Volvo Trucks North America has partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a comprehensive package of vehicle components for the Volvo VN to deliver high fuel efficiency and low emissions, as part of EPA’s new SmartWay tractor program. Trucks ordered with this set of components are eligible to receive EPA’s SmartWay Tractor designation.
“Volvo’s partnership with EPA in the SmartWay program grows from our core value of environmental care, which influences virtually everything we do at Volvo,” says Peter Karlsten, Volvo’s president and chief executive officer. “It also reflects our determination to give customers the most efficient and productive trucks possible. Our new family of U.S. ’07 engines deliver excellent fuel economy, with very low emissions. Volvo’s sophisticated aerodynamics further reduce fuel consumption. Our customers know that the rising cost of diesel makes it critical for them to be as fuel-efficient as possible.”
The components required for the SmartWay-eligible designation, which reduce fuel consumption and minimize emissions, include:
Tractors meeting these specs can have a special SmartWay decal displayed inside the cab. EPA has developed a similar program for manufacturers of trailers. The agency estimates that more than one million barrels of oil would be saved if 30 percent of the trucks and trailers sold industrywide in 2007 were SmartWay tractor-trailer combinations.
Beginning later in the second quarter, Volvo customers will be able to specify a SmartWay-eligible tractor component package when ordering their trucks. The required components will be specially identified in Volvo’s truck ordering system so that carriers participating in the SmartWay program can ensure their new trucks qualify for EPA’s public designation.
The SmartWay tractor-trailer is a component of EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership, a comprehensive public-private program designed to improve the transportation industry’s fuel efficiency and reduce its emissions. SmartWay also provides public recognition for companies that meet its challenging standards. Volvo has been a member of the SmartWay Transport Partnership since 2003 through Volvo Logistics North America. More information on the SmartWay Transportation Partnership is available at www.epa.gov/smartway.
