Sustainability

Many companies are formulating ambitious goals for greenhouse gas emissions to comply with the Paris agreement, for example, and electric trucks are one of the means of achieving these goals. Stricter emission regulations are also driving this technology, as well as the desire for better air quality and less noise, especially in urban areas. Another important driver is transport efficiency. Electric trucks can make deliveries at night and in off-peak periods, and can access more locations than their diesel counterparts, including inside buildings. Transport buyers are also a driving force, as many have set ambitious goals for delivering zero emission transports.

The environmental impact of an electric truck is very low when the truck is in use, but slightly higher during production. However, because trucks have high usage rates, it is possible to compensate for this quickly. The breakeven of an electric truck in terms of climate impact can be achieved within less than a year when using electricity from renewable sources or from nuclear power. Electric drivelines are much more energy efficient than diesel drivelines and produce no tailpipe emissions. They have the lowest environmental impact when they use electricity from renewable sources. 

An electric vehicle produces zero tailpipe emissions and considerably less noise than a combustion engine vehicle. However, emissions are released during production and while driving from tyres, brakes, road wear etc.

Yes, about 90% of the life cycle environmental impact of a traditional diesel truck comes from usage. Trucks that run on electricity from renewable sources have a much lower usage impact. At Volvo we work hard to make sure that the raw materials are extracted using sustainable methods and that batteries are produced with minimal impact on the climate. 

We take a holistic approach to the entire life cycle as well as the supply chain, including suppliers, materials, logistics, manufacturing and recycling. This includes both how the driveline and batteries are produced, as well as which materials are being used.