Volvo Trucks just released an updated version of its FM Low Entry model cabover city truck with new features meant to give it an edge navigating urban environments. But the big news is tucked away beneath the cab. This truck is electric … and, for the first time, there is no diesel version coming.
That’s right, kids – this is an electric-only Class 8 commercial truck, not an electric version of a truck you can also get as a diesel. If you want the latest FM, you’re going electric.
“For example in waste management, distribution transport and construction … this zero-emission truck is a great addition to our electric range, perfectly suited for city transports and designed with the driver in mind,” explains Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks. “It’s powerful, yet smooth to drive and easy to maneuver. The new Volvo FM Low Entry is perfectly in line with our ambitions to expand our electric offer, enabling even more customers to reduce their carbon emissions.”
Volvo FM Low Entry electric class 8 truck
The new FM Low Entry electric truck will initially be sold in Europe and South Korea, with sales beginning Q1 of 2024 (so like, now). Series production is set to start in Q2, with other markets opening up according to demand.
Volvo FM Low Entry key features
The visibility (with standard specification) fulfills the Transport for London 5-star Direct Vision Standard.
The truck is equipped with Volvo Dynamic Steering system for effortless steering and reduced vibrations.
Three seat options are available: Driver + 0, 1 or 3 passengers. With 3 passenger seats placed at the back of the cab, they are not in the view of the driver. This minimizes blind spots and contributes to excellent visibility.
The many ergonomic features include a low instep, flat floor and well-positioned grab handles for easy and safe exit of the cab.
The truck is available with Volvo’s new advanced Camera Monitor System.
It’s available in two heights (standing): Sleeper cab (1575 mm) and Extended/High sleeper (1945 mm).
Range: up to 200 km (range depends on several parameters such as load weight, driving style, driving cycle, topography, temperature, etc.) Charging: 250 kW (DC), 43 kW (AC)
Wheelbase: 3900-6000 mm
Electrek’s Take
With the launch of this all-electric city truck, Volvo Trucks now has a total of eight fully electric truck models in its range – and that’s not including the upcoming electric version of the recently re-launched, next-generation VNL, or the electric Mack Trucks. The company is serious about decarbonization, in other words, and any municipal or commercial fleet that’s serious about their own ESG goals would do well to check out their offerings.
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Elon Musk is again claiming that Tesla’s always “coming next year” Roadster will be able to fly.
The prototype for the next-generation Tesla Roadster was first unveiled in 2017, and it was supposed to come into production in 2020, but it has been delayed every year since then.
It has become a sort of running joke, and there are doubts that it will ever come to market despite Tesla’s promise of dozens of free new Roadsters to Tesla owners who participated in its referral program years ago.
Musk said that Tesla will unveil a much-needed updated version of the next-gen Roadster since the design of the yet-to-be-revealed vehicle is already 7 years old, and he said that vehicle would come to market in 2025.
The CEO had previously talked about an updated version of the new Tesla Roadster with something called ‘SpaceX package’, which would include cold air thrusters that could theoretically make the vehicle “fly”, or rather jump and possibly hover, for short distances.
Electrek’s Take
It’s pretty funny that Elon is responding to a guy using the classic technology complaint that “we were promised flying cars, but they are never coming” with a vehicle that Tesla has been promising every year for the past 4 years.
At this point, the Roadster, like FSD, is something that entered the “put up, or shut up” phase.
Bring it or stop talking about it, especially the flying part. The Roadster was supposed to be the “halo effect” for electric cars. I’m not sure how the cold air trusters play into this.
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Tesla has reportedly halted Cybertruck deliveries amid a problem with the motor of its giant windshield wiper.
The Cybertruck is equipped with the biggest wiper put on a consumer vehicle.
It’s the result of Tesla’s design, which aimed to have a straight line from the front-end all the way to the apex of the roof – resulting in nowhere to hide wipers between the hood and the windshield.
Instead, Tesla opted to have a single giant exposed wiper with a vertical resting position for aerodynamic reasons.
In my review of the Cybertruck, I noted that we had some problems with it, like starting on its own for no reason and staying down as a resting position rather than up. However, I chalked this up as being due to Tesla’s notoriously bad auto windshield wiper system, which is common on all Tesla vehicles – not just the Cybertruck.
Now, many Cybertruck buyers are reporting that Tesla has delayed their deliveries, indicating a roughly week-long halt on deliveries, and some were told by Tesla that it had to do with the windshield wiper motor (via Cybertruck Owners Club).
Some buyers were told that Tesla would have to replace the windshield wiper motor on all Cybertruck, but this has yet to be confirmed.
No recall notice has been released yet.
Electrek’s Take
As I previously reported, we had some issues with ours last month when reviewing the Cybertruck.
I chalked it up to the terrible Tesla auto wiper, but now that I think about it, it’s possible that it wasn’t that.
Tesla’s auto wipers are known to start when they shouldn’t and don’t start when they should. The Cybertruck’s wipers were doing that, but they were also starting and stopping at the bottom rather than at the top position and just staying there.
I’m not sure if it has to do with this or if it’s completely unrelated. I expect that we will learn more in the next few days.
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Bobcat unveiled the all-new TL25.60e electric telehandler concept at Intermat last month, with a 2.5 ton rated capacity, three electric motors, and the promise of unmatched energy efficiency and performance that’s objectively superior to diesel.
The Bobcat TL26.60e gets its energy efficient edge from its “actively cooled” li-ion batteries, which are designed to deliver consistent performance in any weather and help fleet operators maintain low running costs while maximizing efficiency and, as a consequence, savings.
Speaking of the cab, it’s the same one found in Bobcat’s larger TLS models, despite the TL26.60e’s smaller footprint. The compact nature of the the machine’s electric components means there’s room for stuff like that – and, as a consequence, more room for operators.
“At Bobcat, we are committed to innovative design that prioritizes both cutting-edge technology and operator wellbeing,” says Vijay Nerva, Innovation Lead, Bobcat EMEA. “Our integration of ergonomics and digitization, exemplified by the transparent T-OLED screen, allows us to introduce customizable, interactive features without compromising the comfort and spacious design of our cabs.”
The TL26.60e features a top speed of 25 km/h, a 6 meter lifting height, and a 2.5 ton lifting capacity. The liquid-cooled battery has a 30 kWh capacity, which should be good for a full shift at most low-speed job sites.
Electrek’s Take
Bobcat’s electric telehandler concept is still just that, but as more and more construction companies come up agains no-drip job sites, low emissions zones, tightening noise regulations, and the ESG goals of both corporate and government clients, it seems like only a matter of time before machines like this become more the rule than the exception.