Trucks
Electric trucks operate in the same traffic environment as all other trucks. So, all safety systems that are available for diesel trucks are also available for Volvo’s electric trucks, designed to support the driver to avoid or mitigate accidents as well as minimizing injuries for all involved road users in the event of an accident.
Additionally, electric trucks are very quiet, which can create a risk that pedestrians and cyclists don’t hear the truck approaching. Therefore, Volvo’s battery electric trucks are equipped with an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System - an artificial sound that is activated at low speeds.
The presence of traction batteries in all electric vehicles presents specific risks and calls for specific precautions, when compared to trucks with internal combustion engines. These specific risks include thermal runaway, which means an uncontrolled increase of a battery cell’s temperature, due to internal or external factors. As the temperature rises, it can start a self-sustaining reaction: where the heat generated causes further reactions, and produces even more heat. In the worst case, this can lead to the cell venting hot, toxic gases, catching fire, or even exploding.
While it may not be possible to completely eliminate the risk of thermal runaway in a single cell due to manufacturing defects, Volvo has implemented various measures to minimize the risk for thermal propagation, which is more challenging to control.
There are protective materials within the battery system to prevent thermal propagation, and the batteries are equipped with sensors that continuously monitor their state, enabling early detection of any malfunction and minimizing potential impacts. When considering the truck’s hardware, the design of the battery cells used by Volvo provides several advantages that together minimize the risk of thermal runaway.
The battery pack’s design incorporates features to safeguard against, for example, crashes, vibration and water intrusion. This helps to reduce the risk of hazardous conditions such as short-circuits, mechanical failures, and thermal events. If, however, a serious error is detected in a battery pack, the faulty pack is disconnected from the traction voltage system by built-in sensors, further improving safety.
The battery management unit, also known as the BMU, is crucial for the overall reliability of the battery pack. The BMU actively monitors and controls the parameters of the battery pack, such as voltage, current, and temperature, making sure that the battery pack operates within safe limits. It prevents overcharging, over-discharging, overcurrent, overvoltage, and overheating by initiating protective measures when necessary.
The high-voltage system in electric trucks means that precautions need to be taken, and safety protocols need to be followed in case of maintenance, accident or breakdown. Electric trucks are statistically not more likely to be involved in specific types of accidents than their counterparts with other drivelines.
Furthermore, many additional safety features are in place in electric trucks, covering aspects of their design and build, and the features on board.
Legal requirements for cab strength exist, making sure that heavy trucks are robust enough to withstand rollovers and frontal collisions. In addition, all Volvo trucks undergo numerous crash tests that exceed legal mandates, designed to prepare Volvoʼs vehicles for a variety of accident scenarios. For electric trucks, Volvo has introduced specific crash safety requirements to ensure that batteries and other electrical components are engineered for optimal crash safety.
While electric trucks are not statistically more likely to be involved in specific types of accidents than their diesel counterparts, the presence of a traction battery along the chassis calls for precautions. Many crash test simulations are conducted through advanced technology, complemented by physical tests that simulate real-world scenarios, such as a passenger car colliding with the truck and a rollover incident. These tests demonstrate extreme forces while ensuring the batteries remain secure. To prevent accidents, Volvo trucks are equipped with advanced safety systems for driver safety.
All components of the traction voltage system are located and packaged on the chassis to protect them in the event of a collision. The side members of the chassis protect electronics and cabling, to avoid direct exposure to crash forces. The batteries have their own steel cages, which enclose the battery packs with protective steel beams. The structures surrounding the batteries are tested to withstand the energy from a collision with a passenger car.
The batteries are firmly mounted onto the chassis with a meticulously calculated balance of firmness and flexibility. In a situation where another vehicle impacts the truck where the batteries are mounted, the mechanical structure will be sturdy enough to prevent direct damage, but also to absorb the crash force.
Side collision detection is a safety function that is designed to shut off the high voltage system in the event of side collisions. It also protects rescue personnel and other road users after the accident. It includes a multi collision brake that reduces the risk of a second accident, and it also unlocks the doors to facilitate rescue and activates the hazard warning lights.
In case of a rollover or a severe frontal collision the electronic control unit of the airbag will initiate a number of actions to increase safety, and a number of actions will be taken to increase safety in those scenarios. The following actions increase electrical safety:
• The traction voltage system is switched off.
• The battery packs are disconnected.
• Any residual voltage is discharged, meaning that the voltage inside junction boxes and cables is reduced to a safe level.
To increase safety even further, the hazard warning lights are activated and all cab doors are unlocked.
Since the voltage in the truck’s systems are high and must be handled with care, all high-voltage cables are orange and enclosures that contain high-voltage parts are marked with the label for electrical hazard. To further safeguard against coming into contact with live parts, any openings, such as the charging inlet, are classified as finger-proof (IPXXB). This means that the diameters of the openings are small enough to protect against access with a finger.
All conductors carrying a current are covered with plastic insulation that makes them safe to touch, even if there is an insulation failure inside a component.
Yes: individual safety sheets are available at vehicleinfo.volvotrucks.com
Onboard safety systems include various protective measures to ensure the safe operation of the electric truck. These systems monitor, for example, insulation resistance, thermal conditions, and electrical parameters.
The charging system is designed to be safe and efficient, adhering to several standards and regulations. It includes features such as movement prevention when the charging cable is connected, temperature management, and communication with the charging station to regulate current levels.
The system also ensures that the charging inlets are disconnected from the traction voltage system when not in use, preventing accidental exposure to high voltage. Volvo's electric trucks comply with the combined charging system (CCS) standard. With CCS charging, there is no voltage or current transfer until the charging connector is locked in the charging inlet, the truck is immobilised, and communication is secured between the charging station and the truck. The truck and the charging station will continue to communicate throughout the whole charging session, ensuring that charging is performed with the right current levels and with all relevant parameters in their appropriate range.
There are three main safety features in the truck aiming to prevent failures during charging. These are:
• Overcurrent protection
• Over-temperature protection
• Short circuit protection
They include:
Regulation UN ECE R10
Standard ISO 6469
Standard IEC 61851
Standard IEC 62196
Standard ISO 17840
Guideline SAE J2344
Guideline SAE J2464
Other standards may apply now or in the future.
Electric trucks operate in the same traffic environment as all other trucks. So, all safety systems that are available for diesel trucks are also available for Volvo’s electric trucks, designed to support the driver to avoid or mitigate accidents as well as minimizing injuries for all involved road users in the event of an accident.
Electric vehicles can be very quiet, making them difficult to detect by vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. So, there is a legal demand in Europe – applying to both cars and trucks - that they must reach a defined sound level. If they do not, artificial sound needs to be added in certain traffic situations.
Volvo’s electric trucks actually meet the legal levels already without the added sound, with the sound from tyres and other parts of the truck. Nonetheless, to minimize the risk that a pedestrian or cyclist does not notice the truck approaching, all Volvo electric trucks are equipped with an acoustic vehicle alerting system (AVAS). The AVAS features four distinct sounds that vary in intensity and frequency based on the truck's actions, such as moving forward or reversing, while still maintaining a quieter operation compared to conventional trucks.
The range of sounds are the result of thorough research and testing by Volvo Groupʼs own acoustics experts, and each sound is noticeable enough to warn people close to the truck, and yet still pleasant for the driver and other road users.
Short answer: no. The statistics available, however limited, show that electric vehicles are actually less likely to catch fire. Electric trucks, being a relatively new technology, have limited fire risk statistics compared to diesel trucks. However, research conducted in the US, Sweden, and Norway has indicated that electric cars are less prone to catching fire than cars with gas or hybrid drivelines. Hence, while the risks of fire in electric vehicles remain a concern, they are not necessarily higher than for conventional vehicles. It should be noted that these studies have limitations and do not guarantee that electric trucks do not have fire risks.
Handling a damaged or burning electric truck of course poses risks, so it is crucial for rescue personnel to know how to manage the trucks safely. To support this, information documents compliant with ISO 17840 have been created for all our electric models. These documents are available in over 25 languages, on vehicleinfo.volvotrucks.com and in the app Emergency Response Guides for Android and iOS tablets.
One specific feature that is mentioned in the information is the emergency cut-off loop. It includes two easily accessible wires, one on each side of the truck, which can be cut to immediately disable the traction voltage in the traction battery and all the high-voltage components. Information about how the driver should act in case of a fire is available in Driver Guide.
Yes, a Volvo electric truck is designed to withstand this. However, water intrusion into the charging inlet and charging connector can lead to short circuits and potentially severe accidents. To reduce this risk, the charging inlet is provided with a protective lid and draining holes.
To minimize the risk of water-related issues, the driver must make sure that the protective lid is properly in place when not charging, and that the draining holes are not clogged with dirt. So, while the truck is built to handle wet conditions and to withstand water, proper maintenance and driver handling have a significant impact on how safe its operation is in harsh weather.
In workshops, special care must be taken when working with electric trucks. For this, there are both international standards and Volvo standards in place. All maintenance work must be performed by trained service personnel, strictly according to instructions, and a workshop role unique for electric trucks has been introduced. A person with this role is responsible for performing decommissioning and commissioning, and for ensuring safe conditions for other technicians to perform work on the truck. We already have a large network of workshops that are Electric Vehicle certified, and the number is continuously growing.
