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VWCO is ready for 2023 with a renewed truck portfolio

To meet Proconve P8's new requirements, the manufacturer invested R$ 1 billion in a range of more powerful and productive products

By Décio Costa |Translated by Jorge Meditsch

Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus began to insert in its production lines’ schedule at the Resende (RJ) plant the new trucks developed to meet the next phase of Proconve P8’s regulations, equivalent to Euro 6, in effect from January 2023.

The commercial launch will happen at the Fenatran, from November 7 through 11, in São Paulo, when sales begin. The brand understands that unlike in other legislation changes, there is no movement anticipating purchases to renew the fleet due to the inevitable higher price of the new products.

VWCO’s trucks will be 15% to 20% more expensive than the current lineup. “Next year will already begin with a demand for Euro 6. With the lack of components, there is a limitation on the industry’s capacity. Deliveries will be maintained with what was already negotiated”, tells Ricardo Alouche, VWCO’s sales, marketing and services vice-president. “Despite the price increase, the vehicles are aggregating value”.

To develop the new trucks, the manufacturer invested R$ 1 billion, part from the previous program and part from the current R$ 2 billion cycle from 2021 through 2025. In the process, 100 test vehicles rode more than 6 million kilometers. The result is a 30 new model range restyled and with more powerful engines, from 170 cv to 530 cv, larger cargo capacity and consumption improved close to 5%.

“On average, the line gained around 10% more power, 5% more torque, 5% less consumption and a total ownership cost reduced by 10%”, assures Rodrigo Chaves, engineering vice-president. “The technical cargo capacities were also optimized, providing more productivity.

According to Alouche, the new trucks deliver more than Proconve P8’s legal requirements, which demand 98% of the particulate matter and almost 100% of the NOx, compared to the program’s phase 1. “The trucks also provide more comfort, efficiency and safety with lower operational cost.

Active safety items, such as traction and stability control, will be present since the Delivery lineup light models. For the Constellation semi-heavy family urban applications, the manufacturer will offer an eight-speed automatic transmission.

In the heavy portfolio (Constellation and Meteor), the models will get predictive gear changes, a resource that anticipates and selects the most adequate torque and power ratio to overcome hill climbs and descents. More novelties will arrive in the second half of 2023, with the inclusion of a digital panel with access to 80 functions and a new multimedia central.

VWCO is also taking advantage of the legislation changes to present an autonomous truck for sugarcane harvest. The project is a partnership with the energy company Raízen and Raven, a georeferencing technology company. “The idea is to deliver a vehicle to play the rule of a tractor at harvest and a truck off-season”, synthesizes the engineering vice-president.

Photograph: VWCO