The Volvo Trucks New River Valley manufacturing plant just got a little more interesting. Customers and other visitors can now experience a fully equipped Volvo VHD – in modified pickup truck form.
The bright orange, one-of-a-kind Volvo VHD chassis has a full-size crew cab and a pickup truck bed. The four-door, five-seat vehicle is powered by an EPA 2010-certified 500-hp Volvo D13 engine and features an I-Shift transmission.
Designed and built by a team of engineers and production operators at the New River Valley plant, the truck is an example of Volvo’s innovation and craftsmanship.
“Volvo is known for high quality and innovative technologies,” said Patrick Collignon, vice president and general manager at the New River Valley facility. “The VHD pickup shows the depth of our capability and versatility, from the engineering to the design to the craftsmanship.”
“The New River Valley region has the workforce, the academic centers and the communities to support Volvo and our commitment to innovation,” he said
“We spend a lot of time educating customers about our technology – how it works and the value it brings,” said Ron Huibers, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Volvo Trucks North America. “But explaining how impressive the I-Shift technology is, for example, doesn’t replace the driving experience. The new VHD with I-Shift pickup allows people who are not professional drivers to experience the technology for themselves.”
In addition to providing an unforgettable ride-and-drive option for customers and visitors to the Volvo New River Valley plant, the VHD pickup will be an eye-catching attraction at trade shows, parades and other special events. With a cab height of 11 feet, the VHD truck dwarfs a conventional pickup. The roof of a Ford F-150, for example, reaches just under the side mirror of the VHD pickup.
