Volvo Trucks tests new VNL in Alaska

If you claim a vehicle can handle extreme conditions, you need to be ready to back those claims.

That’s why Volvo Trucks took its all-new VNL to Fairbanks, Alaska, this past winter to test just that. The goal of the test was to ensure “the next generation of Volvo’s flagship truck delivers unmatched performance, reliability, and comfort—no matter the conditions,” the OEM stated in a press release.

“We test in extreme environments so when our customers face unpredictable conditions, they can count on their Volvo to perform,” Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, said in the release.

The manufacturer chose Fairbanks to test its trucks because of the area’s extreme cold weather: The average high temperature is a crisp 1-degree Fahrenheit in January with a low average of –17 degrees.

See also: Video: A detailed look at the new Volvo VNL

The test spanned several months, with a group of professional drivers pushing VNL trucks from Colorado to Alaska. The 3,000-mile test helps validate the truck’s performance and capabilities through temperature swings and different driving scenarios, such as long-haul routes and city streets.

The group of drivers that tested these trucks—each with “decades of experience navigating Alaska’s toughest terrain," according to Volvo—provided daily feedback on the truck’s performance. Along with driver feedback, the Volvo team also gathered real-time insights from the truck’s performance data and computer systems, which allowed Volvo engineers to understand the full scope of each VNL’s performance.

Volvo’s most extreme test is the “cold soak,” in which a truck is left outside overnight with the engine off. The Volvo team keeps the truck there until each and every component reaches a subzero temperature and then some. After 12 hours, the team comes back to assess the truck and attempt to start the engine.

The purpose of driving these trucks to the middle of Alaska is to test them in conditions that can’t be replicated in a lab, Voorhoeve said.

“What we learn in Alaska helps us deliver a truck that is not only innovative but proven where it matters most: on the road, in the real world, and in the hands of our customers,” he said.