Volvo Trucks’ first battery plant goes on stream in Europe
Volvo Trucks is opening its very first battery assembly plant. Located in Ghent, Belgium, the plant will supply ready-to-install batteries for Volvo Trucks’ full-electric heavy-duty trucks.
“This investment shows our strong commitment to electrifying truck transportation. By 2030, at least 50 percent of all trucks we sell globally will be electric and by 2040, we will be a carbon-neutral company,” says Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks.
In the new battery plant, cells and modules from Samsung SDI will be assembled into battery packs that are tailor-made for Volvo Trucks´ heavy-duty electric range: Volvo FH, Volvo FM, and Volvo FMX. Series production starts in the third quarter of this year.
Each battery pack has a capacity of 90 kWh and the customer can choose to have up to six battery packs (540 kWh) in a truck. The number of batteries depends on each customer’s specific range and load capacity demands.
“By integrating the battery assembly process in our production flow, we can shorten lead times and secure high-performing batteries, while at the same time increasing circularity,” says Roger Alm.
Volvo Trucks´ batteries are designed so that they can later be remanufactured, refurbished, and reused. The plant is powered by 100% renewable energy.
Volvo started the series production of electric trucks in 2019 and is leading the market both in Europe and North America.