Volvo Trucks Says Concept Vehicle Slashes Fuel Consumption by One-Third
Volvo Trucks announced that it has developed a new concept heavy-duty vehicle with support from the Swedish Energy Agency that offers almost one-third lower fuel consumption.
One of the key factors behind the low fuel consumption is the massive 40% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency that has benefited both the tractor and trailer, according to the company, a unit of Volvo Group.
“For instance, we use cameras instead of rear-view mirrors. This cuts air resistance, so less energy is needed to propel the truck,” Åke Othzen, chief project manager at Volvo Trucks, said in a May 31 statement.
Other aerodynamic improvements include “newly developed” tires that lower rolling resistance and a “two-tonnes” lighter trailer, compared with the reference trailer, which translates into either lower fuel consumption or the possibility of higher payload, Volvo Trucks said.
The company said its aim is to improve the efficiency for longhaul truck transportation by 50%.
It said it test-drove the vehicle on Swedish roads last fall. Work on the Volvo Concept Truck has been in progress since 2011, according to the company.
Since the concept vehicle is part of a research project, it will not be available on the market, Volvo Trucks said. However, some of its aerodynamic features have already been implemented on Volvo Trucks' series-produced vehicles, “and more of its solutions may be fitted in the future.”
