Mar 9 2009
The Volvo Group is passing an important milestone in its environmental efforts when Volvo Trucks now rolls out its most fuel-efficient and cleanest diesel engines ever. During the past 20 years, Volvo trucks in total have become one hundred times cleaner.
Volvo Trucks’ new engines and gearboxes deliver lower fuel consumption, lower emissions of nitrogen oxides and higher power. The engines fulfill the new Euro 5 emission standard that becomes effective in the EU in October 2009. At the same time, Volvo is introducing a new version of its automatic I-shift gearbox with many intelligent functions that among other effects save fuel.
Through the years, Volvo engineers have been working intensively to make diesel engines even more efficient. Among other successes, their work has resulted in fuel consumption and emission of carbon dioxide from a typical Volvo truck have been reduced 20% during the past 20 years. Currently, a 40-ton Volvo truck consumes only five times as much fuel as a normal passenger car, despite transporting a 20 times more weight.
In addition to improving its diesel engines, the Volvo Group is investing in developing so-called hybrid vehicles that can reduce fuel consumption and climate impact further. Moreover, in 2007 Volvo was the first to demonstrate seven different vehicles that can be powered by alternative fuels without any additional emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.