This is a common accident type in city traffic, where this type of truck will see most service. The scenario is a car that goes through a red light and drives into the side of a truck. It’s immensely important to carry out collision tests when working with new alternative drivelines. In the hybrid truck, the battery pack is fitted at the side of the vehicle and we must be absolutely sure that the technology is safe.

—Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic and Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks

The battery itself weighs 232 kg; the electrical system operates on 600 Volts.

Volvo had never previously carried out a crash test on a hybrid truck; the event was attended not only by collision engineers but also experts from the engine, transmission and electrical departments. Volvo carried out the test during the 45 seconds that the battery is being charged—the period when most current passes through the system, said Ulf Torgilsman, crash test engineer at Volvo Trucks.

After the 1600 kg car sled hit the battery pack, the assembled engineers saw that the installation met all expectations. The built-in safety system shut off all activity in the battery pack.

The test ran perfectly and everything worked exactly as planned. We saw that the battery pack is immensely stable. No thermal energy was generated, there were no fires, no fluids leaked out, the electrical system remained intact and it shut down exactly as it was supposed to do.

—Ulf Torgilsman

The test demonstrated two main things, Volvo said: that the battery pack withstands a collision without causing a fire, and that the car driver is not injured by the battery pack.