Volvo claims its engineers have invented a method of truck construction that significantly reduces weight while maintaining payload.
It is derived from technology used by the company's aircraft engine components division, and the manufacturer predicts that a 20% reduction in cab and chassis weight will be achievable within 10 years.
Carl Fredrik Hartung, project manager at Volvo Technology, says: "We are creating the super-light
vehicle in a computer environment that simulates how hundreds of thousands of small design alterations can reduce the vehicle's total weight without affecting other key characteristics such as crashworthiness or the ability to carry loads."
Reed Business Information Limited.©2009
