etruck.com.au

Volvo are hoping technology developed by their Volvo Aero aircraft componenets division can help them recuce the cab weight on their trucks by 20%. This is a big call made by  Carl Fredrik Hartung, Project Manager at Volvo Technology in the following video. Reduce weight and you improve fuel efficiency and therefore carbon emissions. Reduce weight too much and you run the risk of compromising safety.

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“We are creating the super-light vehicle in a computer program that simulates how hundreds of thousands of small construction alterations can reduce the vehicle’s total weight without affecting other key characteristics in the vehicle, such as crashworthiness or the ability to bear loads,” says Hartung

“It is important to conduct thorough computer simulations and standardize the manufacturing process so that it will be profitable to manufacture lighter vehicles for commercial use. We have come a long way but a great deal of work remains before the first super-light vehicles hit the road”