Volvo Group puts sustainability in focus

Volvo Group Australia says its leadership in the race to decarbonise the transport sector will be on show at the 2025 Brisbane Truck Show, with new highly fuel-efficient ICE models on display alongside its growing range of zero-emissions battery-electric trucks.

Volvo Group both globally and locally has been very vocal about its commitment to decarbonising transport, adopting Paris Agreement targets of net zero by 2050.

The company’s more immediate task is to reduce its own emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 – no small task indeed.

Volvo Group knows that trucks generate about seven per cent of the world’s carbon emissions, and transport buyers are demanding cleaner transport solutions.

By offering a range of solutions on the path to a fossil-free future, Volvo Group Australia is aiming to offer a range of real-world low-emissions and eventually fossil-free solution across all three of its brands. However, the first step on the path to a sustainable future is to burn less fuel in the first place.

The recently launched Euro 6 Mack Anthem with the fuel-saving MP8HE engine is a great example. This truck offers a real-world step towards harnessing a combination of turbo compounding and aerodynamics to reduce fuel burn.

For long-haul cab-over customers, the new Volvo FH Aero also tackles drag reduction with a sleeker, slipperier take on the Volvo flagship, which also features drivelines from electric to high-horsepower diesel.

The arrival of a new high-horsepower Euro 6 17-litre engine, the D17 for Volvo and the MP11 for Mack, might seem to fly in the face of a discussion regarding fuel efficiency. However, having a prodigious amount of power and torque on tap for heavy loads also opens the door for taller gearing, reducing cruising rpm on the open road and making another contribution towards reducing fuel burn and emissions.

For the shorter haul, the dependable UD Quon has long been ahead of the curve in the emissions game having featured a drivetrain that has exceeded Euro 6 emissions regulations since 2017. The GH11 engine now features redesigned wave-top pistons and low-drag cylinder liners to increase fuel efficiency even further.

Another step available for operators wanting to start their decarbonisation path sooner rather than later is the emergence of biofuels.

All ICE-powered vehicles from the VGA stable are able to run on HVO100, a renewable biofuel. In fact, all trucks featured on the VGA stand at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show were fuelled by HVO100.

One of the attractions of HVO100 is that it can run in most modern diesel vehicles, and it knocks out up to 90 per cent of well-to-wheel emissions. It can also be run as a blend as well.

This makes HVO100 a great starting point, but it’s worth noting that while it is a biofuel it still creates emissions when burnt in an internal combustion engine. Hence the reference to ‘well-to-wheel’ emissions. Which makes it a stop on the emissions journey, rather than a destination.

From December 2024 all Mack and Volvo trucks built at VGA’s Wacol factory in Queensland will be first-fill HVO100. They will be delivered to customers with biofuel in their tanks.

Another important audience in the emissions conversation is input from the drivers that are operating the vehicles. According to VGA’s Driver Development team, improvements of 20 per cent or more in fuel efficiency can be achieved by spending time with drivers and demonstrating the features and benefits of modern vehicles.

From understanding terrain-reading cruise control to letting engine torque do the hard work when hauling, these all have a significant impact on how much fuel any given vehicle will use.

Getting buy-in from the person behind the wheel is a vital part of transport decarbonisation. This will become even more important with the arrival of alternative drivelines in the future.

With more and more electric trucks hitting Australian roads in a variety of applications, focus has also shifted towards the wider transport task.

Momentum is gathering within the 34 per cent of the Australian transport task that operates in urban areas, but that leaves another 66 per cent of the task to be dealt with.

Australia’s long distances and heavy loads may make fossil-free transport seem like a pipe dream. However, having a range of options for longer-haul transport in the pipeline will help that ambition become reality. Bio-fuels, gas, electric, hydrogen along with hydrogen ICE will all have a significant part to play in a low-emissions transport industry.

Volvo Group Australia is determined to be a leader in the transformation to a more sustainable future. It has a long heritage as an environmentally conscious organisation committed to innovation.

By putting zero emissions and sustainable practices front and centre, Volvo Group Australia says it’s driving positive change for both its customers and the environment.

The Volvo Group Australia display will be at Stand 49 in Hall 3 at the 2025 Brisbane Truck Show.