First Volvo FH electric truck sold in Australia after road rules relaxed

Family-owned transport business Followmont Transport has taken delivery of Australia’s first Volvo FH electric prime mover, boasting a 540kWh battery pack and a range of up to 300 kilometres.

Production of the Volvo FH Electric began in Volvo’s factory in Gothenburg, Sweden, back in 2022, and made its official debut in Australia in May of 2023 at the company’s Sustainability Summit in Brisbane.

The Volvo FH Electric quickly made headlines and records in late-2023 when the truck completed what Volvo said was Australia’s longest electric truck journey, travelling 1,185 kilometres from Brisbane to Canberra.

Now, the first Volvo FH Electric has been sold and delivered to family-owned and operated transport business Followmont Transport, which will be using the new FH Electric prime mover to shuttle trailers between its Eagle Farm depot, servicing major accounts around Brisbane, and running overnight deliveries to its Toowoomba and Sunshine Coast Depots.

“We are thrilled to integrate electric trucks into our fleet, advancing our sustainability objectives and pioneering greener logistics solutions and are excited to receive the news that our road network is expanding to make the adoption of EV trucks easier,” said Mark Tobin, managing director of Followmont Transport.

“The investment in this truck reinforces our commitment to driving positive change and supporting a sustainable future for generations to come.”

Delivery of Australia’s first Volvo FH Electric came a day after the Queensland government announced that it was paving the way for electric heavy vehicles to enter the state’s roads through the development of a zero-emissions heavy vehicle road network.

In the designated area – which extends from the New South Wales border at the Gold Coast to Bundaberg and as far west as Toowoomba and Warwick – the Queensland government has increased steer axle mass allowances to 8 tons on the steer axle and 18.5 tons on the drive axles for battery electric heavy vehicles.

“This announcement will put Queensland on the map as a leader in future electric truck manufacturing,” said Bart Mellish, Queensland’s transport and main roads minister.

“As transport is one of the main contributors to Queensland’s emissions Zero Emission Heavy Vehicles can make a significant contribution to meeting Queensland’s targets to reduce emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050.”