Volvo Trucks North America, after concluding truck and engine lab testing, approved the use of renewable diesel fuel for all of its proprietary Volvo engines. Volvo announced that it is the first OEM to endorse the use of advanced hydrocarbon renewable diesel fuel.
“Environmental care is a core value of Volvo Trucks, and we are pleased to offer our customers another alternative fuel choice,” said Frank Bio, director – sales development, specialty vehicles and alternative fuels. “Availability of renewable diesel fuel is growing in California and throughout the country. Renewable diesel meets the same ASTM D975 standard for petroleum diesel, making it a true ‘drop in’ fuel.”
Renewable diesel fuel is a second-generation alternative fuel and is derived from biomass feedstocks, including oils or animal fats. Unlike conventional biodiesel, which is produced through a transesterification process, renewable diesel is made through a different process using the same feedstocks, according to the company. The resulting fuel has a much lower cloud point, which improves the low temperature performance issues commonly associated with conventional biodiesel, Volvo said.
“There are multiple benefits to using renewable diesel fuel as a commercial transportation fuel,” according to Volvo. “It has the potential to improve the environmental impact of vehicle operation, reducing particulate matter for pre-EPA 2010 engines. Renewable diesel also requires less maintenance costs when compared with other alternative fuels, and there is no warranty risk for using renewable diesel fuel to power any Volvo model equipped with a Volvo engine.”
Volvo said it currently offers natural gas-powered versions of its VNL and VNM daycabs, which are built at Volvo’s New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, VA, where all Volvo Trucks sold in North America are built. The Volvo VNL model features a 12-liter Cummins-Westport ISX12 G engine and the VNM daycab is powered by a factory-installed 8.9 liter Cummins ISL G engine.
Earlier this month, Volvo Group North America joined 153 other U.S. companies in support of the American Business Act on Climate Pledge.
