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Volvo Trucks seeks to accelerate development of more climate-friendly transport

On February 18, the EU reached the decision to regulate CO2 emissions from heavy-duty vehicles

On February 18, the EU reached the decision to regulate CO2 emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. To speed up development, Volvo Trucks continues to invest heavily in more climate-friendly transport solutions. But additional measures are needed to stimulate demand for vehicles with low CO2 emissions.

“Cutting climate emissions from heavy-duty vehicles is an incredibly important task, and it’s fundamental to our initiatives in sustainable transport. At Volvo Trucks, we’re well-positioned to take on this challenge. It’s natural for the EU to now introduce limits on CO2 emissions. In order to speed up the transition, we would however also like to see stronger financial incentives for the customers who take the lead and choose more climate-friendly vehicles,” said Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks.

Electric trucks can contribute to reducing CO2 emissions. Volvo Trucks launched its first truck models with electric powertrains in 2018 and will start series production this year.

“We’re at the stage where the technology will soon be ready for wider applications in heavy-duty transport. If demand is stimulated and the new charging infrastructure network is expanded, the volume will also be able to increase at a faster rate than would otherwise be possible,” said Lars Mårtensson, Director of Environment and Innovation at Volvo Trucks.

Other climate solutions include natural gas and biogas. Running a Volvo FH LNG on natural gas cuts CO2 emissions by about 20 percent compared to diesel. With biogas, the tank-to-wheel emissions can be cut by 100 percent.

At the same time, Volvo Trucks is continuing to develop the diesel trucks that currently make up the absolute majority of its sales. Since the early 1990s, the fuel usage and CO2 emissions of a typical long-distance Volvo truck have decreased by about 20 percent*, and there is room for additional improvements with more efficient powertrains, lower rolling resistance, and better aerodynamics. Each truck needs to be optimized for its specific transportation task.

While the emission limits imposed by the EU set a clear timetable for vehicle manufacturers, the goal – improving fuel efficiency and reducing the climate impact – has been a top priority for the industry for some time now, in part because fuel usage makes up about one-third of the costs for a transport company.

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SOURCE: Volvo Trucks

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