Premium power

March 1, 2005
The 16-liter D16 heavy-duty diesel is the first member in a new family of Volvo engines designed to handle U.S. diesel emissions standards for 2007 and beyond. The in-line 6-cyl. diesel, producing 625 hp. and a peak torque of 2250 lb.-ft., is being offered by Volvo Trucks of North America (VTNA) exclusively in its new premium conventional, the VT 880. The D16 is being cast and machined at the Volvo

The 16-liter D16 heavy-duty diesel is the first member in a new family of Volvo engines designed to handle U.S. diesel emissions standards for 2007 and beyond. The in-line 6-cyl. diesel, producing 625 hp. and a peak torque of 2250 lb.-ft., is being offered by Volvo Trucks of North America (VTNA) exclusively in its new premium conventional, the VT 880.

The D16 is being cast and machined at the Volvo Group's foundry in Skovda, Sweden and assembled at the Mack Trucks engine plant in Hagerstown, MD, which has been tapped to build all of the new Volvo and Mack engines for North America. In addition to the 625-hp. rating, it will be available in three other ratings: 500 hp. at 1850 lb.-ft., 550 hp. at 1850 lb.-ft. and 600 hp. at 2050 lb.-ft.

“This engine is for customers who haul heavy loads or need to maintain a high average speed through the mountains for reduced trip times,” says VTNA president and CEO Peter Karlsten. The company says a VT 880 with the new engine will be able to climb a 3% grade at 65 mph at 1400 rpm with a full 80,000-lb. GVW.

Emissions reduction to the EPA's 2004 standards is handled by a combination of high-pressure unit fuel injectors, cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), and a sliding nozzle variable geometry turbocharger with electronic actuation. The same combination with higher rates of EGR and a particulate trap will take the D16 and other members of the new Volvo engine family through the next phase of EPA emissions regulations in 2007. At a press conference introducing the D16 and VT 880, Karlsten said that the company has not yet decided on whether to pursue an EGR- or SCR- (selective catalytic reduction) based solution for the following round of EPA regulations, which take effect in 2010.

Among the new technologies incorporated in the D16 is a system that limits torque output in lower gears to protect driveline components. Called Intelligent Torque, or I-Torque, it uses three engine fuel maps, limiting torque to 1650 lb.-ft. in startup gears. As the truck picks up speed, output increases to 1850 lb.-ft and then the full 2250-lb.-ft. in the 625-hp. rating.

The D16 also uses a rear-mounted camshaft geartrain with a damper to reduce torsional vibration and provide more precise injection timing. Other features include an integrated engine compression brake with high retarding output over the engine's entire RPM range and an exhaust pressure governor that allows idle speeds as low as 600 rpm.

The new VT 880 was designed to accommodate the 16-liter engine under its long, traditional-style hood. Squarely aimed at owner-operators, the VT 880 features a forward front axle and a 200-in. BBC for improved ride and interior cab space. There are three trim packages for the integrated 77-in. sleeper, and a full range of image-making interior and exterior options.

With customer deliveries schedule to begin in June, VTNA expects to reach full production of the VT 880 at its New River Valley, VA, plant by the end of the year. Production will be limited to 780 units in 2005 and rise to approximately 1,500 in 2006, according to Scott Kress, sr. vp-sales and marketing. The first public showing of the VT880 and its 625-hp. engine will be in late March at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.

About the Author

Jim Mele

Nationally recognized journalist, author and editor, Jim Mele joined Fleet Owner in 1986 with over a dozen years’ experience covering transportation as a newspaper reporter and magazine staff writer. Fleet Owner Magazine has won over 45 national editorial awards since his appointment as editor-in-chief in 1999.

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