Volvo's VNR electric semi is about more than just the truck
Cars
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I have never driven in class eight before.
So this is a completely new experience to me and I love it.
This is just so fun.
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Like or not the future of tracking is electric.
Now it's not gonna happen tomorrow but auto makers are already putting work to make sure that inevitability is not gonna catch them with their pants down.
I am here at Fontana Speedway with one of those auto makers, Volvo.
And well, my purpose here is pretty simple.
Here's an electric truck, and I'm the driving.
Before you get too excited, it's worth mentioning that these are pre-production VLN electrics.
And Volvo has not given out many specific figures just yet.
What we do know is that its gross vehicle weight is about 66,000 pounds and it's currently running test routes between 75 and 175 miles long.
The rear wheels get their motive force from a pair of electric motors tucked in the middle of the frame.
All the batteries are nestled on either side of the drive line.
When it comes time to charge the CCS charging port is right there on the driver's side for easy access.
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What impresses me most about Volvo's electric semi is just how smooth it is.
There are no automated manuals, there's no Bucking and driving with clutch movement gets all smooth all the time and that from talking to co drivers and everybody else is a huge, huge selling point for this truck.
Just the complete serenity of it all really.
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On top of being smooth the truck is extremely quiet now you're not going to get a Lexus RX level of smoothness, the world Or it's quite innocent here but for being the classic semi, this is amazing.
You get a very small electric wire from the motor.
Couple of noises from pumps but otherwise it's you and really whatever you want on the radio So ordinarily, I mean, electric semi truck would be pretty impressive, right?
But there's so much more to it with Volvo.
It's not just about the truck.
It's building an entire ecosystem really from soup to nuts.
You've got sales, service, aftermarket, support, you've got training, you've got infrastructure, you've got dealerships that need to learn all this stuff.
It's a whole thing.
And Volvo is taking all of it and working in a public private partnership to make it happen.
So that way, when these trucks roll out later this year, which they will.
There will be so much support around them.
It's not just the truck, it's way more than just a truck.
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