Volvo Penta is accelerating its efforts to reach zero emissions through fossil-free, renewable fuels, hybrid, and electric technology. In the latest development, the company has delivered and integrated its electric driveline into the first of a series of prototype fully electric terminal tractors to U.S. customer, TICO who will be testing the prototypes with a variety of major fleet partners. “The market demand for electrification is everywhere in the applications we support,” says Daryl Berryman, Head of R&D at TICO. “In the port industries, in the distribution industries, in the rail industry – electromobility is the new cutting-edge technology that everybody wants. It’s the natural evolution of all transportation and we want to be pioneers. To achieve this teamwork is key. By working with Volvo Penta, we’ve established a team where everyone plays a different role, and the results speak for themselves.”
Ports and distribution hubs have highly organized fleets and operations with favorable environments to develop charging infrastructure, having well-defined duty cycles, making them the perfect fit for this kind of technology. Volvo Penta analyzed the operations of the TICO customer in real-time and based its electric system on this data and simulations. With good management of electrified vehicle fleets and access to high-power charging opportunities, this new technology could mean fleet owners will see notable benefits from a total cost of ownership perspective.
TICO will build a series of prototypes in close collaboration with Volvo Penta. These prototypes will be tested and continuously developed, finetuned, and improved. “The industry is undergoing a major transformation,” says Giorgio Paris, President of Volvo Penta Industrial. “Increasingly, customers, such as TICO, are driving demand for new technologies and more sustainable power solutions – and we are committed to supporting and implementing these changes. We see our customers as our biggest asset here, and only by working in close collaboration with them we can ensure that new technologies meet the same high-quality standards expected of a premium brand.”
