New Volvo Trucks, Now with EPD

Swedish manufacturer Volvo Trucks today announced all its FE and FL trucks now come with Environmental Product Declaration - EPD, which means European owners now have access to a detailed lifecycle analysis of the vehicle’s environmental footprint. The EPD was first introduced in 2001 with the launch of the FH and FM series trucks and has since then undergone continuous development

"We were the world's first truck manufacturer to provide an environmental product declaration, and almost ten years later we are still the only vehicle manufacturer in the world to offer customers this type of information," Lars Martensson, Environmental Director at Volvo Trucks, said in a release.

"Demand for detailed information about our trucks' climate and environmental footprint has increased in recent years. We have made the data easily accessible via an interactive service available on our website," added Martensson.

Thanks to the EPD, customers can calculate the total environmental footprint for a given transport assignment and also clearly show what is covered, Volvo says. DHL, for example, one of Volvo’s largest customers uses the EPD to choose the right measures for reducing their climate footprint.

Volvo Trucks' environmental product declaration takes into account the truck's overall environmental footprint throughout its lifecycle. This lifecycle analysis is divided into five sections: materials and production, fuel, exhaust emissions, maintenance and end-of-life treatment. According to Volvo, more than 90 percent of the truck's environmental impact occurs during actual vehicle use.

"Our data on total environmental impact is important to the people developing next generation Volvo trucks. The information serves as a guideline for all our engineers, for instance when they work on alternative fuels and hybrid technology," concluded Martensson.