UAE: Free Salik, parking for newly launched heavy-duty Volvo electric truck

UAE: Free Salik, parking for newly launched heavy-duty Volvo electric truck

The country has been aggressively pushing to reach the net zero 2050 target across all sectors, especially on the mobility front

New Salik gate opens on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai

Published: Tue 13 Jun 2023, 11:40 PM Last updated: Tue 13 Jun 2023, 11:50 PM

Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Company (Famco) on Tuesday launched the first-ever heavy-duty electric truck in the UAE and Middle East region.

The truck, manufactured by Sweden’s automobile giant Volvo, has a capacity of 40 tonnes and can run 300 kilometres on a full charge and takes only 2.5 hours to fully recharge in DC mode and 9.5 hours in AC mode. The first batch has been sold to FMCG major Unilever.

Ramez Hamdan, managing director for industrial equipment for UAE, Saudi and Qatar at Famco, said it’s one of the fastest vehicles to be charged and has been tested in hot and cold weather.

In terms of the economic aspect, he said the total cost of an e-truck is much lower than a diesel-operated truck, considering the downtime of the vehicle and the cost of diesel consumption.

“Around 65 per cent of the cost comes from diesel, so firms are a big chunk of that by using e-trucks. Yes, there might