50 Years of ITOY – 2024 Volvo FH Electric
The original Volvo FH had secured the IToY in 1994, and in the intervening years Volvo had won again in 2000 and 2014 - both times with the FH. The truck won for a fourth time in 2024, but on this occasion the technological landscape was very different, because the 2024 IToY was the first electric truck ever to win the competition.
The FH Electric’s 84 votes saw it prevail over its rivals which were also entirely electric. Second place went to the Mercedes-Benz eActros 300/400 with the Scania 45S in third spot. The Fuso eCanter was also shortlisted.
Volvo was the first major European manufacturer to offer production battery electric trucks to the market, following the introduction of the FL Electric in 2019. Initial vehicles were delivered to select customers in February that year, with series production of both the FL and FE Electrics starting in the second half of 2019.
In November 2020 the order books were opened for the full range of electric trucks, and by September 2022, full series production of electric heavy trucks commenced with the manufacturer able to offer FM, FMX and FH models in addition to the FL and FE. Volvo was the first European manufacturer to offer a 44-tonne truck from series production, and the FH Electric was the flagship of this range.
Clearly, the adoption of battery-electric trucks is mainly driven by legislative requirements, with the EU introducing targets for average carbon reduction across manufacturers’ new vehicles. These targets use a 2019 baseline and become increasingly stringent until they reach a 90% reduction target for 2040. Local jurisdictions also have zero-tailpipe-emission acceleration policies, and outside the EU, the UK has a target for all new heavy trucks to be zero-emission from 2040.
Despite the higher capital cost, greater unladen weight and concerns about range and charging infrastructure, electric heavy trucks can be suitable for some operations, dependent on client profile, government incentives and taxation and toll rebates. The 24-country panel of IToY jurors regarded the FH Electric as a winning proposition for those operators.
Based on the hugely successful 2020 V5 FH, the Electric model offered four cab options and a range of axle configurations to cover a wide range of applications, rather than being somewhat of a standalone demonstration concept. Modular battery arrangements provided for between two and six batteries, with the six-battery layout providing 540kWh storage for a 300km range.
The FH Electric used three electric motors driving through an I-Shift transmission which combined the total torque and a conventional prop-shaft and axle arrangement with a continuous power of 490kW available. This equates to about 657hp, and the jurors were particularly impressed with the truck’s seamless acceleration and the vibration-free quietness of its performance. The truck could be recharged in 10 hours with AC charging, or 2 hours with standard DC, and during 2024, Volvo accounted for 47% of the European electric heavy truck market.
