Bringing the all-new Volvo VNL to market was a process over six years in the making. The design is 90% new and will serve as a platform for all future powertrain solutions in North America. Aerodynamic design and powertrain performance were completely re-imagined. As a result, this VNL can offer up to 10% increases in fuel efficiency when compared to Volvo’s legacy VNL models.

“The 10% fuel efficiency improvement comes from two sources. First, our radically improved aerodynamics create a 7% improvement, thanks to reduced drag over the cab. An additional 3% savings is the result of improving our already class-leading powertrain offering,” says Johan Agebrand, director of product marketing & strategic pricing for Volvo Trucks NA. “Setting the new standard for the North American trucking industry, these efficiency improvements represent not only a quantum leap forward in the way our customers do business but also in our collective efforts to reduce carbon emissions.”

Cutting through the wind

The new VNL looks like nothing else out there. By design, of course. Each element was considered—and reconsidered—to take aerodynamic performance to the next level. Alex Henriques, chief designer, exterior, explains the mindset. “It was a great opportunity for us to keep pushing for maximum air performance, to create not only a very beautiful, but very aerodynamic truck. Every surface of the truck, from the front to the back, was sculpted with air in mind.” You can see it in every detail, from the striking wedge-shaped cab and shrink-wrapped hood to the aggressively curved windshield.

Additional aerodynamic gains were created from the integration of the curved and bonded windshield, tighter clearances around turbulent air areas like wheel openings, the bumper and the hood, chassis fairings, and promoting a tighter trailer gap. These designs, all key components of the aerodynamic gains, were developed and tested in parallel with Volvo Trucks’ SuperTruck 2.

Justin Novacek, expert engineer for Volvo, has spent his engineering career studying turbulence, fluid mechanics, and fluid dynamics. His partnership with the design team was invaluable. “What is really important for me is the collaboration that engineering and design had from the very beginning of the project. We really worked to give the right artistic vision with the design and still build in the aerodynamic performance required to give the customer the fuel efficiency that they need.”

Powertrain improvements

Volvo Trucks further extends its class-leading fuel efficiency by enhancing the dependable Volvo D13 engine and I-Shift transmission.

Design enhancements to the D13 begin with improved combustion efficiency. Smaller needle control valves in the fuel injectors provide improved fuel flow into the D13 engine’s combustion chamber. The control valve’s size reduction provides for more precise and rapid control over the fuel flow rate through the injector tip, leading to improved fuel atomization and enhanced engine performance.

In 2017, Volvo Trucks introduced its patented six-wave piston, which received broad industry recognition for its results in reducing fuel consumption. With the launch of the all-new Volvo VNL, Volvo Trucks has introduced an improved seven-wave piston that provides further directional control of the air and fuel mixture to create even more efficient combustion. Additionally, the piston height was decreased and paired with a longer connecting rod to minimize cylinder sidewall pressure, decreasing friction and improving overall performance. These improvements provide smoother internal movement, reducing parasitic loss and increasing the overall efficiency and engine longevity.

“The advancements made in the latest generation of the Volvo D13 engine are nothing short of remarkable,” said Duane Tegels, product marketing manager for powertrain at Volvo Trucks. “While our previous generation D13, particularly the D13TC engine, performed extremely well, our dedicated team of engineers was able to seek out and successfully implement changes to make it even more reliable and efficient than ever before. When you’re designing a truck to change everything, every detail inside the engine matters. Where there are opportunities to make improvements, our team is focused on continuing to work towards decarbonizing our product offering.”

Engine improvements extend to a new variable vane oil pump, along with improvements to the turbo compounding (TC) unit and turbocharger.

The latest iteration of the I-Shift transmission features up to 30% faster shifting speeds compared to its predecessor. When Volvo Trucks introduced the I-Shift transmission in the North American market in 2007, it was met with skepticism. Today, automated manual transmission has become the industry standard, with traditional manual transmissions almost non-existent outside of extremely rare applications. The impressive efficiency gains and reliability achieved with the I-Shift have led Volvo Trucks to officially mark the end of its manual transmission offering.

The impressive increase in shifting speeds has been achieved through a comprehensive overhaul of the software, electronics, clutch mechanisms, and precision engineering. Volvo Trucks engineers have redefined algorithms, reduced clutch throw, and introduced an enhanced clutch brake system to revolutionize gear shifts, significantly reducing the transition times between gears to ensure seamless power delivery. This monumental improvement not only amplifies acceleration, but also minimizes energy loss during gear changes, resulting in heightened overall efficiency.

A far-reaching impact

A 10% savings spread across nearly 300,000 trucks in the Class 8 market would equate to the same carbon reductions delivered by 30,000 battery-electric Class 8 trucks. Efficiency gains in the all-new Volvo VNL are crucial to the company’s long-term strategy for decarbonizing heavy-duty transportation.

“Ten percent can be a huge difference, both at the industry level and for an individual fleet,” shares Agebrand. “An average long-haul customer will run their vehicles 100,000 plus miles a year and more than 20% of their expenses are tied up in fuel costs. With our new VNL, they could spend $5,000 less per vehicle each year. That’s a tangible savings that’s impossible to ignore.”