--- title: "Volvo’s Electric Garbage Truck Is Its Answer to Tesla’s Big Rig" description: "Volvo's new electric truck is about to deploy on the streets of Hamburg, Germany. And they could beat Tesla's semi to the punch." date: "2018-12-11" modified: "2018-12-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/volovs-electric-garbage-truck-tesla-semi" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "electric trucks" - "tesla" - "tesla semi" - "the digest" - "volvo" --- # Volvo’s Electric Garbage Truck Is Its Answer to Tesla’s Big Rig ![Volvo's new electric truck is about to deploy on the streets of Hamburg, Germany. And they could beat Tesla's semi to the punch.]() *\Image: Volvo\* ## Road Race The trucks that will roam **the** city streets of the future will be electric. But **which** **automaker will lead the charge**? Volvo might have a chance at getting ahead. **The** Swedish **company** is about to deliver its first entirely battery-powered truck to the streets of Hamburg, Germany, *Bloomberg* [reports](). ## E-Trucks Designing an all-electric utility truck meant to carry heavy loads — whether from a construction site or simply garbage — is no simple feat. They have to charge in time for next deployment, work around tight schedules, and endure all kinds of difficult conditions, like severe weather and uneven ground. Volvo's FE Electric truck can carry 10 to 15 tons, and will have a range of 200 kilometers. **That stands in contrast to the** Tesla's **planned** Semi **truck,** **which will have** a payload of [more than twice that](), with a [500 mile range](). But Tesla's offerings have yet to roll out to customers — it's hoping to do **deliver at some point** [next year](). ## Going Green There are plenty of advantages to using electric trucks over their fossil fuel-reliant brethren, including significant **long-term** savings: driving and maintaining electric trucks is a whole lot cheaper than diesel. *Bloomberg* [suggests]() it could become the cheapest option as soon as 2025. And perhaps one day, we will no longer have to be bothered by the loud roar of diesel engines while we're trying to fall asleep. **READ MORE:** [Volvo Charges Up E-Garbage Trucks to Get Ahead of Tesla’s Rig]() \[*Bloomberg*\] ***More on Volvo's trucks: [Self-Driving Trucks Will Transport Limestone in a Norwegian Mine]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()