they are paying a fair market price with no hidden fees. With the possibility to plan the route ahead in a good way and a minimum of administration, I am convinced that this is an important step towards making electric trucks even more popular with fleet owners."
How does it work?
The charging service is part of Volvo Connect, Volvo Trucks' interface for digital services, and the customer can find and pay for the charging via Volvo Connect and a mobile app. A digital map shows the charging stations and if they are available. In the near future booking of charging time will be possible.
When arriving at a charging station, the customer uses a card or a mobile app for identification and to start the charging. The customer receives one, consolidated invoice.
