Trucks
Finding the right charging solution is critical if you’re thinking of making a transition to electric trucks. That’s why it’s also vital to have an experienced partner that can guide you through the process.
Before investing in an electric truck, do you know exactly how much energy it will need? When and where will it need to be charged? Who can supply and install the chargers? These are just some of the questions that you need to answer if you are to secure a charging solution that will deliver sufficient power and maximum uptime at a minimal cost.
As an experienced manufacturer and supplier of electric trucks, Volvo Trucks already has a wide network of connections in the charging infrastructure industry, and we can use this experience to support you throughout the transition.
How to determine your charging requirements
The first step is to perform an electric range simulation and analyze your operations. Where do your trucks drive and how far will they go? How much energy will they consume? Where do they stop and for how long are they stationary? We look at what other charging options are available in your vicinity and en route, such as public charging stations. Using this information, we can then calculate how much energy your truck will need, and where it will need it. This helps us determine the best places to install your chargers and what charging speeds will be needed to secure the required range.
At the same time, we want to ensure you’re not overinvesting in capacity. There’s no point in purchasing a 400 kW charger if your truck is parked at the depot overnight and a slower charger is sufficient. In short, it’s about balancing costs with needs.
We want to ensure you're not overinvesting in capacity...it's about balancing costs with needs.
How to ensure a reliable charging operation
Once you’ve identified your needs, the next step is to find a charging solution supplier who can deliver and install the required equipment. Any business is free to find its own supplier and arrange this independently. However, if you’re not familiar with the market, then Volvo Trucks can support you.
In every market where we offer electric trucks, we have established positive working relationships with local charging suppliers to ensure a smooth installation process. This enables us to suggest companies which, based on our knowledge of the market, we have found to be professional and reliable partners.
Once you have chosen an appropriate charging partner, we will ensure that they have all the information they need to prepare a proposal for a charging solution that meets your needs. This includes finding a suitable charger that is compatible with our trucks and can deliver the required power in on time. We will also try to coordinate with the charging supplier, to help assist with onsite installation before your truck is delivered.
What additional support is offered once the truck is in operation?
To ensure continued smooth operation, Volvo Trucks can offer a range of connected services designed for electric trucks including:
- Volvo Open Charge for locating public charging stations
- Charging Management to help plan for more efficient fleet charging at your depot
- Range and Route for simulating and predicting vehicle ranges, and optimizing route planning
- Battery Pack Monitoring to monitor the health of the truck’s batteries in real time.
Our charging supplier partners can offer service contracts covering their equipment too, and we will of course continue to cooperate with them with the aim of maximizing uptime. For example, if a truck is not charging to full capacity, we may coordinate with the charging supplier and share diagnostic information to determine where any faults lie – with the truck or with the charger – so that the issue can be resolved as quickly as possible.
Start the conversation with our team today
This is just the minimum level of support Volvo Trucks offers. However, in some markets we can offer even more support. To find out what is available in your region, contact your nearest Volvo Trucks dealership.
For more information about making a successful transition to electric trucks, you might be interested in:
- Why you should worry less about range anxiety in electric trucks
- Tips for investing in an electric truck
- How to adapt a business to electric trucks and charging