Capital Equipment News October 2025

South Africa’s first movers While South Africa is still at the early stages of EV adoption in heavy-duty transport, Volvo Trucks is paving the way. “At present, EVs play a small role in terms of volume,” Parry explains. “But we’ve been one of the first movers locally, and we are working to advance the market.” The company’s electric trucks are already making their mark. “Two prominent examples would be Vector Logistics, which has put two FH 6x4 Electric tractors into operation, running locally in Gauteng and Cape Town in a cold chain operation. The second is Strategic Transport, using two FM 6x4 tractors in a factory supply operation in Durban through our Volvo On Demand rental option,” Parry says. The feedback from both operators has been overwhelmingly positive. “The drivers definitely do not want to go back to diesel!” he laughs. “The biggest positive is that the trucks have seamlessly joined the existing fleets. There’s very little thought from the customer on them actually being electric, they just do the job.” A multi-fuel future Volvo Trucks’ sustainability strategy is not pinned solely on electrification. The company recognises that a diverse mix of technologies will be needed to reach

While South Africa is still at the early stages of EV adoption in heavy-duty transport, Volvo Trucks is paving the way.

Volvo Trucks recognises that a diverse mix of technologies will be needed to reach global climate goals.

Regulatory reform will be vital for faster EV adoption in the heavy commercial sector.

Volvo Trucks is an active member of naamsa’s Heavy Commercial Vehicle New Energy Vehicle (HCV NEV) committee.

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