After an excellent year in 2025, Volvo Trucks Belgium achieved an almost historic market share of 23.7%, 0.1% of its absolute record in 2016. The only domain in which the Swedish manufacturer had to give up its first place is that of electric trucks, where Mercedes-Benz surpassed it. But the counter-offensive is being prepared…
Global sales of electric trucks have increased well at Volvo Trucks, as Frank Kimpe (Managing Director of Volvo Trucks Belgium) indicated during his annual press conference: in the third quarter, deliveries increased by 25%, but new orders increased by only 4%. The market share of electric vehicles is now 3%.
In Belgium, the abolition of certain premiums and benefits in Flanders could lead to a certain degree of pessimism at Volvo Trucks Belgium, but that is not the case. “Although the ecology premium+ has been abolished and the kilometer charge is no longer free for electric trucks, other benefits remain, such as the permission to drive 46 tonnes in Flanders. Let us also not forget that the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has introduced a premium for the purchase of electric trucks, which could benefit certain carriers, including Walloons, who have a Luxembourg subsidiary,” said Pieter Thienpont (Sales Director of Volvo Trucks Belgium). However, Volvo Trucks Belgium expects that the truck market in Belgium will only really ‘take off’ in 2027, partly due to the evolution of the tax on fossil fuels.
Currently, Volvo Trucks’ electric range consists of several models, but the majority of sales come from the FM and FH Electric. The latter still uses traditional technology, with an electric motor taking the place of the diesel engine. A first-generation FH Electric has a range of 470 kilometers, thanks in part to new battery cells, an optimized engine and transmission (I-Shift) and the aerodynamic properties of the Aero cabin. The second generation, expected during 2026, will offer much more, as the most realistic estimates are for 600 kilometers and a faster charging time. The new Volvo FH Electric will share its main technical features with the Renault Trucks E-Tech T 780, which was showcased at the Solutrans 2025 fair.
