Volvo Flaunts SmartWay Tractors
Volvo showcased the upgraded versions of its trucks at the Great American Truck Show in Dallas last from August 23-August 25. The Volvo trucks has proudly met all of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay program, and is now boasting its Volvo auto parts that are said to increase uptime and the truck’s fuel economy.
A Volvo VN 780 with a full-height sleeper and a VN 730 mid-roof sleeper were used to show attendees the enhanced aerodynamics and other fuel-saving strategies of the Volvo auto parts that were used to achieve EPA’s Certified SmartWay designation for highway sleeper tractors.
Volvo customers are now able to specify a SmartWay-eligible tractor component package when ordering their trucks. The required components are identified in Volvo’s truck ordering system so that carriers participating in the SmartWay program can ensure their new trucks qualify for EPA’s public designation.
One of the SmartWay requirements is for full-height roof fairings, for smooth and efficient airflow over the top of the sleeper to the trailer. The VN 780’s aerodynamic roof design accomplishes this while at the same time providing a spacious living area in the sleeper. The mid-roof VN 730 meets the SmartWay requirement with Volvo’s new fairing for mid-roof tractors. The fairing provides aerodynamic performance for pulling full-height trailers, while retaining the lighter weight of a mid-roof tractor. The new fairing is also available for the Volvo VT 830. The fairing is removable and can be retrofitted to existing VN 730 and VT 830 tractors.
The tire pressure monitoring system will be available as an option for all Volvo highway tractors beginning in the fourth quarter of 2007. The system constantly monitors each wheel using remote sensors and displays real-time tire pressures and temperatures through Volvo’s Driver Information Display. Drivers receive alerts for individual tires notifying them of over- or under-inflated tires (more than 10% outside set pressure), high temperatures, sudden leaks or loss of pressure and loss of sensor or missing data. Correct tire inflation is an important factor for obtaining maximum fuel economy and tire life, since rolling resistance accounts for more than 30% of a vehicle’s fuel efficiency at 65 mph.
