Volvo Trucks delivered its first fully-electric commercial trucks on February 19 to two customers, including a refuse truck to waste and recycling company Renova, and a distribution truck to the German logistics company DB Schenker.

　　The Volvo FL Electric trucks are part of a pre-series being developed in collaboration with select customers. Series production of the Volvo FL Electric and its sibling, the Volvo FE Electric, will begin with a limited number of trucks deployed in European markets in the second half of 2019.

　　Volvo said there has been significant market interest for its electric trucks.

　　The Volvo FL Electric and Volvo FE Electric trucks are purposely developed for freight distribution, refuse handling and other urban transport applications.

　　Electric trucks are ideal for urban deliveries and 24 hour operation, as the absence of internal combustion engine makes these trucks much quieter when operating in urban environments. The zero emissions trucks contributes to better working conditions for truck drivers, as they don't have to worry about breathing in harmful diesel exhaust fumes when working around the trucks.

　　The battery-powered trucks can also be used in indoor terminals and environmental zones. Their low noise level creates opportunities for doing more work at night, removing congestion from roads in the busy daylight hours.

　　"Our close collaboration with drivers and customers has enabled us to develop, in a short space of time, electrified transport solutions that meet high requirements in terms of performance, driving distances, cargo handling and vehicle use," says Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks.

　　The fully-electric trucks are much quieter than diesel-powered trucks and can operate at night in urban areas.

　　The drivers who will operate the electric trucks were provided the opportunity to test-drive them prior to delivery, as part of the operator training. "The drivers were particularly impressed with the responsive driveline, delivering fast and seamless acceleration, and the low noise level," Alm added.

　　"We will continue to develop our electrified offering. At the same time, we are steadily reducing the environmental and climate impact of our diesel and gas powered trucks, primarily through energy-efficient drivelines," says Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks.

　　The Volvo FL Electric has capacity for a GVW (gross vehicle weight) of 16 tons, while the Volvo FE Electric has capacity for a GVW of 27 tons.

　　Commercial sales of the electric trucks is scheduled to begin in North America in 2020. In September 2018, Volvo Trucks announced it will deploy eight Class-8 electric demonstration trucks and an additional 15 pre-commercial and commercial electric trucks throughout California's South Coast Air Basin, which includes the area around the Port of Los Angeles.

　　The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has preliminarily awarded a $44.8 million to the The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for the Volvo LIGHTS (Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions) project. Volvo is working with 15 other partners on the project.

　　Volvo LIGHTS is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions.