Volvo wins green ‘HGV Manufacturer of the Year’ award

Volvo Trucks has carried off its second consecutive GreenFleet ‘HGV Manufacturer of the Year 2007’ award in a ceremony hosted by Tower Hamlets Council recently at East Wintergarden in London’s Canary Wharf to recognise and reward best practice in environmental transport policy.

The title, say organisers ‘Greenfleet’ magazine, was awarded to Volvo Trucks on the basis that, over the years, the winning company has achieved a number of pioneering breakthroughs. Its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its trucks are made up of several initiatives.

Volvo’s hybrid concept, featuring I-SAM (Integrated Starter Alternator Motor) was presented at a trade event in Brussels earlier in the year. Participants were able to test-drive a vehicle with hybrid drive which can accelerate under electric power alone. This promotes lower fuel consumption, lower emissions and lower noise levels, and, according to the company, fuel savings can amount to 35 percent.

The company recently demonstrated their ‘green’ credentials by demonstrating seven prototype vehicles, each with a nine-litre engine running on seven types of alternative fuel - including biogas, DME and Synthetic Diesel – all of which can be produced from a renewable and fully sustainable resource.

The Award itself was presented to Volvo Truck’s Press Officer Nigel Hanwell by television presenter and motoring journalist Quentin Willson.

The Green Fleet Awards are rapidly becoming a showcase event in the industry calendar and reward pioneers in environmental transport and promote the manufacture and usage of environmentally friendly fleets - both large and small - in the public and private sectors.

Event Marketing manager Colin Boyton said: “Once again we had a high level or entries. This highlights the fact that green transport issues are moving higher up the corporate agenda, so we can look forward to bigger and better things next year.”

The event was sponsored by GlobalLive and the individual award by bio-diesel manufacturer D1 Oils.