Volvo Group North America (VGNA) recently hosted Michael Regan, administrator for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Ray Curry, president of the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) at its headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. In addition to discussing the Volvo Group’s commitment to environmental sustainability in both current and future products, the visit allowed the guests to test-drive the latest zero-emission, fully electric, heavy-duty trucks from the Group’s Volvo and Mack truck brands.
Volvo Group North America (VGNA) chairman and Mack Trucks president Martin Weissburg today hosted Michael Regan, administrator for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Ray Curry, president of the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) at VGNA’s headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“It was an honor to host Michael Regan and Ray Curry on our campus, and to discuss the Volvo Group’s work toward achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040,” said Martin Weissburg, chairman of Volvo Group North America and president of Mack Trucks. “We appreciated the opportunity to show them the fully electric vehicles we’re building today in our U.S. factories and give them some insights into our plans for continued leadership in the transformation to a more sustainable transportation industry.”
During the visit, Regan and Curry had the opportunity to test drive the Mack LR Electric refuse truck and the Volvo VNR Electric regional hauler, both of which are sold in the U.S. and Canada and are part of the Volvo Group’s global stable of zero-emission, battery-electric Class 8 trucks, buses and equipment commercially available in the marketplace today.
The LR Electric is equipped with four NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide) lithium-ion batteries, charged by a 150kW, SAE J1772-compliant charging system. The batteries provide vehicle propulsion, as well as power for all onboard accessories driven through 12V, 24V and 600V electric circuits. To account for the LR Electric vehicle’s increasing load throughout the day, a three-mode regenerative braking system helps recapture the energy from the hundreds of stops the vehicle makes on a daily basis. The Mack LR Electric is manufactured at Mack’s Lehigh Valley Operations in Macungie, Pennsylvania.
The VNR Electric is Volvo Trucks’ first Class 8 battery-electric vehicle targeted for customers with fleets with local and regional hauling applications. Equipped with a driveline rated at 455 hp, generating up to 4,051 lb.-ft. of torque, the Volvo VNR Electric is manufactured at Volvo’s New River Valley assembly facility in Dublin, Virginia. The Volvo VNR Electric is also spec’d with a 264-kWh battery capacity and can support an operating range up to 150 miles based on the vehicle’s configuration.
Additionally, test drives of the company’s long-haul Class 8 truck models demonstrated the latest in clean-diesel technology with the highest fuel-efficient powertrain offerings from both truck brands.
The Mack Anthem features the 13-liter Mack MP 8HE+ efficiency package, which includes the Mack MP8 engine, Mack mDRIVE automated manual transmission, Mack Predictive Cruise and multiple aerodynamic upgrades. When compared with the baseline Anthem model, customers can see up to a 13% fuel efficiency improvement with the MP8HE+ package.
The Volvo VNL 760 features the Volvo D13TC engine, XE Economy 425 HP and 1750 lb.-ft. of torque, Volvo Enhanced Stability Technology (VEST), Volvo Active Driver Assist (VADA) 2.0, and Volvo I-Shift automated manual transmission. As part of the VNL 25th anniversary celebration this year, the Volvo VNL models coming off the production line in 2021 will have special commemorative badges affixed to the exterior door panels. Designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing fuel economy, the D13TC engine delivers up to 6% fuel economy improvements over the 2020 Volvo D13 VGT engine.
