Heavy Duty Trucking, August 2018

HDT AUGUST 2018 30 WWW TRUCKINGINFO COM Driving Volvos electric truck Jack Roberts Senior Editor jroberts@ truckinginfo com Currently these trucks are best suited for operations with set routes that vary little from day to day Jack has become known for his reporting on advanced technology such as intelligent drivetrains advanced driver assist systems autonomous vehicle technology truck platooning and alternative fuels He can reached at jroberts@ truckinginfo com or 310 533 2521 olvo introduced its FL and FE Class 7 battery electric trucks this spring in Europe with pre production models which are being evaluated by trusted Volvo customers in Sweden and Germany in real world trials in refuse and urban delivery applications We wont see Volvo electric trucks in North America in the short term but American journalists were given the chance to see the trucks up close and take them for short test drives in June in Gothenburg Sweden where Volvos global headquarters is based Climbing up the steps and settling in behind the wheel there are few obvious differences A few instrumentation tweaks reflect the electric drivetrain such as a battery life indicator instead of a fuel gauge Perhaps the most obvious difference is the lack of a transmission to manipulate At idle the truck hums quietly with the predominant noises in the cab coming from the HVAC system the wipers and muffled outside conversations To get underway you first pull the toggle handle up on the European style parking brake and move it upwards to disengage it and youre ready to roll Once thats done you simply shift your foot from the service brake to the accelerator and the electric powertrain responds instantly with a smooth measured take off One problem with early electric trucks was the fact that unlike gas or diesel drivetrains there is no power torque curve Electric drivetrains can deliver 100 full torque instantaneously making it possible to burn the tires on a fully loaded truck like a top fuel dragster Today carefully calibrated and specialized electronic control modules meter the amount of power delivered to the drive wheels But the truck still gets up and moving in a highly impressive fashion As youre accelerating up to a normal drayage driving speed of around 35 to 40 mph the stunning quietness of this powertrain really hits home It is no exaggeration to say that there is no noise emitted by the Volvo electric drivetrain Some road noise and a bit of wind as it gusted in off the Danish Sea Then you realize that you can hear noises from the chassis suspension and axles that are normally drowned out by an internal combustion engine On a new truck like the FE there were very few of these squeaks pops and groans to be heard But it is my guess that these extremely quiet electric drivetrains will put increased and all new pressure on suspension and axle suppliers to engineer these once inconsequential noises out of their components The most obvious comparison while driving an FL Electric is to a golf cart a massive golf cart to be sure But in terms of drivetrain behavior and responsiveness it is the most apt description Response to throttle inputs is instantaneous and crisp The brakes on the truck are impressive too thanks to the regenerative system that captures kinetic energy once pressure is applied to the brake pedal and channels it back into the trucks battery system There will be some operational adjustments to be worked out in terms of operational ranges and scheduled recharging times At least currently these trucks are best suited for operations with set routes that vary little from day to day But in terms of familiarity efficiency and productivity these trucks are already capable of delivering the goods Read more about electric trucks in our September issue FUTURE FLEET V Driving a Volvo FL Electric truck isnt a huge departure from a diesel powered truck and should be an easy adjustment for seasoned drivers PHOTO JACK ROBERTS