Volvo 13-Liter engine production began in Skövde, Sweden, in 2005, and today the engines are also assembled in Curitiba, Brazil, as well as Hagerstown.
The 300,000th Volvo 13-Liter, a 500 hp D13 engine, was recently assembled at the Volvo Powertrain plant in Hagerstown, and placed in a new Volvo VN780 chassis at Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley assembly plant. The completed truck was delivered back to Hagerstown and presented to its new owner –– Abilene Motor Express of Richmond VA –– during the July 15 recognition event.
“We are happy and humbled to have assembled the 300,000th Volvo 13-Liter engine here in Hagerstown,” said Carlos Hungria, senior vice president and chief operating officer, Volvo Powertrain. “This is a significant global occasion that solidifies the longevity and reliability of the engines powering Volvo Group products throughout the world. We’re particularly pleased that our 300,000th is an EPA2010-certified D13 engine that meets the most stringent emissions standards in the world.”
Denny Slagle, president and CEO of Volvo Trucks North America, said the milestone sends an important message to the industry about the size, stability, and performance of Volvo Group.
“As one of the world’s largest producers of heavy-duty diesel engines, we’ve made the investments – both globally and here in Hagerstown – to ensure we remain on the leading edge of powertrain development and production,” said Slagle. “The fact that we were the first certified to the EPA10 standards, and were ready early enough to begin filling orders last fall, is a testament to our powertrain expertise.”
During the July 15 ceremony, Slagle presented the milestone vehicle’s keys to Abilene’s president, Keith Jones, who has been operating Volvo vehicles since 1999. Abilene’s Class 8 fleet includes 140 VN780s, with more than 50 EPA10 versions either already in service or soon to be so.
“Once we switched to Volvo engines and discovered their durability and fuel efficiency, we never looked back,” said Jones. “The Volvo EPA10 units are already delivering the best fuel economy in the fleet – just north of 7 miles per gallon – even though they are still in the break in phase.”
Jones added that his drivers enjoy the ride, roominess, visibility, maneuverability and safety of Volvo trucks.
“They prefer the performance and pulling power of the Volvo engine,” said Jones. “They are especially impressed with the Volvo engine and I-Shift combination.”
Engine assembly at the Volvo Powertrain plant in Hagerstown, MD.
Installation of the 300,000th Volvo 13-Liter engine, a 500 hp D13, into a Volvo VN780 for Abilene Motor Express at the Volvo Trucks New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, VA.
During a July 15 event at the Volvo Powertrain plant in Hagerstown, MD, Denny Slagle, president and CEO of Volvo Trucks North America (left), and Carlos Hungria, senior vice president and chief operating officer, Volvo Powertrain (right), present to Keith Jones from Abilene Motor Express the keys to his Volvo VN780 with the 300,000th Volvo 13-Liter engine, a 500 hp D13 assembled at the plant.
Volvo Trucks North America’s operations and products are guided by the company’s three core values: Safety, Quality and Environmental Care. The Volvo VN and VHD trucks are assembled in the United States at the New River Valley Plant in Dublin, Virginia, while Volvo engines for North America are assembled in Hagerstown, Maryland. Both plants are certified to ISO14001 environmental and ISO9001 quality standards.
Volvo Trucks North America is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services, and one of the world's leading producers of heavy-diesel engines (9-16 liter). The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. The Volvo Group, which employs about 96,000 people, has production facilities in 19 countries and sells their products in more than 180 markets. Volvo Group sales for 2009 amounted to approximately $29 billion. The Volvo Group is a publicly-held company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Shares are listed on Nasdaq OMX Nordic Exchange and are traded OTC in the U.S.
July 16, 2010
For further information, please contact John Mies, Volvo Trucks North America, phone 336-393-4300, email john.mies@volvo.com
www.volvotrucks.us.com