Fuel savings even when loads and roads vary. Volvo Trucks product marketing manager Duane Tegels talks about the fuel efficiency of I-Torque™
Q: How does I-Torque deliver greater fuel efficiency without giving up speed?
A: “The I-Torque system is a marriage of some great powertrain and software offerings. The D13TC engine and our 13-speed I-Shift transmission are perfectly in-sync. Then our fuel efficiency software works with the map-based I-See® predictive cruise system. I-Torque is finding the perfect points for shifting along the entire route and our software allows much greater flexibility for moving through the gears. Drivers don’t experience the frustration of waiting to slow down to reach the downshift points. With I-Torque it’s happening much sooner and much more smoothly so we don’t get those momentum losses in hilly terrain. This lets us offer speed and fuel savings.”
Q: That takes care of hilly terrain, but what about on flat runs?
A: “That’s important because 52% of the country is exactly that, flat. Grades less than 1%. In those situations, I-Torque is just going to keep you in that ultra-efficient, Overdrive top gear. Fully-loaded at 69 mph, we’ll usually see the powertrain running smoothly at just around 1000 rpms.”
Q: What is the importance of the lower-rear axle ratios?
A: “Clearly it means we are exerting less effort to turn the drivetrain, which has a significant effect on fuel savings. And it allows us to downshift at higher speeds as well. That makes momentum management so much easier. The faster rear-axle ratios are made possible by the design of the 13-speed I-Shift transmission. Its deep reduction provides incredible, low-speed control for backing, as well as excellent startability.”
Q: What makes I-Torque attractive to a wider variety of trucking companies?
A: “I-Torque will be efficient in any speed and in any application. Whether your routes are 75 or 55 mph, it works well. It can work optimally in Direct Drive and Overdrive. That means it could be sold to any customer in the secondary market. It addresses one of the main challenges used truck buyers face. They go to a dealership and find that the used inventory is speced for something that’s not even close to what they need. They end up making sacrifices. I-Torque is likely to help retain the truck’s value, because it’s going to be well suited for a wider set of applications.”
I-Torque Is a Combination of Technologies That Work in Unison
• D13 Turbo Compound engine
• 13-speed I-Shift transmission
• I-See® predictive cruise control
• Combination of Direct Drive and Overdrive functions
• Rear axle ratios as low as 2.15:1
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