Volvo Electric semi trucks charge up American Truck Simulator

This is fun news but not something that changes anything about your house. Volvo's electric semi trucks, the VNR Electric and the newer VNL Electric, are now drivable in American Truck Simulator, a popular trucking video game with millions of players. It's the first time an electric truck has appeared in the game, alongside the usual diesel rigs.

The VNR Electric is Volvo's original heavy-duty electric truck, introduced in the US and Canada back in 2020, with hundreds of units now racking up tens of millions of miles on real roads. The VNL Electric is newer, shown off earlier this year, with a different electric drive setup, added electric power takeoff (a way to run truck equipment off the battery instead of a separate engine), and longer driving range than the VNR version. Players can now haul virtual cargo in either truck across game recreations of places like Arizona, Chicago, and Route 66.

For homeowners, this is really just a marketing and gaming story, a way for Volvo to put its electric trucks in front of truck fans who might never see one in person. It has no bearing on home energy upgrades, rebates, or electric vehicle purchases for personal use. If you're curious about electric trucks on the road, this is a sign the technology keeps expanding, but there's no news here that affects your own home or wallet.