All about Volvo Trucks

On May 7, Amazon announced it will be deploying nearly 50 new Volvo Class 8 VNR electric trucks across Southern California to haul shipments and customer packages as part of its goal of going carbon-neutral by 2040.

Amazon will be using about 12 Volvo VNRs at both the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to deliver containers to an Amazon facility in Santa Fe Springs, California, about 20-25 miles from either port, while another 35 VNRs will carry packages between Amazon facilities in Southern California.

Amazon has installed over 45 direct current (DC) fast chargers across 11 sites to power its heavy-duty EV fleet.

The battery-electric Volvo VNR Electric trucks have a range of up to 275 miles and a gross combination weight of 82,000 pounds. 

The heavy-duty vehicles are equipped with safety features including active collision mitigation, blind-spot detection, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. 

(Amazon release and other sources on May 7, 2024)

On May 7, Mack Trucks delivered the first of five ordered Mack LR Electric models to Evergreen Waste Services, making its battery-electric vehicle (BEV) the first fully electric Class 8 refuse vehicle in operation in the State of Delaware.

Evergreen Waste Services plans to use bi-directional charging to charge the LR Electric battery during off-peak hours and push power back to the power grid during peak hours.

“We are one of the first to do vehicle-to-grid,” said Marcus Stevens, CEO of Evergreen Waste Services Stevens. “We will bring the LR Electric back to our site with about 40% less battery life than when it left. We will then send power back to the grid during peak hours, and then we will charge the vehicle during the off-peak hours of 11 p.m.to 4 a.m. The vehicle will be fully charged and ready to go by 5 a.m.”

The next generation Mack LR Electric offers a standard 376 kWh total battery capacity, twin electric motors that produce 448 hp and 4,051 lb-ft of torque.

Four NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide) lithium-ion batteries, charged through a 150 kW, SAE J1772-compliant charging system, power the vehicle and all onboard accessories through 12V, 24V and 600V circuits. 

The Mack LR Electric is produced at the Mack Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania.

(Mack Trucks release on May 7, 2024)

On May 8, cellcentric, a 50:50 JV between Daimler Truck AG and Volvo Group, announced that it will present fuel cell tailormade for long-haul trucks, for the first time in North America at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo from May 20-23, 2024, in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

cellcentric is accelerating the development of its highly innovative NextGen fuel cell, considering the needs of long-haul heavy goods traffic in North America from the earliest concept phase. NextGen enables total cost of ownership (TCO) and performance characteristics comparable with those of diesel-powered long-haul trucks. Alongside excellent drivability and outstanding range, these include short refueling stops like those of conventionally powered heavy trucks.

Based on cellcentric press release