Volvo: fourth-generation hybrid solution

The Volvo Group is now introducing the fourth-generation hybrid solution of buses, trucks and construction equipment. Volvo has been testing various types of hybrid solutions since the 1980s and unveiled the first commercially viable hybrid solution for heavy vehicles in March 2006. As a result of production volume, Volvo Group has developed a more standardized platform solution, enabling its hybrid technology to have a widespread commercial impact in the market for heavy vehicles. Volvo’s solution is based on a concept known as I-SAM (Integrated Starter, Alternator Motor), whereby an electric motor and a diesel engine work in parallel. This process allows for more capacity than do series hybrids, while also simultaneously reducing fuel consumption and improving driving performance.