Koreans get first look at Volvo's large electric truck

Industry

Published: 15 Mar. 2023, 17:26

Koreans get first look at Volvo's large electric truck

Johan Selven, vice president at Volvo Trucks International, speaks during a press conference introducing its large-size FH Electric truck at the EV Trend Korea auto show Wednesday. [VOLVO TRUCKS KOREA]

Volvo Trucks showcased the FH Electric truck at the EV Trend Korea auto show Wednesday.

It's the first large-size pure electric truck to be introduced in the local market.

Korea will be the first country in the Asia-Pacific region where the truck is sold, with sales set to begin in the second half.

Equipped with a 540-kilowatt-hour battery, the 40-ton FH Electric can run 300 kilometers (186 miles) per single charge.

To charge up the vehicle to 80 percent takes just 90 minutes using an ultra-fast charger.

Volvo hopes the truck will find use in deliveries, logistics and construction sites in Korea.

"Sustainability is our reality that cannot be delayed any longer, and the transition to electricity is not a matter of choice but a demand of the times," said Johan Selven, vice president heading sales and marketing at Volvo Trucks International, during a press conference at EV Trend Korea.

"Leading electricity also shows Volvo Trucks' commitment to people and safety as well as carbon reduction in terms of environmental protection."

Volvo Trucks also vowed to invest 6 billion won ($4.6 million) in Korea to build solar power facilities at its three service centers in the country.

The facilities will likely reduce greenhouse gases by up to 574 tons a year.

Volvo Trucks aims to become a 100-percent electric brand by the end of 2040 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The company first produced mid-size electric trucks in 2019 and began mass-producing large-size electric trucks last year, an industry first.

More than 4,300 Volvo electric trucks have been sold worldwide, with 30 percent in the European market.

EV Trend Korea, the country's largest electric auto show, runs through Friday at Coex, southern Seoul.

A teaser image of BYD's electric truck, which is slated to be introduced in Korea in April. [GS GLOBAL]

On Wednesday, China's BYD also confirmed its imminent arrival in Korea’s electric mini-truck market, a sector currently dominated by Hyundai Motor’s Porter Electric and Kia's Bongo EV.

GS Global, the Korean importer of BYD, said the Chinese brand will introduce a 1-ton T4K electric truck in Korea in April.

Equipped with an 82-kilowatt-hour battery, the truck can run 246 kilometers (153 miles) on a single charge, according to the Environment Ministry.

That's further than Hyundai's Porter 2 Electric and Kia's Bongo 3 EV, both of which run 211 kilometers per charge.

The sticker price has yet to be confirmed, though the truck is reportedly cheaper than the Porter or Bongo.

BYD already sells electric buses in Korea.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]