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Volvo Trucks Unveils Hybrid Powertrain For Heavy-Duty Truck, It Has an EV Mode

Volvo Trucks has revealed a concept vehicle that previews the first hybrid model for the heavy-weight class in long haul applications.
Volvo Concept Truck 8 photos
Photo: Volvo Trucks
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Volvo Concept Truck is the name of this exhibit, and you may find it familiar because it was first unveiled in 2016. However, the Swedish company, independent from the Volvo automobile brand, has continuously upgraded the concept, which is now more efficient than ever, and it even comes with a hybrid powertrain.

According to Volvo Trucks, this vehicle features one of the first hybrid powertrains in its class, and it can even drive on electric power alone. Company officials estimate that the setup will allow the ECU to shut off the internal combustion engines for up to 30% of the driving time of long-haul transportation.

As you can imagine, having a truck that can turn off its internal combustion unit for up to 30% of a long drive can bring massive economy improvements in the long term. Depending on its specification and drive cycle, a reduction of five to 10 percent of consumption is expected for each trip.

In the full electric mode, the Volvo Concept Truck can be driven for up to 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) in zero emission conditions. It may not be that impressive when compared to a modern full hybrid automobile, but this beast can carry tons of cargo. Volvo Trucks is expected to fit a version of this powertrain into a production model, which is projected to be a product from the Volvo FH line.

Unlike any other vehicle from this class, the Volvo Concept Truck can recover energy when driving downhill, and it does the same when braking. The kinetic energy that would have been wasted in the form of heat gets stored in the vehicle’s batteries, which use it to enable driving on flat roads and even small gradients.

The concept is built on a Volvo FH with the company’s D13 Euro 6 Step C diesel motor. Volvo’s Concept Truck is the result of a joint research project with the Swedish Energy Authority and the U.S. Department of Energy.

This collaboration has also led to the conception of the SuperTruck project, which is part of a program in the USA that wants to promote improved transport efficiency in North America.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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