Ride along in a DME powered Volvo VNL day cab

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Jason Cannon
Jun 8, 2013
Updated Jul 25, 2013

Take a quick drive with CCJ Equipment Editor Jack Roberts as he pilots a Volvo VNL day cab powered with dimethyl ether (DME).

Roberts’ 425 horsepower unit was fitted with an I-Shift transmission and charged with pulling more than 30,000 pounds of construction equipment around a decommissioned Air Force base in Sacramento, Calif.

Last Thursday, Volvo became the first manufacturer to announce plans to commercialize DME-powered heavy-duty commercial vehicles in North America.

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Jason Cannon has written about trucking and transportation for more than a decade and serves as Chief Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. A Class A CDL holder, Jason is a graduate of the Porsche Sport Driving School, an honorary Duckmaster at The Peabody in Memphis, Tennessee, and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Reach him at [email protected]. 
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