Volvo Trucks is the first manufacturer in the world to use Bio-DME (Di-Methyl-Ether) as a vehicle fuel. With fuel distributor Preem’s inauguration today of a DME filling station in Stockholm, the first five Volvo DME trucks in commercial operation are now taking to Sweden’s roads. Bio-DME is highly interesting as a biofuel since it produces no less than 95 per cent lower emissions of carbon dioxide compared with diesel.
It has become increasingly important for haulage firms to show that they want to, and can, take their environmental responsibilities seriously. That is why Volvo Trucks is offering its customers a comprehensive declaration of how the company’s trucks impact the environment. Volvo Trucks is the only truck maker to provide such a service. “Demand from our customers for detailed information about our trucks’ climate and environmental footprint has increased in recent years,” says Lars Mårtensson, Environmental Director at Volvo Trucks.
Swedish truck maker Volvo Trucks regards gas as the most viable alternative to oil as a fuel for diesel engines. Above all, it offers considerable potential as a bridge to greater use of climate-neutral biogas. “This allows us to deal suitably with the most pressing problem – reducing carbon dioxide emissions,” says Lars Mårtensson, Volvo Trucks’ Environmental Director.
The lead time from drawing board to finished product is getting ever shorter. And the consumer’s role in the product development process is becoming increasingly clear. Even large industrial corporations are pursuing a fast pace and are quick off the mark to bring customers into the loop in product development. When Swedish truck manufacturer Volvo Trucks decided to develop its new construction truck – the Volvo FMX – customer participation played a central role in the process.
Globally, Volvo Trucks' truck deliveries in July were 116% higher than in the corresponding month last year. Demand for new trucks continues to increase in several markets.
The lack of drivers has been a major problem for the European transport industry. Of late, the financial crisis and global recession have made the issue somewhat less urgent. However, when the economy turns around the subject will once again be high on the agenda. In order to secure the profession’s future a broader recruitment base is needed. A change of attitude within the industry is needed to ensure that the profession will become more appealing for women too.
Tomorrow’s transportation will be sustainable in terms of both ecology and economy. That will be Volvo Trucks’ main message at the IAA show in Hanover on September 23-30, when the company will stake out the path for the future by showing unique new green technologies. The new Volvo FMX construction truck will also be premiered at IAA.
60 per cent of all accidents in which a truck collides with a pedestrian or cyclist can be blamed on the driver’s blind spot. Many of the people injured are children. In Denmark, Volvo Trucks and several other organisations have therefore joined forces in a project designed to teach children how to behave when there are trucks around.
A large-scale safety research project is now being rolled out in collaboration with DHL Tradeteam in the UK and Dutch haulage firm Nijhof-Wassink. The aim is to study driver behaviour in various traffic situations and to examine how this behaviour interfaces with the truck’s on-board safety systems.
Volvo’s new truck for construction duties, the Volvo FMX, has been test-driven by journalists for the first time. The test site, a gravel quarry outside Göteborg, offered difficult driving conditions and was ideal for checking out how well the Volvo FMX meets the tough requirements imposed on a construction truck.
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