Volvo Trucks chief visits Seoul

Volvo Trucks President Roger Alm speaks at a luncheon with the company’s corporate clients at Josun Palace in Gangnam, Seoul, June 29. (Volvo Truck Korea)

Volvo Trucks President Roger Alm visited South Korea to show the company’s commitment to cater to the fast-growing demand of electric commercial trucks in the nation’s logistics industry, the company said Wednesday.

During a luncheon with corporate clients in a hotel in Seoul, Alm stressed the importance of the Korean market and pinned high hopes on its Korean unit in creating a strong foothold in the electric heavy-duty vehicles market.

Aside from battery-powered trucks, the truckmaker plans to launch hydrogen fuel cell trucks as well.

Corporate clients were mostly from the nation’s top logistics firms, who have been showing keen interest in purchasing the Swedish truckmaker’s commercial trucks, according to the company.

Per-Erik Lindstrom, senior vice president of Volvo Trucks International, vowed that the Volvo Trucks headquarters will provide support for the Korean market’s transition from internal combustion engine trucks to electrified heavy vehicles.

The two executives, along with Benedikte Leroy, senior vice president of legal and compliance at Volvo Trucks, and Cecilia Mosesson, vice president of human resources at Volvo Trucks International, were visiting Korea on a two-day business trip.

Within this year, the Korean unit looks to complete the certification processes required to receive electric vehicle subsidies from the Korean government. Consumers who now wish to purchase the company's trucks can place their order for a customized chassis, according to Park Gang-seok, managing director of Volvo Trucks Korea.

In March, Volvo Trucks Korea announced that it aims to sell 1,000 electric trucks annually by 2027. That month, the company also unveiled its electrified high-payload model, the Volvo FH Electric.

By Byun Hye-jin(hyejin2@heraldcorp.com)