| Volvo Trucks will install its automated manual truck transmission into its FL distribution vehicles. The company has previously only used the gearbox in heavier trucks.
As city traffic gets heavier and involves more stopping and starting, Volvo expects automated manuals to become more attractive to fleet operators. Getting rid of the clutch pedal means they are less tiring to operate than a conventional manual.
The I-Sync gearbox has been optimised for use with Volvo’s 7-litre D7 Euro 4 engines with torque of up to 1,050Nm and power outputs of 177-206kW (240-280hp). It will go into FL trucks with gross vehicle weights of 12 to 18 tonnes.
Volvo FL product manager Clara Werner Floberg said: “Gear changing is automatic and is easy to operate. It’s important that distribution drivers can master it quickly as it’s common for them to drive different trucks from one day to the next.”
The original version of the transmission was launched in 2001. When Volvo launched the latest generation of the FL distribution truck in 2006, it discovered strong demand for an automated manual version. The firm said it decreases fuel use and extends clutch life owing to lower wear.
© Automotive Engineer, 2008
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