Leading building materials company Holcim and Volvo Trucks announced an order for 1,000 electric trucks to be deployed across Holcim’s operations in Europe between now and 2030.

The new order includes Volvo FH and Volvo FM heavy duty trucks. Volvo unveiled its first heavy duty electric trucks in 2020 and began series production in 2022. In December 2022, the company expanded its lineup with rigid versions of its electric trucks, including the Volvo FH and Volvo FM, allowing the trucks to be designed to carry electric superstructures for specialized transport assignments, including goods distribution, refuse collection and construction work.

The agreement represents Volvo’s largest electric truck order to date. Deliveries are anticipate to start this year, with 130 trucks to be delivered in 2023 and 2024.

Martin Lundstedt, President & CEO Volvo Group, said:

“Long-term collaboration and a strong commitment to really make a difference are essential for making big CO2 reductions a reality. I’m very proud of the partnership we have developed with Holcim, and the results we are achieving together.”

According to the companies, replacing 1,000 diesel versions of the Volvo FH with electric trucks and using green electricity would save up to 50,000 tons of CO2 annually. Holcim recently announced a series of updated climate targets that have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and the company was the first global building materials company to sign on to the SBTi’s “Business Ambition for 1.5°C” pledge, joining in 2020. 

Holcim Chairman and CEO Jan Jenisch said:

“The net-zero transition requires deep collaboration across value chains. We are excited to be partnering with Volvo to decarbonize our European operations’ logistics with electric fleets, advancing our goal to reach 30% of zero-emission heavy-duty trucks by 2030.”