Volvo and Renault trucks shift up in spec

Volvo Group has announced new gearbox options for its Volvo FH and FMX ranges, and performance-enhancing tweaks to its Renault Range T heavy trucks.

Crawler gears are now available in a new version of Volvo’s well-liked I-Shift automated gearbox, raising the maximum gross combined weight that can be handled by the transmission to 325 tonnes.

Even at less ambitious weights, a truck equipped with the new transmission can travel at ‘clutch home’ speeds of as low as 0.5 to 2 km/h, allowing it to perform very precise ‘placing’ manoeuvres without compromising clutch life.

The low ratios are an alternative to the sophisticated torque converter clutches used by some other truck manufacturers for similar applications: Mercedes-Benz’ Turbo Clutch, for example.

Depending upon the application, the new I-Shift is available with one or two forward crawler gears and with or without two reverse crawler gears.

Peter Hardin, product manager FM and FMX, Volvo Trucks, said: “I-Shift with crawler gears offers an entirely new scope for heavy trucks with automated transmission to regulate their speed when crawling slowly and reversing. The driver can haul a heavy load without worrying about getting into situations that may lead to costly downtime.

“I-Shift with crawler gears makes it possible to start off from a standstill in extreme situations. Combining them with a suitable rear axle ratio that optimises engine revs at high speeds results in lower fuel consumption on the highway.”

Less than three years after the launch of the Renault Range T with the onset of Euro 6, a revised version has been introduced with improvements to the chassis and driveline, which it is claimed will reduce fuel consumption by two per cent while boosting payload by up to 114 kg. A GPS-driven predictive cruise control, dubbed Optivision by Renault, is also available.

The truck can now be supplied with an optional spoiler under the front bumper, and there’s a redesigned lighter roof deflector which dispenses  with the previous model’s weighty metal frame.

A new drive axle and air-suspension components have reduced chassis weight, and further savings can be made if the optional aluminium fifth-wheel is specified.

Renault’s DTI 11 and DTI 13 engines have also benefited from an upgrade, enabling them to further improve their combustion and thereby reduce fuel consumption. They all comply with the upcoming Euro-6 Step C standard, which will become mandatory on 31 December 2016 and provides more accurate monitoring of in-service exhaust emissions.

The most major change is the introduction of a common-rail fuel injection system on the DTI 13, said Mike Stringer, senior sales engineer at Renault Trucks UK.

“The system’s reliability and efficiency on the 11-litre in terms of fuel savings convinced us that it would be interesting to also apply it to the 13-litre model,” he said.

“Already delivering good performance, the DTI 13 asserts itself as a highly economic solution for operators who operate particularly on undulating roads or carry heavy loads.”

The engines are coupled to a new generation of the Optidriver automated manual gearbox. This will work in conjunction with the Optivision predictive cruise control system, which uses the truck’s built-in GPS to adopt a gearshift, acceleration and vehicle speed strategy corresponding to the route being followed.

“When you reach a downhill stretch, for example, the system will make the most out of the vehicle’s inertia,” Mike Stringer said. “Then, when at the top of the hill, it will stay in the highest and most economic gear as it ‘knows’ the downhill stretch is coming up.”

During each journey, the system records the route taken and also shares the data gathered by all trucks equipped with Optivision that have followed a similar route. Fuel savings can therefore be achieved the very first time a vehicle takes a particular route if another truck using the system has already travelled along it.

With the Fuel Eco+ pack, which combines the Fuel Eco pack (inhibited power mode, eco-cruise control with Optiroll freewheel mode control, disengageable air-compressor, variable-flow steering-pump and automatic engine cut-off) and Optivision, operators can reduce their fuel consumption by as much as five per cent, says the company.