Volvo Trucks is having quite an eventful time. The Swedish manufacturer has been recently acting as one of the main newsmakers in the world of automotive industry. So, what has been so great about Volvo Trucks’ summer/autumn 2016?
First of all, let’s go back to August and remember the amazing FIA world land speed records, set by Volvo’s “Iron Knight.” This powerful custom-built truck drove two distances – 500 and 1000 meters from a standing start (one after the other) – with an average speed of 131,291 km/h and 169,093 km/h respectively. Every design feature of the record-breaker had been tailor-made, except for the engine and transmission. The reason is simple; there is nothing better than the existing I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission, which proves its worth on a daily basis in series-built Volvo tractor trucks (Truck1), and in the “Iron Knight” it has handled 2400 hp and 6000 Nm of torque.
Additionally, the remarkable I-Shift automated gearbox is celebrating its 15th year on the roads. Since its introduction, this technological solution has moved from a once promising upstart to a real industry benchmark. Besides, largely thanks to I-Shift, Volvo Trucks has gained one more prestigious victory in Germany’s Fehrenkötter long-term, multi-brand test. Over a 30-month period (from 2014-2016) the participating trucks were checked with respect to the total cost of ownership. As a result of the test, the competing Volvo FH, equipped with 13-liter Euro-6 engine and I-Shift automated transmission, proved to have the lowest total cost of ownership as well as the best fuel economy.
The beginning of September was marked by the outstanding demonstration of a fully-automated Volvo FMX, operating in the Boliden mine in Sweden. Moving flawlessly below the ground, the self-driving mining truck reflected the brand’s emphasis on applications where the technology provides new tangible customer benefits.
All these events served as reasonable grounds for Volvo Trucks to take part in the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show under a meaningful slogan: the Power of Knowledge, with the brand’s original vision of what it takes to combine productivity, performance, and fuel economy.
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