Volvo Trucks North America Unleashes Heavy Duty Class 8 Volvo VNL Upgrade

Jan 24, 2024 03:28 AM EST

WHITE VOLVO VNL 300 HEAVY DUTY TRUCK — (Photo : PEXELS/Robert So)

Volvo Trucks North America made it public - an entirely reimagined Class 8 Volvo VNL, featuring distinctive visual elements that are poised to revolutionize industry benchmarks within the heavy-duty trucking sector. This all-new Volvo VNL has undergone a comprehensive overhaul, led by the U.S. team, during an intensive six-year period of research and dedicated product development.

Volvo Trucks North America Class 8 Volvo VNL

The facelifted and improved Volvo VNL has various cutting-edge development. All target to enable users to attain previously unheard-of levels of efficiency, safety, profitability, and sustainability while also enhancing the driving experience.

The all-new Volvo VNL is thoughtfully divided into four distinct exterior and interior trim levels and offers six cab configurations, all meticulously designed to cater to customers' preferences, brand identity, and operational requirements.

As shared on reports, Volvo Trucks left no stone unturned in enhancing the driver experience, from selecting premium materials that exude elegance and tactile satisfaction, to reimagining cab lighting and optimizing storage to create a welcoming and comfortable environment that drivers can truly consider a "home away from home."

The new Volvo VNL boasts impressive aerodynamic improvements and is designed to achieve a remarkable 10% increase in fuel efficiency, offering fleets the opportunity to significantly reduce emissions and CO2 output. Future technologies including battery-electric, fuel cell, and internal combustion engines powered by renewable resources like hydrogen will all be built on top of the new Volvo VNL.

Volvo's goal to achieve significant emission and CO2 reductions is embodied in this action. The industry standard for trucking in the future, including the use of completely driverless trucks, will be set by the new Volvo VNL's increased safety features and the switch from a 12-volt to a 24-volt electrical design.

Moreover, Volvo Autonomous Solutions is actively pursuing the development of efficient autonomous solution scaling, which will be made possible by the standardization of the truck platform.

Level Up: Technologies in New Volvo VLN

Volvo's introduction of the first 24-volt electrical infrastructure in the North American trucking industry with its new VNL model, aims to reduce battery and electrical failures. The purpose of this is to improve serviceability in terms of identifying and fixing electrical problems.

The benefits of 24-volt electrical systems-which are already widespread in Europe-were emphasized by Johan Agebrand, head of product marketing at Volvo Trucks North America. According to him these systems worked with modern truck technologies and electricity needs. Furthermore, Agebrand emphasized that this change allows for smaller component sizes without compromising reliability.

Active safety features, which are set to become industry standard for fully autonomous vehicles in the future, are also included in the new VNL. The five main areas of improvement-fuel efficiency, safety, driver productivity, linked services, and uptime-are given a lot of weight in the new Volvo VNL.

Reports had it the redesigned cab of the Class 8 Volvo VNL from Volvo Trucks North America plays a pivotal role in achieving a notable 10% enhancement in fuel efficiency. \The redesigned windshield serves as the focal point of this new cab's angular, wedge-shaped, and more streamlined appearance.

The addition of a curved and bonded windshield and the optimization of clearances in regions susceptible to turbulent air, such as wheel apertures, the bumper, the hood, the chassis fairings, and the trailer gap, greatly improved the aerodynamics. These aerodynamic enhancements were meticulously developed and tested in conjunction with Volvo Trucks' SuperTruck 2 project.

In addition to these aerodynamic advancements, Volvo Trucks engineers have also made substantial improvements to the truck's powertrain. The new Volvo VNL is now equipped with the latest generation D13 engine, engineered to deliver superior fuel efficiency, performance, and durability.