Volvo's heavy hybrid
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Volvo has unveiled its hybrid solution for heavy vehicles, which it claims will save 35% on fuel bills
Traditionally only the military and bus builders have looking at hybrid
systems with any real intent, but Volvo has revealed its plans for
hybrid heavy commercials.
‘We envisage opportunities to accelerate developments in commercially viable hybrids for heavy vehicles. This can be significant for both our customers and for the environment’, says President and CEO of Volvo, Leif Johansson.
Volvo’s hybrid concept provides maximum fuel-saving effects on routes with frequent braking and accelerations, for example in refuse collection, city bus traffic and city distribution. The company says that fuel savings can amount up to 35 per cent. Maintenance costs for vehicles can also be reduced through reduced wear on the braking system.
The hybrid concept is designated I-SAM and consists of a combined starter motor, drive motor and alternator, along with an electronic control unit. I-SAM interacts with Volvo’s I-Shift automatic gear shifting system. The batteries are recharged by the diesel engine and whenever the brakes are applied.
Volvo says, the electric motor offers smooth performance at low speeds, supplementing the diesel engine’s performance as speed rises. This unique solution allows the truck to accelerate under electric power alone. This promotes lower fuel consumption, lower emissions and lower noise levels. And it adds there are several additional features that contribute to the lower fuel consumption.
‘Thanks to the electric motor’s capacity, the diesel engine can be automatically switched off when the truck stops to make deliveries, pick up loads or pauses at traffic lights’, explains Lars Mårtensson, environmental affairs manager at Volvo Trucks. ‘Auxiliary functions such as the servo pump, AC compressor and so on are driven electrically in the hybrid truck instead of by the diesel engine. Thanks to efficient interaction between the two power sources, the vehicle can be fitted with a smaller diesel engine without compromising on performance. This gives customers a cost-effective solution that reduces emissions.’
Volvo says he diesel engine in its hybrid vehicles can also be operated using biofuels, and consequently, transport activities can be conducted without carbon dioxide emissions, paving the way for interesting developments toward long-term sustainable transport solutions in the future.
Volvo’s new hybrid truck will now undergo a wide range of tests, but the company predicts that a hybrid heavy truck bearing the Volvo badge will be available on the market within a few years.
‘We envisage opportunities to accelerate developments in commercially viable hybrids for heavy vehicles. This can be significant for both our customers and for the environment’, says President and CEO of Volvo, Leif Johansson.
Volvo’s hybrid concept provides maximum fuel-saving effects on routes with frequent braking and accelerations, for example in refuse collection, city bus traffic and city distribution. The company says that fuel savings can amount up to 35 per cent. Maintenance costs for vehicles can also be reduced through reduced wear on the braking system.
The hybrid concept is designated I-SAM and consists of a combined starter motor, drive motor and alternator, along with an electronic control unit. I-SAM interacts with Volvo’s I-Shift automatic gear shifting system. The batteries are recharged by the diesel engine and whenever the brakes are applied.
Volvo says, the electric motor offers smooth performance at low speeds, supplementing the diesel engine’s performance as speed rises. This unique solution allows the truck to accelerate under electric power alone. This promotes lower fuel consumption, lower emissions and lower noise levels. And it adds there are several additional features that contribute to the lower fuel consumption.
‘Thanks to the electric motor’s capacity, the diesel engine can be automatically switched off when the truck stops to make deliveries, pick up loads or pauses at traffic lights’, explains Lars Mårtensson, environmental affairs manager at Volvo Trucks. ‘Auxiliary functions such as the servo pump, AC compressor and so on are driven electrically in the hybrid truck instead of by the diesel engine. Thanks to efficient interaction between the two power sources, the vehicle can be fitted with a smaller diesel engine without compromising on performance. This gives customers a cost-effective solution that reduces emissions.’
Volvo says he diesel engine in its hybrid vehicles can also be operated using biofuels, and consequently, transport activities can be conducted without carbon dioxide emissions, paving the way for interesting developments toward long-term sustainable transport solutions in the future.
Volvo’s new hybrid truck will now undergo a wide range of tests, but the company predicts that a hybrid heavy truck bearing the Volvo badge will be available on the market within a few years.
