Volvo Awards Hybrid Team

April 3, 2009
Six engineers have been named the winners of Volvo’s 2009 Technology Award for their development of the world’s first commercially viable hybrid solution for heavy vehicles. The award was presented by Leif Johansson, president and CEO of Volvo, last week at the annual general meeting of AB Volvo.

Six engineers have been named the winners of Volvo’s 2009 Technology Award for their development of the world’s first commercially viable hybrid solution for heavy vehicles. The award was presented by Leif Johansson, president and CEO of Volvo, last week at the annual general meeting of AB Volvo.

Volvo’s Technology Award this year recognizes the work to develop I-SAM, Integrated Starter Alternator Motor, a combined starter, generator and drive motor in a parallel hybrid that, in addition to an electric motor, also has a small compact diesel engine. The combination can reduce fuel consumption for buses by up to 30 percent, for trucks by 20 percent and, in a best-case scenario, as much as 50 percent for wheel loaders. This reduces fuel costs and provides significant environmental benefits through lower emissions of carbon dioxide. The quiet and emission-free electric drive also improves environment conditions in the vehicle’s immediate surroundings.

I-SAM was presented in March 2006 as the market’s first parallel hybrid concept for buses and heavy trucks. The solution can be used in virtually all Volvo Group business areas, since it is based on a common platform with a high percentage of standard components, which also facilitates volume production.

“In the future, the parallel hybrid will not be considered a special solution, and the technology will be included in almost all new city buses and delivery trucks,” said Johansson. “We see good potential to develop the hybrid technology for all segments of the heavy trucks sector.”

Engineers from many parts of the Volvo Group took part in the development of I-SAM. Six of these engineers were represented at the prize ceremony. Volvo Powertrain was represented by Anders Kroon, Volvo Technology by Jerker Lennevi, Joakim Lindström and Lars Carlhammar, Volvo Buses was represented by Peter Jönsson and Volvo 3P was represented by Christer Ehn.

The Volvo Technology Award was established in 1988 and was awarded this year for the 22nd time. The award is an expression of appreciation for particularly prominent technical achievements within the Volvo Group that contribute to the technological profiling of the Volvo Group and stimulate efforts that further advance the group’s technical skills and expertise.

The Volvo Group is a global manufacturer of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services. The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service.