GHENT, Belgium—Volvo Trucks has opened its first battery assembly plant here.

“This investment shows our strong commitment to electrifying truck transportation. By 2030, at least 50 percent of all trucks we sell globally will be electric, and by 2040, we will be a carbon-neutral company,” says Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucks.

At the new factory, cells and modules from Samsung SDI will be assembled into battery packs that are tailor-made for Volvo Trucks´ heavy-duty electric trucks: Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX. Series production starts in the third quarter of this year.

Each battery pack has a capacity of 90 kilowatt-hours, and customers can choose to have up to six battery packs in a truck. The number of batteries depends on each customer’s specific range and load capacity demands.

“By integrating the battery assembly process in our production flow, we can shorten lead times for our customers and secure high-performing batteries, while at the same time increase circularity,” says Alm.

Volvo Trucks’ batteries are designed so that they can later be remanufactured, refurbished and reused. The plant itself is powered by 100 percent renewable energy.