Volvo Vitality | Sustainable Trucking With Prolonged Life Batteries

We’re two years into the Volvo VNR Electrical main the way in which in zero emissions trucking, with the corporate on monitor to place 300,000 such vehicles into operation within the coming years. It’s secure to say, then, that electrical semi vehicles aren’t coming quickly. They’re already right here, and the scope of heavy electrical car functions is rising from metropolis and college buses to refuse and drayage vehicles to true over-the-road semi tractors. As such, producers are going to must play a bigger battery manufacturing, utilization, and retirement than they do at the moment – and that’s the place Volvo Vitality is available in.

“The battery is the guts of an electrical truck,” explains Elisabeth Larsson, senior vice chairman of gross sales and providers at Volvo Vitality. “When correctly maintained, it will probably ship a number of lifecycles, together with after its helpful life within the truck. This idea — known as “battery circularity” — is an funding within the general sustainability plan, not simply the truck. Volvo Vitality is reaching battery circularity by a course of deemed because the 4 Rs: refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, and recycle.”

A division of the bigger Volvo Group, Volvo Vitality is working to develop battery circularity specializing in what it calls “the 4 Rs”:

• refurbishing/repairing
• remanufacturing
• repurposing
• recycling

Refurbishing/repairing a battery allows its continued use or, in some instances, reuse, whereas remanufacturing entails changing modules to supply prospects with “good-as-new” substitute batteries at a decrease value than new ones.

On the finish of its car lifecycle, a battery that’s degraded to lower than 80% of its authentic capability when new could be repurposed, utilized in functions like onsite vitality storage the place complete capability is much less crucial than it is likely to be in a car. This sort of repurposing can the lifespan of a truck’s battery by as a lot as a decade.

With these efforts, Volvo Vitality hopes to not solely contribute to sustainability, but in addition assist charging, optimize vitality utilization in buildings or microgrids, and retailer inexperienced vitality from intermittent vitality sources like wind and photo voltaic.

“Buyer conversations are a spotlight of my job at Volvo Vitality,” says Larsson. “I meet many fleet managers who’re in control on battery lifecycle expectations. I additionally meet prospects who know little or no concerning the course of however are desirous to study extra. Widespread amongst all of them is the need to spice up their sustainability plans, they usually look to Volvo Vitality to assist them obtain that purpose.”

In an business the place one measurement doesn’t match all, Volvo, by Volvo Vitality, is recognizing the significance of tailoring options to satisfy the distinctive necessities of every fleet.

“Volvo Vitality gives worth by aiding fleets find the best methods to delay the lifetime of the battery,” Larsson continues. “There are fleets that wish to optimize their utilization and residual worth by altering out batteries extra ceaselessly, however that hinges on the route of advancing expertise. Providing prospects extra choices is a part of our plan. I feel there will likely be variations of enterprise fashions in improvement that align in keeping with what the shopper finds most helpful and price efficient.”

Supply | Photographs: Volvo Vitality.