The CVDC was delighted to receive a new FH12 tractor unit from Volvo Trucks during the CVDC meeting in September 2012.
During the September 2012 Consortium meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden, the CVDC was presented with a new FH12 tractor unit by the hosts, Volvo Trucks.
On receiving the new tractor unit, Professor David Cebon, Director of CVDC, remarked: "The type of work we do in the CVDC is critically dependent on having the capability to do full scale testing of heavy vehicles. We are indebted to Volvo for their generous gift which will allow us to continue this work for the foreseeable future."
The Volvo tractor unit was shipped to its new home near Cambridge in early November, where the research team has begun instrumenting and equipping it for its new role as research work-horse.
Volvo Trucks has been a key member of the CVDC since 1996, and donated a red FH12 tractor unit in 2000. In its more than 10 years’ service, the red tractor has played a pivotal role in many of the CVDC’s research projects, including semi-active suspension; active roll control; and active trailer steering. Currently, researchers in the CVDC are investigating a number of aspects for heavy goods vehicles, innovating in: advanced ABS systems, regenerative braking, autonomous reversing, accident avoidance and use of long combination vehicles off-highway. The new truck will be pressed into service on all of these projects. The overall aim is to make heavy goods vehicles safer, more economical, and more fuel efficient.