VTNA Opens Order Book for Redesigned VNL Class 8 Flagship
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Volvo Trucks North America opened the order book April 15 for its new Class 8 VNL tractor, it said.
Production of the Volvo Group unit’s redesigned flagship model is scheduled to start later in the summer, VTNA said, adding that customer deliveries will begin later in the year. The truck will be available in six cab configurations.
Since the VNL was unveiled in January, dealerships have been participating in extensive competency development, with e-learning and in-person instructor-led courses from Volvo Trucks Academy, VTNA said.
Demonstration trucks will start arriving at dealerships in the late summer, it added.
VTNA plans to continue to hold dealer and customer VNL events throughout the summer at the Volvo Trucks Customer Center in Dublin, Va.
We're thrilled to announce that the #AllNewVolvoVNL is now ready for ordering at dealerships throughout North America.
More on the truck designed to change everything: https://t.co/U7n5Zn1FZr — Volvo Trucks North America (@VolvoTrucksNA) April 15, 2024
“The Volvo VNL has long been the flagship model series at Volvo Trucks North America and is the premier longhaul truck in the United States and Canada,” said Peter Voorhoeve, VTNA president.
“We wanted to set a new standard for fuel efficiency, safety, driver productivity, connectivity and customer uptime and to transform everything about the future of the heavy-duty trucking industry,” he said, adding: “We’re confident we’ve done that. Our customers have expressed that they are eager to deploy them into their fleet, and we are excited to be opening the sales books to get those trucks slotted and ready for production.”
VTNA’s New River Valley manufacturing facility in Virginia is completing a six-year expansion/upgrade at a cost of $400 million to prepare for production of the VNL.
The first public showcase of the tractor was at the 2024 Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition. TMC is part of American Trucking Associations.
Production begins in late summer. (Volvo Trucks North America)
In the last month before VNL orders opened, March preliminary North America Class 8 net orders totaled 17,300 units, down 10,400 units from February and 8.7% from a year earlier, according to preliminary ACT Research figures.
VTNA is positioning the VNL as the platform for all of its future technology developments in North America, including drivetrains using battery-electric, fuel cell and internal combustion engines powered by renewable fuels, including hydrogen.
Parent company Volvo Group launched its first battery-electric truck in 2019. It has six BEVs in serial production, a total that will reach eight in the 21st week of 2024. The company is aiming for 50% of its sales to be electric by 2030.
Convincing more customers of the benefits is key, however, as Volvo Trucks President Roger Alm told North American journalists during a visit to the company’s hometown.
“We need to create a win for everybody — we cannot just win by ourselves,” Alm said as the World of Volvo was launched in Gothenburg, Sweden. “We need to create a win for our customers. Our customers need to win by having us as a supplier. Our employees need to win by working for Volvo. Our owners need to win by investing in us. And society needs to win by everything we are doing.”
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