Fuel consumption

Fuel consumption

Guiding you to optimised fuel consumption
Reducing fuel consumption is a must when it comes to economy of a company. But even more so when it comes to environmental issues. At Volvo we believe in the benefits of cleaner technology. It is a mission we take seriously. Just to give you one example: between 1980 and 2001, engine efficiency and the normal fuel consumption of a Volvo F or FH12 40 ton truck on the road have improved by 25%.

However, beside vehicle and engine design, the fuel consumption for goods vehicle transport is dependent on a number of factors; such as load factor, the driver, the equipment and weather conditions.

The driver and the owner
Whilst air and rolling resistance as well as driveline specification will influence your fuel consumption, the load factor is still the factor that creates the greatest divergence per tonne kilometre. For a transport company, route planning and the loading factor are most significant for reducing fuel consumption.
Specification and equipment
The train weight and road conditions determine which model is the most suitable for a given business. Another factor is that stronger engines and higher train weight give higher fuel consumption. But fuel consumption is lower with increased train weight when calculated per tonne kilometre. The different equipment and design also have an effect on air resistance and, consequently, fuel consumption. By making the right choice from the start fuel consumption can be lowered by more than 10%.

Further facts about fuel consumption:

  • Constant up and downhill driving or city driving with many stops may increase fuel consumption by more than 50%
  • Driving into a wind blowing an additional 10 metres/sec may increase fuel consumption by 18%
  • If there is rain or snow on the road surface, rolling resistance increases, and fuel consumption may increase by 10-20%
  • One additional stop every 10 km increases the fuel consumption by approximately 35%. 10 stops and accelerations per 10 km increase fuel consumption by 130%