Volvo’s new ‘Dynamic Steering’ can detect a puncture in the truck’s front tyre(s) and respond immediately in order to mitigate the impact.

The new Class 8 truck has a bumper-to-back-of-cab length of 113.5 inches, 3.5 inches shorter than the preceding Anthem generation and a full 12 inches shorter than the newly-released ‘Pioneer’ range.

Providing 356 kilowatt hours of energy storage, these battery packs carry nickel-manganese-cobalt cells which are packaged at MAN’s facility in Nuremberg.

On a mixed production line, MAN can produce approximately one hundred trucks per day with diesel and battery electric drivelines, taking around eight hours to build a truck from start to finish.

The joint venture’s primary objective will be to build the “non-differentiating core” of the software-defined truck: a standardised digital platform and dedicated commercial vehicle operating system which will be open to Daimler and Volvo’s competitors.

Volvo announced the start of electric truck production at its facility in Wacol, Queensland, which coincided with a 30-unit order from logistics firm Linfox.

Volvo’s new ‘Safety Zones’ feature, available through its ‘Volvo Connect’ digital services, allows operators to “geofence” certain locations, such as a port or a logistics centre, and assign specific speed limits (20 km/h and above).

These tyres feature a new tread design which reduces rolling resistance and noise and improves traction, offering robust performance in the most demanding conditions while realising fuel savings, according to Michelin.

With the combined effect of these aerodynamic improvements, Volvo’s FH Aero model can reduce fuel consumption by up to 7% versus an unimproved FH model.

According to the terms of the agreement, MAN will begin deliveries of ‘TGX’ heavy-duty trucks to Gartner this summer, in batches of up to 350 units per year until the end of 2028.

BZRT artic and bi-artic chassis will be shipped to bodybuilders across the globe from the Volvo plant in Curitiba, Paraná.

With MAN’s Charge&Go service, drivers can find truck-compatible charging stations and pay with a special card that authenticates the driver and bills the operator at the end of each month.