Volvo Begins Series Production of VNL Tractor in Virginia
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Volvo Trucks North America began series production of its redesigned Class 8 flagship VNL tractor at the 2.3 million-square-foot New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, Va., it said Oct. 3.
The initial 400 trucks will include both sleeper and day cab models. Customers can choose between four exterior and interior trim levels — Core, Edge, Edge Black and Ultimate — and six cab configurations.
Those cab configurations are the day cab, 42-inch midroof sleeper, 62-inch midroof sleeper, 62-inch full-height sleeper, 74-inch midroof sleeper and 74-inch full-height sleeper.
Voorhoeve
“We are excited to be rolling out the all-new Volvo VNL to our valued dealer partners and can’t wait for our customers to receive them into their operations to experience the future of trucking today,” said Volvo Trucks North America President Peter Voorhoeve.
“This truck was designed to change everything and represents Volvo Trucks’ dedication to innovation by combining state-of-the-art technology with unparalleled fuel efficiency, driver comfort and safety. The all-new Volvo VNL has already set a new standard in the trucking industry, and it will provide tremendous value to our customers’ operations,” Voorhoeve added.
Sharing the road safely is critical. Whether sensing trouble on the horizon or just around the corner, the pedestrian detection built into the #AllNewVolvoVNL helps keep everyone safe. pic.twitter.com/xcrZW7zlZ6 — Volvo Trucks North America (@VolvoTrucksNA) September 30, 2024
VTNA opened the order book for the VNL in April.
New River Valley underwent $400 million in upgrades ahead of the start of production of the VNL, which was launched in January.
A second plant was added at the facility, and Plant 1 was completely redesigned, with the cab assembly sequence reversed. The 350,000-square-foot Plant 2 began operations on June 21.
Plant 2 is the most automated plant across Volvo Trucks’ global facilities and operates with 40 to 50 staff per shift.
TBT: This time last week I was driving a VNL semi for the first time at the revamped @VolvoTrucksNA Dublin, VA, test track! Hats off to all the professional drivers! pic.twitter.com/wiL2BszBaf — Keiron Greenhalgh (@kginalex) June 27, 2024
The VNL will be the platform for VTNA’s path to lowering the carbon emissions of its over-the-road range of Class 8 trucks in North America.
VTNA provided a first glimpse of a VNL 440 Electric during a June media event for reporters at its customer center in Dublin, debuting a pre-production model of the regional-haul semi.
A VNL 440 Electric. (Keiron Greenhalgh/Transport Topics)
Orders for the VNL Electric are expected to open in the last couple of months of 2025 or at the beginning of 2026, VTNA Vice President of Strategy, Marketing and Brand Management Magnus Koeck told Transport Topics on the sidelines of the event.
The battery-electric truck is part of a three-pronged approach from VTNA and parent company Volvo Group to tackling climate change, alongside hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and internal combustion engines that burn cleaner fuels, such as those produced as part of a joint venture with Westport Fuel Systems.
Volvo Trucks plans to have 50% of the vehicles it sells be electric by 2030 and to have 100% of them be net zero emissions by 2050.
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