Next Halloween, I’m planning to borrow a Volvo FM Low Entry for the night and park it on my drive.

That should scare the trick-or-treaters! Maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but you have to admit Volvo’s new low-entry truck is a bit… aesthetically challenged.

The truck’s unusual cab design is a direct result of the legislation it’s built to comply with. Truck designs are always shaped by regulations — whether in cab dimensions, vehicle length, axle weights, or other requirements — but perhaps none more so than the battery-powered FM Low Entry. This model was created to meet strict demands for enhanced direct visibility and zero tailpipe emissions. True to its name, it features a low-entry cab and is available exclusively as an electric vehicle.

While many of us struggle to see the benefits of electric trucks for long-haul applications, for urban operations in city centres — where diesel engines are increasingly unwelcome — it makes far more sense.

The FM Low Entry comes with dual electric motors, matched to a 12-speed I-Shift transmission and powered by four 90kWh batteries, delivering a total power output equivalent to 440hp. This configuration gives it a practical range of approximately 200km, aligning well with typical urban and regional tasks.

For those opting for longer wheelbase models, there’s the option to add two more batteries — bringing the total to six and extending the range even further.

The example seen here is an 8×4 Tridem, equipped with a Thompsons Loadmaster tipper body and a Palfinger M125 crane. While I’m unsure of Volvo Trucks Australia’s plans, in the UK it is available in numerous other axle configurations, including 4×2, 6×2, 6×4, and 8×2, with gross vehicle weights ranging from 19 to 32 tonnes and wheelbase options spanning from 3,900mm to 6,000mm.

This adaptability positions the truck as a versatile option for a variety of applications, from parcel and food delivery to kerbside waste collection. At the time of writing, Volvo had already received around 10 orders in the UK across these sectors.

YOU’LL SEE IT COMING

As the name suggests, the FM Low Entry uses a modified FM cab that’s been lowered and shifted forward. This is easier to achieve with an electric truck than with a diesel model, as Volvo’s machine-under-cab (MUC) system can be reconfigured into an ‘S’ shape — a flexibility combustion engines obviously lack.

The FM Low Entry has its own unique, and distinctive, front-end styling. This particular model is painted in a striking Fire Engine Yellow, which is undoubtably the truck’s boldest feature, ensuring it won’t quietly sneak up on any unsuspecting pedestrians, or pigeons!

Note that it still carries the original FM badge just below the windscreen. I’ve heard rumours that somewhere in Sweden there’s a skip full of “FML” badges, initially meant for the cab’s exterior — until someone remembered that millennials have given that acronym an entirely different spin!