(March 24, 2013) A new heavy-haul tractor with a 13-liter engine running on liquefied natural gas, the introduction of Volvo I-Shift as standard throughout the product range, and services that boost uptime. These are some of the new features that Volvo Trucks in North America is now presenting at the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) in Louisville, Ky.

Volvo VNX is the name of Volvo Trucks’ powerful new heavy-haul tractor for the North American market. It is intended for demanding tasks such as hauling timber and heavy machinery and is designed for applications up to 225,000 pounds.

The Volvo VNX is powered by Volvo’s 16-liter engine, which produces 600 horsepower and 2,050 pound-feet of torque. It is mated to Volvo’s automated I-Shift transmission. The Volvo VNX is available for order in the third quarter 2013.

“We are proud to introduce a truly premium heavy-haul tractor, which combines an extremely powerful integrated powertrain with the safety and comfort features drivers desire,” said Göran Nyberg, president, Volvo Trucks North American Sales & Marketing.

Volvo Trucks continues its focus on natural gas-powered vehicles and is now showcasing its 13-liter engine in a version that runs on liquefied natural gas (LNG) in North America.

The Volvo 13-liter compression-ignition engine utilizes a small amount of diesel fuel to ignite the LNG. The D13-LNG also provides about a 20 per cent fuel efficiency improvement compared with spark-ignition natural gas engines and delivers diesel-like durability and performance in terms of horsepower and torque.

 Volvo VNL day cabs powered by the new engine will be available for order during the second half of 2014.

Volvo Trucks is also displaying at MATS a wide range of technical solutions and services that aim to boost vehicle uptime. This includes a number of tools that simplify and shorten troubleshooting, diagnostics and repairs. The services available include Remote Diagnostics and Volvo Uptime Protection Plan, which offers registered customers a reimbursement for each day up to five for each warrantable engine repair that is not completed within 24 hours from the time of diagnosis.