Volvo Group to Build Battery Plant for Electric Truck Cells

Volvo Group has started the process to build a "large-scale" battery plant in Sweden for battery-electric trucks.

The truck manufacturer announced that it has chosen a preferred site in Mariestad in southwestern Sweden, close to the Group's current main powertrain plant in Skövde.

Volvo Group says that the battery cells produced at the plant will be designed specifically for commercial vehicles, and will support the roll-out of electric trucks, buses, construction equipment, and electric drivelines for different applications but not cars.

“We aim to lead the transition to a decarbonized transport system and have the long-term ambition to offer our customers solutions that are 100% fossil free,"  says Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO of the Volvo Group.

There is a strong demand from our customers already today, and by 2030, it is our ambition that at least 35% of the products we sell are electric. This ramp-up will require large volumes of high-performing batteries, produced using fossil-free energy and it is a logical next step for us to include battery production in our future industrial footprint. We aim to do this together with partners and the journey starts now."

Locating the site in Skövde will also give the plant access to the region's existing industrial and logistics infrastructure, as well as allow it to build on a strong heritage and world-class competence in advanced, high-volume manufacturing. The plant will also have access to Sweden's supply of fossil-free energy. The Volvo Group's Gothenburg-based R&D and headquarters are only a two-hour drive away, as well.

Volvo Group's decision to pursue battery-electric trucks is bucking a growing trend for hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles. UK-based truck manufacturer Tevva, for example, recently revealed its hydrogen truck from its base in Tilbury.