New Volvo FM Designed to Attract Drivers

NEW VOLVO FM DESIGNED TO ATTRACT DRIVERS WITH IMPROVED WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The wide open spaces of the picturesque 120 acre parkland at the Johnstown Estate in County Meath provided the backdrop for a day of testing Volvo Trucks’ new generation heavy duty Volvo FM.

It was initially unveiled along with three other new Volvo Trucks models just as the coronavirus pandemic lockdown took hold in March, so Export & Freight’s Garfield Harrison and Phil Eaglestone had to wait until now to put a new FM 420 through its paces, thanks to a specially arranged Press event. The Johnstown Estate is home to a 1750’s Georgian Rural Residence overlooking the river Blackwater and nestled between the villages of Johnstownbridge and Enfield. Our test drive took us along an 80km route to Athlone, before returning to the Estate a couple of hours later, allowing us to get a good impression of the FM’s handling, performance and comfort – and we weren’t disappointed; it is packed with improvements to the driver environment and innovations that deliver a higher level of comfort, safety and productivity. As Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks, stated back at the launch in March, it has been designed to be the ultimate workplace on wheels, and having spent some time behind the wheel, we cannot argue with that. Hard working drivers are going to love this! “Drivers are one of the most important assets in the transport industry,” said Roger Alm. “With the new Volvo FM we are introducing a versatile working tool that is also a haven of comfort, allowing our customers to attract and retain the best drivers that will keep their operations moving successfully.” In designed the new FM, Volvo has also achieved very good visibility using a lowered door line, larger windows, new rear view mirrors and a passenger corner camera. The visibility can be further improved by the addition of a passenger corner camera that gives a complementary view of the side of the truck.

Working Environment

The interior is highlighted by a new dashboard offering more storage space, new colours and a modern dynamic display. The cluster includes a 12-inch highresolution instrument display with a user-friendly interface where the driver can easily see important information and select between four different screen views, depending on the driving situation. The instrument display, which comes ready for future updates and connected services, is designed to simplify the driver’s interactions and minimise distractions when accessing critical information. The new Volvo FM has a 9-inch side display for infotainment, navigation support, transport information and camera monitoring. The display allows interaction in various ways: with the intuitively positioned buttons on the steering wheel, through voice control, or directly via the touchscreen and display control panel. In addition, a new steering neck tilt option offers a more ergonomic driving position. The new sleeper cab has been upgraded with a raised bed and improved storage possibilities that include a large storage compartment underneath the bed and an upper rear storage with LED panels in the compartment dividers.

To move from the seat to the bed is easier than ever with a new slimmer, ergonomically designed I-Shift gear selector. Cab comfort is further enhanced through reinforced insulation that helps keep out cold, heat and noise. The exterior of the next generation Volvo FM has a new aerodynamic shape, with distinctive lines on the front and a single sleek character line sweeping the side of the all new cab. In addition, the V-shaped headlamps are positioned for optimal aerodynamics, and the larger brand identity panel and upper front grille with a new mesh pattern give the truck a bold, confident look.

Safety features

In addition to the improved visibility for drivers, other safety advances on the new Volvo FM include descent control, which sets a maximum speed to help prevent unwanted acceleration when travelling downhill, and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) that now works at all speeds down to zero km/h. The Electronically controlled Brake System (EBS), which is a prerequisite for safety features such as Collision Warning with Emergency Brake and Electronic Stability Control, now comes as standard on the

new truck. Volvo Dynamic Steering, with the safety systems Lane Keeping Assist and Stability Assist, is also available as an option. The Volvo FM also features a road sign recognition system displayed in the instrument display to alert the driver. The system is able to detect signs such as overtaking restrictions, road type and speed limits.

Fuel efficiency

The variety of available driveline and chassis configurations means the new Volvo FM can be tailored to deliver higher productivity and fuel savings in a wide range of applications. Improvements to the steering angles of the tag and pusher axles also give the truck exceptional manoeuvrability which can be fully utilised in, for example, heavy urban traffic. In many markets, the Volvo FM is available with the Euro 6 compliant gas powered LNG engine that offers fuel efficiency and performance on par with that of Volvo’s equivalent diesel trucks, but with a far lower climate impact. The gas engine can run on either biogas, which cuts CO2 by up to 100 per cent, or natural gas which reduces CO2 emissions by up to 20 per cent when compared with Volvo’s equivalent diesel trucks. This relates to emissions from the vehicle during usage, known as tank to wheel. Incidentally, Volvo Trucks plan to re-launch all four new models this Autumn, with sales scheduled to start in the first week of October.

VOLVO FM FACTS

• CABS: Day cab, Low day cab, Low sleeper cab, Sleeper cab, Globetrotter cab, Crew cab. Exterior and interior trim packages for individual design. • ENGINES: Diesel engines are available with different emissions standards.

Volvo FM is also available with the

Euro 6, Step D compliant gas-powered

LNG engine in selected markets. • GEAR CHANGING SYSTEM:

I-Shift with software package for different areas of application. • LIGHTS: Halogen or LED headlamps.