New South Wales Rural Fire Service Tests Volvo FM Electric

    Posted On: Tuesday, 5 November 2024
    A Volvo FM Electric prime mover with an RFS water tanker attached sits on a road.
    With an eye to a low-emissions future, the New South Wales Rural Fire Service recently test-drove a Volvo FM Electric prime mover with an RFS water tanker to study the feasibility of adding low-emissions vehicles to the fleet. (Photo courtesy of Volvo.)

    The New South Wales Rural Fire Service recently evaluated a Volvo FM Electric prime mover as it prepares for future integration of low-emissions vehicles into emergency services fleets.

    Paving The Way For The Future

    The FM Electric was paired with an RFS water tanker and travelled 550 kilometres (342 miles) from the RFS Glendenning NSW logistics headquarters to the border city of Albury. The truck averaged 88.7 km/h and consumed 1.24 kilowatt-hours of energy per kilometre. The truck needed 120 minutes of charging to complete the 6.2-hour trip, which included stops at Goulburn and Tarcutta.

    RFS Logistics Manager Brendan Doyle and RFS Logistics & Transport Supervisor Peter Duff shared driving duties to assess vehicle performance and heavy vehicle charging.

    “This drive presented a great opportunity for us to touch, feel and experience an electric prime mover on public roads,” says Doyle. “It also allows us to consider where a vehicle like this could fill roles within our logistics fleet in the future.”

    “The driving experience was sensational,” added Peter Duff, “One of the key takeaways for me was that you could take anyone familiar with an existing Volvo truck and they’d be able to drive this without additional training at all.”

    A Volvo FM Electric prime mover hitched to an RFS water tanker trailer charges at a station.
    The RFS’ extended test drive included charging time to see how it would affect emergency services. The FM Electric required 120 minutes of charging to complete the 550-kilometre trip. (Photo courtesy of Volvo.)

    About The Volvo FM Electric

    The FM Electric is a low-emissions, low-noise heavy-duty truck with three electric motors, an I-Shift gearbox, and up to 490 kilowatts (657 horsepower) of continuous power. Buyers can equip the truck with five or six battery packs, according to their range and payload requirements.

    The FM Electric can travel up to 300 km (186 mi) between charges. It has a gross combination weight (GCW) of up to 50 tonnes (55 U.S. tons).

    Find Volvo Trucks For Sale

    Explore TruckWorld.com.au to find new and used Volvo trucks for sale, including FM prime movers, tipper trucks, refrigerator trucks, and more.

    Source: Volvo

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