Volvo truck’s first battery plant flows in Europe

Volvo Trucks is opening its first battery assembly plant. Located in Ghent, Belgium, the plant will supply batteries ready to be installed for Volvo truck full-electric heavy-duty trucks.

“This investment shows our strong commitment to electrify truck transport. By 2030, at least 50 percent of all trucks we sell worldwide will be electric, and by 2040, we will be a carbon-neutral company, “said Roger Alam, president of Volvo Trucks.

At the new battery plant, cells and modules from the Samsung SDI will be integrated into a battery pack designed for the heavy-duty electric range of Volvo trucks: Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX. Series production began in the third quarter of this year.

Each battery pack has a capacity of 90 kWh and the customer can choose to have six battery packs (540 kWh) per truck. The number of batteries depends on the specific range and load capacity requirements of each customer.

“By integrating the battery assembly process into our production flow, we can shorten the lead time and secure high-performing batteries, at the same time increasing the roundness,” said Roger Alam.

Volvo truck batteries are designed to be subsequently rebuilt, refurbished, and reused. The plant is powered by 100% renewable energy.

Volvo began production of a series of electric trucks in 2019 and is leading the market in both Europe and North America.