After concluding truck and engine lab testing, Volvo Trucks North America has approved the use of renewable diesel fuel for all of its proprietary Volvo engines. The OEM says the fuel offers environmental and cost-savings benefits to customers.
“Environmental care is a core value of Volvo Trucks, and we are pleased to offer our customers another alternative fuel choice,” says Volvo’s Frank Bio. “Availability of renewable diesel fuel is growing in California and throughout the country. Renewable diesel meets the same ASTM D975 standard for petroleum diesel, making it a true ‘drop in’ fuel.”
As Volvo explains, renewable diesel fuel is a second-generation alternative fuel derived from biomass feedstocks, including oils or animal fats. Unlike conventional biodiesel, which is produced through a transesterification process, renewable diesel is made through a different process using the same feedstocks. Volvo says the resulting fuel has a much lower cloud point, which improves the low-temperature performance issues commonly associated with conventional biodiesel.
Furthermore, the automaker says renewable diesel requires less maintenance costs when compared with other alternative fuels, and there is no warranty risk for using renewable diesel to power any Volvo model equipped with a Volvo engine.
This endorsement also increases Volvo’s options for alternative fuels: The company currently offers natural-gas-powered versions of its VNL and VNM daycabs, which feature 12-liter Cummins-Westport ISX12 G engines and 8.9-liter Cummins ISL G engines, respectively.
