Volvo Trucks promises all-electric semi for 2019

The company believes electric trucks will change urban transportation, enabling silent night deliveries and no exhaust fumes.

Volvo Trucks has announced plans to release an all-electric cargo vehicle in 2019.

The company will begin testing electric trucks with pilot program partners this year before rolling out production units to Europe next year.

"By using electrically powered and quieter trucks for goods transport in urban areas, we meet several challenges simultaneously," says Volvo Trucks president Claes Nilsson. "Without disturbing noise and exhaust gases, it will be possible to operate in more sensitive city centres. Transport may also take place throughout less busy periods, for example in late evening and at night."

Unlike Tesla's electric-semi plan, Volvo Trucks plans to initially focus on urban logistics in crowded European cities that are particularly aggressive in reducing local emissions from consumer and commercial vehicles alike.

"We believe in full electrification for urban distribution as a first," step," Nilsson adds. "However we are working with electrification for other transport applications."

To be clear, Volvo Trucks is still under the Volvo Group umbrella. The Volvo Cars unit was sold off in 1999 and has been owned by China's Geely Holding Group since 2010. The latest announcement comes just weeks after Geely acquired a $3.2 billion stake in Volvo Trucks, paving the way for collaboration on autonomous technologies and electric powertrains.

Image by Ronan Glon.