“The addition of the Volvo natural gas-powered VNL daycab is just the most recent example of our longstanding commitment to offering products that positively impact the ROI of our customers,” said Ron Huibers, president, Volvo Trucks North American Sales & Marketing. “Developing fuel-efficient technology, whether through natural gas, diesel or hybrid, is a priority for Volvo Trucks. We were the first commercial vehicle manufacturer to offer EPA 2010-certified engines with no credits, and we’ve continued that legacy by focusing our efforts on offering fleets solutions that reduce their fuel costs.”
The Volvo VNL daycab offers customers a larger – 123-inch bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) and is rated up to 80,000 GCWR – and more robust spec than the natural-gas powered
Volvo VNM daycab. Introduced in 2011, the VNM daycab features a 113-inch BBC and is rated up to 66,000 lbs. GCWR.
The natural gas-powered VNL model will be equipped with a 12-liter, 400 horsepower, 1,450 lb-ft. torque Cummins Westport ISX12 G engine that uses cost-effective, clean-burning compressed or liquefied natural gas and requires only a three-way catalyst to meet EPA 2010 emissions standards.
Volvo is currently operating natural gas-powered VNL demonstrator trucks, with production beginning in conjunction with commercial availability of the 12-liter gas engine.
Volvo Trucks also showed Mean Green, the world’s fastest hybrid truck in its booth at Mid-America. Mean Green, developed utilizing Volvo Group’s hybrid driveline technology, is equipped with a Volvo D16 engine and a modified version of Volvo’s automated I-Shift gearbox, which interacts with the hybrid’s electric motor.
“Volvo has the engineers, technology and global support that result in solutions that strengthen the value of ownership for our customers,” Huibers said. “This is evidenced not only by the VNL daycab and Mean Green, but also our I-Shift automated manual transmission and award-winning, fuel-efficient XE13 powertrain package.”
The integrated XE13 powertrain package is available for Volvo VN series tractors and improves fuel efficiency by about three percent by lowering engine rpms at a given vehicle speed, a concept Volvo calls “downspeeding.” The XE13 package includes I-Shift, the Volvo D13 engine and proprietary software. The XE13 builds upon the fuel efficiency advantages delivered by Volvo’s EPA ’10-certified No Regen engines with SCR technology.
The natural gas-powered Volvo VNL daycab is optimal for regional transport, intermodal distribution, fuel distribution or pickup and delivery.
Volvo Trucks North America’s operations and products are guided by the company’s three core values: Quality, Safety and Environmental Care. The Volvo VN, VHD and VAH 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 almost 118,000 people, has production facilities in 19 countries and sells their products in more than 180 markets. Volvo Group sales for 2011 amounted to nearly $47.8 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.
March 22, 2012
For further information, please contact Brandon Borgna, Volvo Trucks North America, phone 336-393-2143, email brandon.borgna@volvo.com
www.volvotrucks.us.com
