Electric trucks give us a better position in the market

“Not many companies can do what we can do,” says Lars Van Wijk, the owner of infrastructure company Van Wijk. “And that gives us a better position in the market.” 

Van Wijk works on civil engineering, road construction and hydraulic engineering projects and is on a mission to be fully electric by 2025. With four Volvo electric trucks already on its fleet, its more than halfway there.  

Eight years ago, Lars started driving electric cars, so it seemed like a logical step to electrify his truck fleet. Now he’s fully invested in the electrification journey.  

His company, which uses Volvo electric FMX and FE trucks for heavy construction, made the transition to electric trucks in just four years because he found his customers were increasingly requiring zero emission’s transportation. “The companies they hire have to come with electric trucks,” he says. 

But as well as pivoting his truck fleet to electric to meet customer demands, Lars was driven by a desire to leave a better world behind for his grandchildren. “The main reason for going electric is our social responsibility,” he adds. “We wanted to reduce our footprint.”

As he is seeing among his customers and the contract requirements, the transition to electric trucks is urgent but, he believes, “the longer you wait, the harder it will get”. 

For those unsure whether electric is right for them, or how their drivers and company will adapt to it, Lars is optimistic: “It's no different than a diesel truck.” It all comes down to education he believes and teaching people the right way. It also helps that “Volvo is on board with us” he adds. 

Smooth, powerful and silent, Van Wijk’s drivers love driving the electric trucks. “When you use an electric truck, you never want diesel again,” believes Lars. 

“I think we’re a real pioneer” he says. Lars is extremely proud of the gains his company has made in electrification. “It's getting better and better and now we have a very good product that works very well, and we have many contracts.”