The new generation of heavy-duty electric trucks from Volvo Trucks received the International Truck of the Year 2027 award during the opening of IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover, Germany. The award is given to the electric range, not to a single truck, and includes the FH Electric, FM Electric, FMX Electric, and FH Aero Electric.
The jury’s decision was based on improvements in driving range, energy efficiency, payload capacity, and the flexibility to use the trucks in different transport applications. This is the eighth time Volvo has won the award. The FH Electric also previously received it in 2024, when it became the first battery-electric truck to win the title.
Longer Range and Megawatt Charging
The new FH Aero Electric leads the range with a stated range of up to 700 kilometers, or approximately 435 miles, on a single charge. Volvo says this range has been made possible by a new electric axle that allows additional batteries with greater capacity to be installed without increasing the vehicle’s dimensions. The truck also supports megawatt charging, allowing charging to be incorporated into scheduled driver rest periods, in line with the company’s vision for longer-distance transport operations.
Volvo has increased the range of the new-generation FH Electric, FM Electric, and FMX Electric trucks to 470 kilometers, or approximately 292 miles. The models use a new electric powertrain intended to improve energy efficiency, productivity, and driving performance. The FH is intended for regional and interregional transport, while the FM focuses on heavier regional operations, and the FMX is aimed at construction applications.
Expansion into High-Payload Transport
The company also presented an electric truck combination capable of operating at a gross vehicle and trailer weight of up to 80 tonnes, with a stated range of 450 kilometers, or approximately 280 miles, and support for megawatt charging. This vehicle is scheduled to be introduced at the beginning of 2027.
Volvo began serial production of the new generation of heavy-duty electric trucks on September 14, 2026, at the Tuve plant in Gothenburg, Sweden, with plans to add production at its facility in Ghent, Belgium. The company is also allowing visitors to IAA Transportation to test-drive the FH Aero Electric rather than merely view it at the booth.
Why Does This News Matter?
The importance of the development lies in Volvo’s shift from offering electric trucks for specific use cases, such as urban distribution and short regional trips, to targeting longer regional transport and high-payload operations. The company says that approximately 7,000 of its electric trucks have collectively traveled around 500 million kilometers since 2019, operated by nearly 2,000 customers in more than 50 countries.
However, the stated figures do not eliminate operational questions related to charging infrastructure, the availability of megawatt charging, and the impact of payload, route, and weather on actual range. The recognition therefore reflects progress in the platform’s capabilities and the scope of its targeted applications, rather than evidence that all heavy-duty transport operations are suitable for battery-electric power.
At the exhibition, Volvo is also displaying a truck with an internal-combustion engine powered by hydrogen, alongside its trucks with conventional internal-combustion engines, indicating that the company continues to rely on more than one pathway to reduce emissions in heavy-duty transport.