Trucks
T RUCKS
by Jack Roberts
Volvo ponders current, future trucks and emissions trends
While it says post 2010 “breather” would have been nice, Volvo is now ramping up to help shape and meet new federal MPG standards.
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n a wide-ranging conversation with industry journalists last month, Denny Slagle, president and CEO of Volvo Trucks North America, touched on a number of industry topics, including meeting with President Obama and transportation secretary Ray LaHood on boosting fuel economy standards for heavy duty trucks, the success of Volvo’s 2010 engine family and even Volvo’s future in the North American marketplace. Commenting on his meeting with President Obama and Secretary LaHood, Slagle noted that a dialog had been established, although he admitted it would be nice to have a “breather” to recoup some
research and development costs spent on meeting the stringent 2010 EPA emissions standards for diesel engines. “Volvo has walked a fine line for a decade meeting the 2010 EPA regulations,” Slagle noted. “But we believe in protecting the environment. So it was a logical course for us. It wasn’t easy. And now, we’re in the same boat with all truck OEMs: we’d love to recoup some of the massive costs associated with meeting EPA ’10, but times now demand that we focus on CO2 emissions and fuel economy. And Volvo wants to be part of that process and help craft these standards as opposed to waking up one morning and having a