Intro quote

If you want change, you have to make it.
If we want progress, we have to drive it

Susan Rice Us Ambassador to the United Nations

The right gear

The Volvo Trucks brand has a defined role. We are here to make the trucks that ensure smooth and safe goods transport. We put the infrastructure into gear, making trade happen. While we are doing this, we consider our responsibilities. Traffic is dangerous, so we make our trucks safer than others. There is constant and tough wear and tear on the trucks, so we build them to last and endure. Nature’s resources are limited, so we make the trucks run longer on less fuel. Today the climate is at stake, so we reduce and minimise the environmental impact we make. This is what the calendar is about. Because it’s what the Volvo brand is all about.

It seems that the big challenges mankind is facing are only slowly dawning on us. In recent years, the urgency of those challenges has emerged much more clearly than before. However ominous this may sound, it’s comforting to see how governments, companies, organisations and individuals do want to make a difference and take action to make the world a better place. Because everybody is part of the problem, everybody can be part of the solution as well. Some people say that engineering is neither good nor bad. That technology can’t be good or bad. They are right – if scientific development exists without a context. But it doesn’t. The context is human life. The good of civilization. The context is you and me and our children and the world we live in. Technology is good if its intentions are guided by a sound value system. The Volvo Truck brand lives by three core values: quality, safety and care for the environment.

As a true global brand, Volvo Trucks has a defined role in this crucial development towards a sustainable society. We are here to make the trucks that ensure smooth and safe goods transport. We are here to connect producers and consumers, sellers and buyers. We put the infrastructure into gear, making trade happen. We bring the right gear to construction sites and mining operations and we provide solutions to all transport and distribution needs. All the while we are doing this, we consider the responsibilities we have. Traffic is dangerous, so we make our trucks safer than others. There is constant and tough wear and tear on the trucks, so we build them to last and endure. Nature’s resources are limited, so we make the trucks run longer on less fuel. Today the climate is at stake, so we reduce and minimise the environmental impact we make.

It takes a certain mindset to always offer the right gear to professionals. It’s a special company culture of vision, creativity, determination, courage and engineering excellence that takes shape in the solutions we develop for our trucks. The Right Gear is the sum of the details that combine to make a Volvo truck unique, the gear that’s significant for the Volvo brand. It spans from innovative safety features, technologies for fuel efficiency, information systems and the I-Shift concept through to the high-grade steel components, recyclability of all parts and components, and the ergonomics of the driver’s working environment. It adds up. This calendar zooms in on twelve aspects of the technology leadership that we build into our product. Development that puts people first. Technologies that drive progress. This is what the calendar is about. Because that’s what the Volvo brand is all about.

The right gear
Experience

2012.01.01

Look back to look ahead

At Volvo, we intend to stay technology leaders also 50 years from now.
Experience is one of our greatest assets – you could say we started building our
most recent truck in 1927. Road conditions back then demanded high-grade,
high-iron steel, the most robust designs and uncompromising quality thinking.
Today, road conditions have improved but the need for
genuine quality thinking remains.

visionary engineering

Video
Rickard Orell

Design details central for the big picture

Rickard Orell, Design director

The visionary design of Volvo Trucks and the thinking behind it have always been driven by a view to the bigger picture. To do this, it is important to understand the context in which the products are used, which means that you need to understand the current needs of the truck drivers.

To be able to anticipate the future needs of the drivers and the customers, it is important to anticipate future trends and developments in society, technology and the transport industry. Volvo Trucks’ design tradition, based on respect for functionality, and a desire to improve everyday life are always there in the background.

"There is nearly 100 years of technological progress and development between the first truck and the Vision 2020, so direct comparisons are not possible. However, the Core Values of Volvo have not changed so you could say that our development is driven by the same vision now as then," says Rikard Orell, Design Director, Volvo Trucks.

To stay ahead of the competition, Volvo Trucks is developing trucks that are both functional and attractive. The focus is on the driver because good trucks attract good drivers, and good drivers are vital for the transport operators.

"I believe that we appeal to both the heart and the brain. It is a good business proposition and there is a sense of pride in owning a Volvo, because it is capable as well as attractive," Rikard Orell says.

One of the factors that will be important for the future of Volvo Trucks, from a design point of view, is excellent aerodynamic efficiency, which is directly attributed to the shape of the truck. Striving for efficiency has always been important, and will be even more so in the future. New materials, new technology and new processes will also increase the energy efficiency of trucks and affect the way they look.

"To integrate these elements into a design that clearly expresses Volvo's Core Values and identity is going to be very interesting work," Rikard Orell concludes.

2012.01.31

The right gear
Passive
safety

2012.02.01

Belt
and
braces

This is Volvo’s finest gift to the world. It made the world a better place. Nobody can
say how many lives it has saved, but it’s fair to say that we are talking millions.
The three-point seat belt was introduced by Volvo in 1959. Today it’s a standard
throughout the automotiveindustry. And it’s a gift – any car or truck manufacturer
can use the patent without paying a license surcharge.

Volvo Roll over
Volvo Crash test
Lennart Svenson

Volvo's gift to mankind

Lennart Svenson, former Head of Volvo Truck
Accident Research Team

Early traffic-­safety development had a focus on passive safety, reducing injuries. For heavy-­duty vehicles, the “golden age” of passive safety was from the 1970s to the 1990s. Volvo’s gift to mankind is the three-­point seatbelt, developed for the Volvo Cars and then adapted to the trucks.

The most important thing you have to consider when working with traffic safety is the interaction between humans, vehicles and traffic environment. The traffic system is very complex and if any system limit is exceeded, or if systems have conflicting demands, there is a risk of an accident.

"It is a waste constructing a technically perfect vehicle if it is not adapted to humans and the traffic environment," says Lennart Svenson, former Head of Volvo Truck Accident Research Team at Volvo Truck Corporation.

A good example of passive safety is a cab structure that gives enough survival space after an accident. Volvo Truck Corporation introduced pendulum-­tested cabs in the 1960s. In the 1970s, as a result of the accident research, reinforcements in the doors and energy absorbing instrument panel were added.

Another example is the seat belt. Using a seat belt is the best way for a driver to avoid impacting the steering wheel, or any other part of the interior in a collision. Roller belts improved the situation and evolved into the three-­point solution that we use today. The three-point seat belt is Volvo’s gift to mankind, used by car manufactures all over the world. "The injury-­reducing effect of the seatbelt is hard to beat when compared to other safety devices, but work still remains to be done: to get all truck drivers to use it," says Lennart Svenson.

The goals have been shaped in parallel with the progress of safety work through the years. Truck safety was intensified in the 1970s when Volvo Truck Corporation released the first external reports based on accident investigation.

Active safety, preventing accidents, was for many years synonymous with braking efficiency. Focus on steering and behaviours on the road were added. At the end of the 1990s, a system with the aim to assist the driver was introduced.

"I believe that Volvo Trucks has a social responsibility to contribute to a transport system that is as safe, environmentally friendly and as cost effective as possible," says Lennart Svenson. Volvo Truck Corporation’s global presence has affected today’s safety through an exchange of information. The Volvo organization has gained both local and regional assistance and in return given others support through seminars, resulting in contacts around the world. Road safety work in collaboration with Volvo do Brazil is a significant example, with continuity over several years.

Driver training in different countries can be specified as another example. 

Milestones that stand out, in the development of safety systems, is the impact-tested cab, the barrier test, the energy-­absorbing steering wheel and underrun protections, that prevent a passenger car to end up under the truck in a frontal collision. Not to forget the introduction on the three-­point seat belt that improved the injury-­reducing effects by as much as 60 percent. Accident research also showed a positive injury-­reducing effect when introducing airbags as a complement to seat belts.

Early traffic safety development was focusing on passive safety. The focus now and in the future will be on active safety. Lately there has been more focus on detecting and acting on hazards that the driver might miss. The interface between man and machine becomes more and more important.

2012.02.29

The right gear
Top engine
performance

2012.03.01

In 1987, the F16 pioneered with a groundbreaking 470 hp. But the last 25 years
have seen much more than a mere race for power. Increased environmental
awareness along with the urge for increased efficiency, has put engine perfor-
mance and emission reduction on top of the agenda. Volvo engineers lead this
development, introducing diesel-saving gear-shifting systems, advanced fuel
additives, everimprovedaerodynamic designs and other technologies that make
a truck fit to take on heavier and more challenging jobs.

25 years of globetrotting

Charles Engelaar

Every drop counts

charles engelaar, marketing communications eud,
volvo truck corporation

One percent here, one percent there; it soon adds up to a noticeable saving. This is the thinking behind the "Every Drop Counts" philosophy. Volvo is constantly scratching away, looking for new ways to make the trucks run further with less fuel and less impact on the environment. It is a down-to-earth approach that has made Volvo Trucks a leader of the field. With the 13-litre diesel engine and the latest I-Shift transmission, the trucks already have the most efficient driveline in the industry. Yet this is just the beginning.
Little by little Volvo Truck is digging the way out of conventional fuels, reducing fuel consumption by one percent each year – it might not sound much,
but it is a realistic and long-term commitment. Available resources are being channelled into improving the fuel efficiency of diesel-powered trucks or developing alternative fuel solutions.
Volvo Trucks has proven that the interests of the environment go hand-in-hand with the interests of hauliers. Take the cost of fuel. If it represents one third of your cost base, then a tiny reduction in consumption will noticeably improve your bottom line. Operational costs, too, begin to shrink as we drive trucks in a way that has less impact on the environment. And here is another thing.
The radical reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates from Volvo’s diesel engines has become a huge competitive advantage, not only for Volvo, but also for the hauliers who drive the trucks and for the customers whose goods are transported in them.
Over the next 10 years Volvo Trucks aim to reduce fuel consumption by another 10 percent. Often using microscopic improvements to efficiency, occasionally with something completely new, like the methane-diesel technology or perhaps DME. “We will carry on working away like this for as long as it takes to achieve sustainable levels of emissions, carbon neutral transports and independence from fossil fuels,” says Charles Engelaar.

Volvo Trucks works to stay ahead of the competition through delivering innovations: new high-tech engine technologies, like Hybrid, Methane-Diesel, and I-Shift, but also by driver training and Dynafleet.
In the future, Volvo Trucks will persist to focus on new technologies but also how to improve human behaviour. The driver will continue to play a key role in the next decade. He or she has a huge capacity to make a positive contribution to the profitability of the transport business through the right man machine interface.
Our Philosophy

anniversary celebrated by releasing fh16 750

2012.03.31

The right gear
driver
productivity

2012.04.01

high living
standard

Driver productivity is a big issue where a wide scope of considerations comes into
play. It’s about an efficient working environment, controls within easy reach,
ergonomics, driver comfort, safety and support functions that let the driver do
a good job with as little effort as possible. The quality of the workplace is often a
decisive factor for the recruitment of good drivers.

welcome to my cab

Anniversary

productive meets cosy

staffan wendeberg, product feature & profitability manager

The drivers’ productivity is important for the end customers. One way to achieve this is through development of the drivers working environment. Volvo Trucks has always highly prioritized the drivers working environment in the development of new products. “We work closely with truck drivers in front of, as well as during project development, performing for example customer interviews in order to fully understand the drivers’ needs,” says Staffan Wendeberg, Product Feature & Profitability Manager, Volvo Trucks.
Volvo participates in international projects to follow the newest ideas in science around human factors, and resources are put in the latest simulation techniques around driver workload and distraction. All this gives a genuine knowledge base for setting the demands in product development projects. Driver productivity demands are followed closely during the projects and are never compromised vs. other aspects. We know the importance of driver productivity for our end customers. Volvo Truck is keen to meet the drivers’ demands as well as the fleet owners concerns. That is why it is satisfying to find consensus regarding the drivers working environment.
“The drivers and fleet owners can agree on a number of things; good healthy drivers has a positive effect on sick leave and keeps the driver turnover on a minimal level”, says Staffan Wendeberg. Ergonomics, controls within easy reach, and safety and support functions is important to avoid accidents and break down by engaged and alert drivers. A good healthy driver that enjoys the environment in the cab is also a good representative of the company.
Volvo Trucks goals are to offer the best product solutions, and supporting driver productivity. This is one of the corner stones to reach number one and to be regarded as the leader within the premium brands. The only way to get there is to have high ambition targets and to follow up and prioritize continuously during the development process. By securing state of the art knowledge of customer demands, deep in-house knowledge of basic human factors as well as good knowledge of competitor offer and solutions Volvo will assure a leading position in terms of driver productivity.

2012.04.30

The right gear
activity
safety

2012.05.01

prevention better than protection

When it comes to safety, Volvo has a zero vision: To make sure that no
Volvo truck is involved in an accident. Our commitment to safety is unrivalled.
Volvo offers pioneering safety systems that work actively with you
to prevent unwanted events. These systems include advanced warning systems,
Lane Changing Support, alcolock, excellent round-the-truck view and much more.

Vision zero for accidents

carl johan almqvist, Traffic and Product Safety Director

“You need a big portion of common sense, when in the traffic environment. If we always kept our eyes on the road when driving – we would definitely reduce the number of accidents. Unfortunately we don’t always do this.”

These are the words of Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic and Product Safety Director at Volvo Truck Corporation.

Volvo Trucks has a vision zero; no Volvo truck is to be involved in an accident.
ART – Volvo Accident Research Team – who analyse accidents in the Gothenburg area, is driving the active safety development forward. They look into causes of accidents and investigate if product changes or the behaviour of the driver can keep accidents from happening. “The best accident is the one that does not happen. We test a variety of scenarios in our laboratories in order to improve the safety in our trucks,” says Carl Johan Almqvist. The driver of the truck and potential passengers shall be safe as well as everybody in the traffic environment – oncoming cars, pedestrians, cyclists, moped riders etc. “We aim to make our trucks as crash-friendly as possible,” Almqvist continues.
The founders of Volvo infused this safety tradition in the company. This is a heritage that obligates. It is a fact that Volvo has influenced the world – the safety belt is a Volvo engineering idea that is spread worldwide. So there’s a little Volvo in every vehicle in the world that is equipped with a seatbelt. And most are.

Volvo Trucks aim to lead the development in work towards an accident-free future. The customers shall always be aware of the benefits they gain through Volvo’s safety system. Seat belts included – which need to be used way more consistently.
A common truck accident is when they tip over. To prevent this, one of Volvos latest safety innovations is the ESP (Electronic Stability Program). This system helps the driver by activating the brakes, stabilising the rig and preventing the truck to tip over.

Safety aspects that will be of importance in the future are focused on avoiding accidents. There are and always will be unobservant people and distractions along the road attracting for our attention. Text messaging, for example, increases the risk of being involved in an accident by 23 times.
A modern Volvo truck provides alcolock, good visibility, pleasant climate, low noise, safety alarms, powerful brakes, intelligent electronics, efficient handling and stability, crash safety, energy-absorbent cab interior, comfortable three-point seatbelt, airbag and under-run protection. What is left for Volvo to improve?

Volvo has started a project to learn more about how people behave behind the wheel. Vehicles equipped with cameras that record the blind spots as well as the visibility in front of the vehicle will be helpful to improve the safety development.
“We record how the accelerator and brake pedals are used – as well as speed, retardation and brake pressure. This will give us valuable information about driving habits through about 70,000 hours of logged driving time,” Carl Johan Almqvist concludes.

2012.05.31

The right gear
Truck
uptime

2012.06.01

World Champions

In the Volvo VISTA world championship, the cream certainly gets up on top. The largest and most prestigious competition for workshop personnel singles out the best of the best. Almost 14,000 contestants enter, 30 teams reach the world final and one team – of three or four people – wins it all. Passionate and competent workshop personnel, excellent service and truck uptime, that’s Volvo for you. These are key aspects that determine total ownership cost and truck lifecycle economy.

passion for service
and quality

Johanna Lundberg, project manager VISTA

VISTA is the world championship for skilled Volvo aftermarket personnel. But it is not only the winning team that benefits from this competition. In VISTA, everyone is a winner.

VISTA is an extraordinary training event in the form of a team competition. “It is about the passion to keep top quality of our products and our workshop personnel. And not to forget, VISTA is an excellent way to show our passion for the Volvo brand,” says Johanna Lundberg, Project Manager VISTA, Volvo Trucks.
The world final of VISTA 2011 was, according to Lundberg, the best ever: “We succeeded to create demanding and educational stations during the competition covering both technical and commercial subjects.”

For the first time, North America sent their winning team to the world final. New markets that reached the world final for the first time was Estonia, Mexico, and Tanzania. In addition to the awards for the top-three teams, three honour prizes – Customer Satisfaction, Team Spirit and Best Newcomer – were awarded to teams that best reflected VISTA’s core values.
This initiative was a great way to realise the VISTA motto “Everyone is a winner in VISTA”, not only the World Champions.

Volvo Trucks and the service technicians, as well as Volvo Trucks customers benefit from VISTA. Volvo Trucks’ obligation to their customers continues throughout the entire lifetime of the truck and consequently, the dealer and the workshop network play a vital role. To live up to this commitment, it is of utmost importance to have competent aftermarket personnel. They are the ones who meet the customers every day.
The VISTA competition is Volvo’s way of both rewarding their diligence and further improving the competence within the service organisation. VISTA 2011 had almost 14,000 contestants in teams of 3–4 persons, 30 teams reached the world final and a total of more than 400,000 hours of training were produced.

vista final 2011

2012.06.30

The right gear
power
strength

2012.07.01

power
pulling
performance

Brutal strength combined with high intelligence and sensitive systems integration. It’s about this Volvo FH16 – the world’s strongest tractor in terms of pulling performance. This time it’s about power – size and weight capabilities – but the Volvo vehicle programme always offers the truck configuration and specifications that suits your application best.

running footage

environmental awareness
and power at the wheel

John Comer, Product Manager UK and Ireland

Twenty-five years ago, Volvo Trucks had a simple, lightweight solution to meet the haulage needs. Today, the basic need to move goods remains, but with durability, efficiency, connectivity, comfort, environmental awareness, and safety, packaged in the best quality vehicles.

Emission control was introduced in 1987 and the first cars with catalytic converter entered the market. In 1993, Volvo moved away from the conventional pump, including the electronic governor, to launch the D12 – the first European electronic unit injector engine for excellent fuel management, precise emission control, and a simple powerful engine brake.
The use of this technology also announced the arrival of on-board data collection via a driver information display. “It was a bit gimmicky at first, with its bright snazzy lights, but it paved the way for new technology,” says John Comer, Product Manager UK and Ireland, Volvo Trucks.

There was also a brave new world beginning to emerge in the 1990s, using the data systems on the truck in combination with phone and satellite technology. “If tachograph legislation was considered to be the spy in the cab in the previous decade, this technology heralded a whole new way of working from communication, planning, control and costing.
In real time you could now consider managing the vehicle as the data was beginning to appear at your fingertips,” John Comer continues.

Dynafleet was introduced in 1994; you were now able to manage your fleet from your office, day and night. A year later, a future concept for the driver was presented in the Environmental Concept Truck at the Paris Show. This truck used a hybrid driveline driven by a gas turbine, clean and quiet for the city street.
This technology became available on the market in 2011, utilising the – to date, still the most efficient and somewhat taken for granted – diesel engine, rather than a turbine.

In the beginning of the 2000s, Version 2 FH/FM was introduced. By now, older power units had given way to a family of cleaner engines using the D12 philosophy, based on a cleaner engine using electronic unit injectors. The D9 was followed very quickly by the D13 and D11. In 2003, the new 16-litre engine meant an increase of output from 550 to 610 hp. The power race had stepped up a notch.
In 2006, the transport office took a new shape. No more pegboards and paper – the tachograph went electronic. The driver was now in touch digitally. It was also the year of the “Cat” when a new substance called AdBlue® was introduced to meet the Euro 4/5 Selective Catalytic Reduction emission control.

“In 2009, we broke the 700 hp truck barrier with the 16-litre. A clean and green, and very efficient machine was introduced,” says John Comer, not without pride in his voice. “Compared to the original 16 litre engine at 470 hp in 1987, then the average horsepower required for moving a 38-tonne combination across the UK was around 300 hp, today it’s 460 hp at 44 tonnes.”
During the last 25 years, engine power and torque have increased by on average 60% while harmful emissions have been reduced by 90%. There are not many industries that can claim they have reduced harmful emissions by this extraordinary level over the same period – and increased performance. Volvo turned the industry on its head again in 2001 with the very simple I-Shift box. “Building both the engine and gearbox, we have integrated the design, mechanically and electronically to achieve unbelievable levels of vehicle control. Today, I-shift is still considered to be the best on the market, because the design has evolved during its 10-year life. After all, there is no point having a gearbox that stays still!” says Comer with satisfaction.

2012.07.31

The right gear
i-shift

2012.08.01

I-Shift is perhaps the most significant invention in the truck world in a long time.
It boosts effect and power, makes for an optimal balance of fuel efficiency and output, takes the effort
out of shifting and adds to the safety of the truck. It paves the way to a unique driving experience.
You can get your own I-Shift package optimised for your needs: for city distribution,
long hauls, heavy loads or construction work.

the paradigm shift

a matter of safety

the most intelligent
gear shift system

Ove Wikström, Product Strategy Manager

“Once you have tried I-Shift you don’t want anything else. It gives you quick, smooth and accurate gear shifting and a perfectly unique driving experience,” says Ove Wikström, Product Strategy Manager, Volvo Trucks.

Better fuel economy: Here is an intelligent gear-shifting system that ensures that you run with the right gear, perfectly adapted to grades, payload, torque demand and speed to optimise fuel efficiency. With I-Shift, you get more kilometres out of every litre. Better mileage means better resource utilisation and a smaller carbon footprint.
Safer driving with I-Shift: I-Shift puts you in the right gear, at all times and with no effort. It lets you concentrate on traffic. No distractions from wrong gears, missed gears or difficult clutches. The electronic control makes sure it is a comfortable ride. If you need to access more power for acceleration, the kick-down mode – like the automatic gearbox in an ordinary car – releases more power instantly.
Improved driver productivity: A day’s work in traffic is stressful and taxing. Heavy traffic, unfamiliar roads, your unbroken attention, innumerable judgements and decisions, sensory alertness and challenges of manoeuvring skills are physically and mentally demanding. If you sit comfortably, enjoy good visibility, have everything you need within easy reach and get good support to ease physical loads you be more relaxed and efficient.
I-Shift is the most intelligent gear-shifting system ever invented. It is available in different customisations for specific applications and transport needs. You can get your I-Shift specially adapted to fit construction work purposes, distribution and long-haul.

I-Shift is a proprietary Volvo innovation: I-Shift is not an automatic gearbox. It is an automated mechanical gearbox based on unique, proprietary Volvo software. This means it is designed to work seamlessly with Volvo drivelines and engines. The seamless integration means enhanced driveline efficiency, increased uptime and a longer system working life.
An ergonomic workplace for the driver: Violinists, carpenters and truck drivers are just three professionals typically exposed to long-time strain disorders. Repetitive motion can inflict cumulative stress injuries to the shoulder, elbow and wrist. Manual gear shifting, especially with an un-synced gearbox, and double-clutching present health hazards. I-Shift has no clutch. You can even select a driving mode that lets you drive your truck like an automatic and let the electronics take care of pretty much everything.

2012.08.31

The right gear
new fuel
green hybrid

2012.09.01

green,
clean
& quiet

The Mean Green racer is a hybrid, alternating between diesel and battery. The idea of building a hybrid racing truck means an opportunity to explore the technology: how far, how fast, what loads, what possibilities, what problems, what costs? Volvo currently offers regular trucks running on hybrid technology commercially available. The only hybrid truck in its weight class offers CO2 reduction by 30%,reduced emission of particles and NOX and reduced noise by 4 dBA at acceleration and idle running.

Unique cooperation leads to world speed record

Boije Ovebrink – owner of Mean Green

The cooperation between Mean Green and Volvo is a successful teamwork. It has led to both a speed record and a win against one of the most prestigious brands in the world. Mean Green is unique because it is the first hybrid to set an International FIA speed record. Volvo is also first in the world to officially support and participate in a speed-record vehicle construction. Others who participate in similar projects have not made it official like Volvo, who carry this out as a full Volvo Project.
The Volvo technology is also unique. Volvo has an edge against other manufacturers on the hybrid work with the higher power of the electric motor and many years of expertise. But Mean Green did not only hit the speed record. It also won a race against a Ferrari. “It is always fun to be an unexpected winner,” says Boije Ovebrink, the owner of Mean Green.
The work behind becoming the fastest in the world started in 2007 with the construction of the Wild Viking. Mean Green is a continuation of this project, but with a greener direction. The most time-consuming stage is all the tests to get the technology to give its very best. It is of course far beyond the maximum for a standard hybrid diesel. But, not only Mean Green has to be in good shape. It takes a lot of the driver too. “Naturally, I myself work out at the gym with spinning and weight training. I have a personal trainer who coaches me to cope physically and mentally,” Boije Ovebrink says. He has to run a tough exercise ECG test in order to keep his international racing license, as it is required for driving a FIA-controlled competition for world records.
The cooperation with Volvo has been enormously successful. “It is a great, positive bunch, from Volvo management down to my mechanic, with an enormous interest, great technical skills and a lot of enthusiasm. This has made the project receive the great attention that no one had expected when we started construction in the autumn of 2009,” says Boije Ovebrink.
The greatest challenge so far has been to get the electric motor and diesel engine to work together so well that they can beat an international speed record over the distance 0–1,000 m, and also be able to go 0–1,000 m back and forth, on electricity only which requires advanced technology. This is a rule requirement to prove that it is a genuine hybrid. For the future, they have started a new, eco-friendly project with the goal to run for the new record in the autumn of 2013. “We stick to the motto from when I raced with trucks: Vikings never give up,” Boije Ovebrink says with great enthusiasm.

Mean Green vs. Ferrari

Volvo FE Hybrid crash-tested

2012.09.30

The right gear
care for the
environment

2012.10.01

aiming higher

Orca Whales are among the many species that are endangered by global warming.
To help mitigate climate change, Volvo is committed to manufacture
trucks with significantly reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs).
This Volvo truck is a methane diesel, a vehicle that complies with the Euro V standard
– and with a good margin. With the basic diesel engine fully intact,
it retains original, very high, energy efficiency. Care for the environment is one of
the three core values of the Volvo brand.

trucks on gas

care for the environment

Lennart Pilskog, director public affairs

Volvo is devoted to mitigate global warming in accordance with one of the core values. The development of trucks that runs on alternative fuels is one way leading up that road.

First, second, and third priority in Volvo Trucks’ work with alternative fuels is energy efficiency. The work with this is reflected everywhere: in production, in freight, in processes and of course in the products. For example, a modern Volvo truck uses 40% less fuel today than 30 years’ ago.
In 2007, Volvo presented 7 trucks that could run on 7 different fuels. These fuels were evaluated from 7 aspects, e.g. energy efficiency, availability, cost for distribution and vehicles. There is not one winner, diesel will be substituted by several alternatives, but will remain in the market as the main fuel for many years to come. Today, Volvo offers (on selected markets in Europe) trucks with the new methane diesel technology, an engine that runs on methane gas using the efficient diesel process. “We are also testing ten Bio DME trucks in commercial operation in Sweden. This is an interesting fuel for the future,” says Lennart Pilskog, director public affairs.
Volvo Trucks has a leading position when it comes to reducing the environmental impact from transports. To reach their environmental goal the company has established climate-neutral factories in Belgium and Sweden and developed very fuel-efficient trucks. Eco-driving, a training course focusing on fuel-efficient driving, is also offered on most markets.

Alternative fuels benefit fleet owners, as reduced fuel consumption is important for the transporters’ economy. Using hybrid trucks and methane diesel trucks are also less harmful to the environment.

2012.10.31

The right gear
dynafleet

2012.11.01

that´s it

Whole fleets are hooked up and connected. Dynafleet brings new profitability to truck operations.
Information is gathered, shared and recorded about the whereabouts of vehicles, fuel consumption,
hours, distances covered, environmental performance, messaging, service intervals, etc. It offers
information for your decision-making, integration possibilities with IT systems and business software.

new profitability
in truck operations

Jarkko Aine, Communications Manager Transport Solutions, and Johan Rundberg, Product Manager, Volvo Trucks.

With the Dynafleet fleet management system, it is possible to get online access to vehicles and drivers.

Dynafleet is a fleet management system from Volvo Trucks. The customers can log in to a web portal, or through the DF app, and view the details of all their vehicles and drivers. Dynafleet includes four services that can be chosen in any combination for each vehicle: Fuel & Environment, Driver Times, Positioning, and Messaging. It is also possible to integrate Dynafleet with other systems through simple APIs over the Internet.
All parts of the organization are possible users of Dynafleet. Fuel efficiency can be easily monitored, driver times can be downloaded remotely –instead of wasting time doing it manually, vehicle positions and tracking history are easily accessible, messaging between vehicle and dispatching center has never been easier. To increase operator efficiency further, Dynafleet can be integrated with an order management system for easy relaying order information between dispatcher and driver.
After the introduction of the first Dynafleet version in 1994 and the launch of the Internet-based web portal Dynafleet Online in 2004, Volvo is set on making Dynafleet not only the most user-friendly system on the market, but also a system that enables their customers to increase their profitability through enhanced transport efficiency.
As Volvo Trucks focuses on total transportation solutions, the future of Dynafleet looks very bright. “In just 18 months, sales have doubled. The demand from transport companies for our Dynafleet services has gone through the roof,” says Jarkko Aine, Volvo Trucks. “Transport companies realise how a fleet management system can improve their operations and help them to reduce fuel costs and improve profitability,” Johan Rundberg, fills in.

Volvo actively works to minimise the environmental impact of the transportation industry. By offering services like Dynafleet, Volvo works hard on becoming a part of the solution.

dynafleet

2012.11.30

The right gear
design

2012.12.01

function
takes
shape

Good design isn’t just about creating beautiful things. But when pure function takes shape, or power and efficiency find expressions inform, beauty is one of the effects. It stirs emotion and generates passion. Volvo design thinking has its roots in Scandinavian designphilosophy. Simplicity. Functionality. Reliability. Dedication to purpose. A love of the honest, practical and durable. Like the front towing device of this Volvo FMX, designed to take a 25-tonne load.

volvo i-shift in construction

the beauty of power

Asok George, Chief designer exterior

When buying a Volvo, you get a strong tool designed to attract professionals through design and functionality in their daily work.

Volvo’s design philosophy has Scandinavian roots, a design tradition based on respect for functionality and a desire to improve everyday life: simplistic elegance with appeal to both the practical and emotional needs of our users.
“Our customers choose to buy a Volvo because of what the brand stands for as much as the product itself. The driver of a Volvo truck can be sure that every component and function has been designed to provide the safest, most ergonomic and appealing tool for his or her profession,” says Asok George, Chief designer exterior. Fleet owners are confident that their investment is the right one because the inherent qualities and value of a Volvo truck is clearly communicated and expressed through its design.
Good design and functionality are not opposites, they are rather linked to one another. When practicing Scandinavian design principles, this is an accepted way of working. “The real challenge is to create innovative design and good functionality within the strict restrictions imposed by regulations on heavy trucks. Some of these regulations are past their time and need to be questioned if we are to provide future customers with even more efficient and safe products,” says Asok George.
The design of the FMX communicates clearly the specialised applications for which this type of truck is used, and the inherent qualities required for such jobs. The FMX is a robust tool designed to appeal to the best professionals who will appreciate the attention to every detail that they require in their daily work. The FMX was also designed to stir emotions and generate a passion for Volvo construction trucks.

2012.12.31

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