Volvo Gets $20 Million in Fed Funding to Improve Efficiency of HD Trucks

Under a SuperTruck II award announced by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Volvo Group North America is scheduled to receive $20 million in federal funding that it will use to improve the freight-moving efficiency of heavy-duty trucks. The Volvo Group and its partners will match the development funds dollar-for-dollar.

The Volvo Group’s team of researchers and engineers will use alternative engine designs and an integrated system approach to build a lightweight tractor-trailer concept that exceeds the freight efficiency goal of 100 percent improvement on a ton-mile-per-gallon basis compared with a 2009 baseline. The team also will demonstrate a powertrain capable of 55 percent brake thermal efficiency.

The Group will leverage its industry-leading expertise in vehicle development, along with established partnerships with advanced technology and trailer equipment vendors. It will also draw from the company’s legacy of innovation in the areas of energy efficiency, safety and environmental solutions.

The Volvo Group’s partners include Michelin Americas Research Company (tires), Wabash National (trailer), Metalsa (lightweight frame), Johnson-Matthey Inc. (exhaust aftertreatment system catalysts), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (exhaust aftertreatment system testing / analysis), Peloton Technology (connected vehicle / platooning), Pennsylvania State University (connected vehicle testing), Knight Transportation (long-haul fleet) and Wegmans Food Markets (regional-haul fleet).

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