Printed in Sweden. ... Through the development of new trucks and services, continuous improvements in our operations ...
volvo trucks. driving progress
towards sustainable transports Volvo Trucks and the Environment
Volvo Truck Corporation www.volvotrucks.com
RSP 20100100001 English. Printed in Sweden.
Towards sustainable transports. Step by step. Volvo Trucks has a vision regarding sustainable transports. Transportation should contribute to continued growth and development and should generate profitability for our customers, while also minimising the environmental impact.
Global warming is one of humanity’s biggest challenges.
This brochure offers an overview of where our environmental dedication has taken us to date, and shows the steps we plan to take in the future. It highlights what we are doing to slow down global warming, what we can use to replace fossil oil and how emissions of air pollutants have dropped to today’s low levels. Without pre-empting what’s to come, we can reveal that energy efficiency plays a major role in this process. Through the development of new trucks and services, continuous improvements in our operations and close cooperation with other key players, we are approaching the point where sustainable transports are actually within reach. To find out more about how we plan on getting there, visit www.volvotrucks.com/environment.
Our Trucks
Emissions of air pollutants from new trucks have been drastically reduced.
page 4 –7
Our Services page 8 –11
Our Operations page 12 –15
Our Commitment page 16 –17
ENERGY Y EFFICIENC
Energy efficiency every step of the way is the most important parameter for reducing our environmental impact.
Oil is a finite resource that must eventually be replaced.
Our Trucks
Lower emissions. Higher fuel efficiency. Since the early 1990s, emissions of air pollutants from new Volvo trucks have been reduced by more than 90%. During the same period, fuel consumption and climate impact decreased by 20%, and the trend continues toward even lower levels. In parallel, we are gradually introducing entirely new solutions on the market. Hybrid technology where the diesel engine is combined with an electric motor is one alternative. Biogaspowered trucks that exploit the diesel engine’s high efficiency rating is another. What these alternatives have in common is that they combine low emissions with an extremely high efficiency rating – a vital precondition for their suitability in heavy commercial transport operations. In our environmental product declarations, we show how some of our most popular truck models affect the environment from design and production all the way to recycling. You can find the Volvo Trucks environmental product declarations at www.volvotrucks.com/footprint-calculation.
Recycling. Every Volvo truck is designed and built in such a way that in terms of the materials from which it is made, more than 90% of the truck can be fully recycled. Noise level. Effective insulation reduces noise from engines and transmissions. The next challenge is to cut the noise level from tyres too. In this area we cooperate with tyre manufacturers.
Methane Diesel. The Volvo gas-powered truck with its new methane-diesel technology exploits the diesel engine’s high efficiency rating, making it up to 30–40% more fuel-efficient than other gas-powered trucks. If biogas is used to power the truck, the climate footprint is 80% lower compared with conventional diesel fuel.
Environmental product declarations are available for Volvo’s most popular truck models.
Prepared for various alternatives. Volvo has developed seven demo vehicles running on seven different alternative fuels. 20% more efficient. Over the past 20 years, the fuel consumption and climate impact of new diesel-powered Volvo trucks have dropped by 20%. Over the coming 10 years, emissions of CO2 and fuel consumption will be cut by a further 10%. 90% less emissions. Volvo trucks not only meet the EU and US emission requirements but also the voluntary EEV-standard, Enhanced Environmental friendly Vehicle. Since the early 1990s, emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulates have been cut by more than 90%. Hybrid. Hybrid technology, in which the diesel engine is supplemented with an electric motor, reduces fuel consumption and climate impact by 15–20%. Volvo’s hybrid trucks are also far quieter than conventional trucks.
DME. High energy efficiency, low emissions and a minimal climate impact make Bio-DME a highly promising fuel for the future and an alternative with considerable potential. Field trials are already under way.
Our services
We support our customers’ business : Efficient transport solutions. For each litre of fossil diesel fuel that an engine burns, 2.6 kg of climate-impacting carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. That is why all measures that help reduce fuel consumption are important – not just for the haulage company’s economy but also for the climate. Read more at www.volvotrucks.com/our-services.
Longer rigs are another way of improving the efficiency of long-haul transports. In Europe we are promoting 25.25 metre long rigs to be allowed on major roads. This would mean that three of today’s rigs could be replaced by just two of the longer type, and that climate impact and fuel consumption could be reduced by 15%.
Under the Fuelwatch heading, we have gathered together a number of services that enable our customers to reduce their fuel consumption, for instance through optimisation of the truck, fuel-saving maintenance, upgrades, transport information systems and driver training. To read more about Fuelwatch, visit www.volvotrucks.com/fuelwatch.
Driver development. Driver training in fuel-efficient driving techniques can produce savings of between 5 and 10%.
30 m. In northern Sweden, trials are under way with 30 m long timber haulage trucks with a gross combination weight of 90 tonnes. The results so far show that emissions of carbon dioxide have been cut by more than 20% per tonne-kilometre.
Two trucks replace three. With 25.25 m long truck rigs on Europe’s larger roads, two rigs could replace three, and both climate impact and fuel consumption could be cut by 15%.
Efficiency upgrades. Both new and used trucks can be upgraded with fuel-saving equipment and software. One example is the Economy Power software which is available for Volvo’s automatic I-Shift gearchanging system. Volvo’s air deflector panels are another example of equipment designed to cut fuel consumption.
Fuel management service. Volvo’s consultants conduct a total review of the haulage company’s fuel consumption.
Optimised trucks. The basis for low operating costs is to ensure the optimum combination of engine, gearbox, rear axle and tyres.
Fuel-saving maintenance. Through regular maintenance, the truck retains its low fuel consumption.
Dynafleet. Volvo’s transport information system, Dynafleet, provides better control over how much fuel is used by each vehicle and each driver.
Our
operations
Lower environmental impact at every stage. Even if most of a truck’s total environmental impact occurs while it is driven on the road, it is also important to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact during manufacture, transportation and other stages of operation. Since we created our first environmental statement back in 1972, we have worked successfully to reduce our environmental impact at every stage – from design, purchasing and production to distribution, sales and service. Among other things, we have long applied strict minimum requirements for our suppliers, production facilities and dealers. And we are still making significant new progress. For example, we reduced energy consumption per manufactured truck by one-third between 2003 and 2008. That same year, our Belgian plant in Ghent became the world’s first climate-neutral vehicle factory. Below you can see additional examples of what we do to reduce our environmental imprint in our own operations. You’ll find more examples at www.volvotrucks.com/our-operations.
Energy consumption per manufactured truck was reduced by 33% between 2003 and 2008.
Continuous improvements. Volvo Trucks’ dealers and workshops conduct a systematic programme to reduce energy consumption and minimise environmental impact.
Company cars. Low fuel consumption and low environmental impact are prioritised when choosing company cars.
Climate-neutral dealers. With solar cells installed on the roof of the facility, Volvo Trucks’ first climate-neutral dealership in Verona, Italy produces more electricity than it uses.
Climate-efficient transports. Climate-impacting emissions shall be significantly reduced. We also impose stringent emission standards when negotiating purchases of transport services.
Low emissions. Our cab factory in Umeå, Sweden, has the industry’s lowest solvent emissions.
Railways. A significant proportion of Volvo’s transport of components and cabs to Europe goes by train. Climate-neutral production. By boosting energy efficiency and using biofuels, solar power and wind power, we have made our production plant in Ghent into the world’s first climateneutral vehicle factory. The aim is for all our major production facilities to become climate-neutral.
Saving water. At our Indian production plant in Hosakote, we use watersaving technologies to ensure that we do not negatively impact the available water resources.
Our commitment to making a difference. As one of the largest companies in our industry, we have the responsibility, possibility and intention to drive developments in a positive direction, both locally and globally. However, to make our vision of sustainable transports reality, it is necessary for a lot of important stakeholders to work towards the same objective. That is why we collaborate with haulage companies, fuel producers, researchers, public authorities, suppliers and other key players in various contexts. We listen, learn and share our expertise and experience. Here at Volvo Trucks, we have decided to make a difference. However, the effect will be so much greater if everyone joins forces and works together.
Easy rolling. Through close collaboration with tyre manufacturers, we are focusing on reducing trucks’ rolling resistance, in turn reducing fuel consumption.
Volvo and WWF. Volvo has recently joined the WWF Climate Savers Program to verify the company’s carbon emissions reductions and to inspire others in the transport sector to take action on behalf of a climate neutral society.
The Volvo Environmental Prize has been awarded every year since 1988 for “Outstanding innovations or scientific discoveries which in broad terms fall within the environmental field”.
Climate Smart City Distribution. Together with key players from all parts of the transport chain, Volvo Trucks participates in Climate Smart City Distribution, a project for more efficient and less environmentally impacting transports in city traffic.
Energy and climate. Through close cooperation with various energy suppliers, we have drastically reduced our factories’ energy consumption and climate impact.
KNEG. Volvo Trucks is one of the companies behind the Climate-Neutral Freight Transportation initiative (also known by its Swedish acronym KNEG), whereby researchers, haulage firms, fuel producers, vehicle manufacturers and authorities all cooperate to reduce climate impact from freight haulage. All told, there are about 15 participants in KNEG.
Ecological Caravan. Volvo in Brazil sponsors the Ecological Caravan, a theatre ensemble that specialises in performances with environmental themes among other things to prevent the trade and transportation of endangered wildlife species. The target audience is truck drivers. New fuels. To establish a new market for alternative fuels such as liquid biogas and DME, we collaborate with specialists such as fuel producers, fuel distributors and technology suppliers
