Beyond Euro 5: Rev it up for an eco engine

Volvo Trucks will start rolling out its first FH and FM trucks with enhanced environmentally friendly vehicle (EEV) engines this year.

The new engines will help improve air quality by reducing particulates and smoke drastically, going beyond the requirements of Euro V. The first stage of Volvo’s EEV engine offer, based on an optimised D13 engine with SCR, will cover the majority of the D13’s current sales volume.

The Volvo EEV engines are designed to help improve air quality by keeping the emission of particulates and smoke to an extreme minimum. According to the company, the emissions are far better than the requirements set by Euro V, which will become mandatory from October 2009.

“The new Volvo EEV engines are an important part of our ongoing commitment to environmental care, while also offering good economy and impressive fuel efficiency,” says Claes Nilsson, director european division at Volvo Trucks.

The roll-out of the Volvo EEV engines will start with the fuel-efficient D13 engine, which has been further optimised to be able to reach EEV levels. In addition to reducing particulates and smoke considerably, the EEV engines will offer customers improved economy, while allowing them to take advantage of tax incentives available on some markets. Volvo says this is just the beginning – the aim is to be able to offer a wide range of EEV engines.

Looking ahead, Volvo says it is closely following the development of the Euro VI standard. The company believes that a combination of SCR and EGR technologies will provide the most efficient solution. The challenge is to offer a high-performing engine without compromising fuel efficiency and engine response.

Meanwhile, it is now easier for haulage firms to gain control over fuel consumption and emissions with the latest generation of Volvo’s web-based transport information system, Dynafleet. This system enables the customer to obtain detailed reports about fuel consumption from every truck and driver.

With Dynafleet, users can check how much AdBlue has been used in the exhaust treatment process, the number of starts and stops, average speed and how heavily loaded the vehicle was during various phases of each shift. In the system’s environmental report, it is possible to see how emissions are affected by the quality of fuel used. If the AdBlue level drops below the permitted level, the haulage firm is automatically notified.

The new version of Dynafleet also makes it easier to meet EU requirements for regular registration of driver times. Using a function called driver data upload, drivers can transfer their personal operational information from the tachograph to the haulage firm without getting out of the cab.

The driver takes his driver card out of the tachograph and inserts it into a special card reader that is linked to the truck’s Dynafleet unit. The information is then uploaded to the company’s site on the Dynafleet server where it is stored in a safe way.

The haulage company also automatically receives information indicating which drivers have uploaded their data in time and which have not yet done so.