The Volvo Group has delivered more than one million connected customer assets, in terms of delivered trucks, buses, and construction equipment. The large amount of data collected is used to improve productivity by increasing vehicle and machine uptime, reducing emissions and noise, as well as improving traffic and site safety.
With more number of people moving into cities, the needs for better infrastructure as well as transportation of both people and goods are growing.
Connectivity refers to connected assets and new improved services and features. For the Volvo Group, connectivity is all about the possibilities to create even better transport solutions, today and in the future. By providing customers with information and knowledge, it can empower their decision making.
A truck that chooses the most energy-efficient way to climb a hill based on data from other trucks, or vehicles that warn each other of potential dangers down the road, are two practical examples of what connectivity can be used for. Looking further into the future, connectivity is an enabler for automated vehicles and support efficient electromobility solutions.
“The Volvo Group is a pioneer in connected vehicles and we use the knowledge and insights we get from connectivity in strategic alliances with customers and other partners to speed up the innovation cycle,” says Lars Stenqvist, chief technology officer at the Volvo Group.
Volvo Group uses data from connected vehicles and construction equipment to develop solutions that provide real value to the customer as well as to the society at large. For example, connected Volvo buses use Zone Management to let the vehicle itself use downloaded data to comply with local traffic restrictions such as emission zones, noise zones and areas with speed limits.
The Volvo Group drives prosperity through transport solutions, offering trucks, buses, construction equipment, power solutions for marine and industrial applications, financing and services that increase customers’ uptime and productivity. Founded in 1927, the Volvo Group is committed to shaping the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions.
The Volvo Group is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs 105,000 people and serves customers in more than 190 markets. In 2018, net sales amounted to about SEK 391 billion (EUR 38.1 billion). Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.
For owners of construction equipment, trucks and buses uptime is vital. With the collected data, wear on crucial parts can be predicted, services planned and spare parts ordered in advance – reducing downtime for the owner, thus leading to increased productivity. For example, this is what Renault Trucks offers with its new Excellence Predict offer.
The Volvo Connect system combines all digital and connected services for Volvo’s truck customers into one single interface, making the everyday trucking operations run smoothly. In construction equipment, the fleet management system CareTrack allows customers and dealers to monitor productivity data.
Finally, for Swedish customer NCC, a weight control solution has been developed, allowing the construction equipment operator and the truck driver to monitor the load capacity in real time. The result is a transport solution with higher productivity and lower environmental impact.
“Connectivity is transforming the transportation industry. Insights from gathered data can be turned into value for our customers and society as a whole and make transportation more productive, more sustainable and safer,” says Anna Westerberg, senior vice president at Volvo Group Connected Solutions.
“The connected solutions bring increased vehicle and construction equipment uptime for our customers, better safety for drivers, operators and other road users – and of course – less emissions of carbon dioxide. The first million connected assets is only the start, we are committed to remain a leader in this field,” says Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO of the Volvo Group.
At a handover ceremony of four excavators to the Danish customer GSV Materieludlejning, the critical number of 1 million connected customer assets was exceeded.
“This is a significant moment for the Volvo Group and we are happy to deliver machines that are not only robust and up for the job, but also come with connected solutions to make the customer’s everyday work easier,” said Jens Ejsing, managing director of Volvo Construction Equipment Denmark as he handed over the keys to Dan O. Vorsholt, CEO of GSV Materieludlejning.
