It is amazing how quickly one can lose previous frames of reference. The Volvo cruise control switches are on the left side on the steering wheel, and prompting slower or faster set speeds is done with a superb thumb switch. This is controlled by the cruise control, where the desired maximum speed is set. In the long and steep downhills, the transmission shifted down more quickly and more often than otherwise, due to the activated engine brake and retarder. Volvo says fuel consumption does not exceed a "normal" I-Shift. Low engine speed gave an extra comfortable setting in an already quiet cab. Gear changes were made at low rpms, but revs did not drop during gear shifting. Like a regular I-Shift, the new transmission skips some gears whenever possible, and makes only one small pause, during a range shift between 6th and 7th gear. One could only hear, not feel, most gear changes. It took off almost like a bullet and changed gears fast and without any interruptions. I became especially fond of a FH13-liter with 500-hp engine and 2500 Nm (1844 lb-ft) of torque equipped with the Dual Clutch.
One 65-kilometer (40-mile) leg started at sea level, rising to 916 meters (2,005 feet). The reason for choosing this part of Europe was the demanding, long and steep ascents and descents of up to 7 and 8 percent. Some were equipped with Dual Clutch I-Shifts, while others had the regular single-clutch I-Shift. All were typical European 4x2 tractors with three-axle semi-trailers, loaded to 40 metric tons or 90,000 pounds GCW. We drove almost 300 kilometers (about 180 miles) using 12 vehicles. Volvo showed the I-Shift Dual Clutch to the European press corps recently in south-coastal Spain. Volvo’s I-Shift Dual Clutch weighs 222 pounds more and is 4.72 inches longer than the single-clutch I-Shift. Which of the gears that is activated is determined by which clutch is engaged. This allows two gears to be engaged simultaneously. The I-Shift Dual Clutch has two input shafts, one located inside the other, and the two clutches. This provides ratio changing without any disruption in power or speed. When shifting changes from the first gearbox, the other is poked in. When one gear is active, the next gear is pre-selected in the second unit. One gearbox contains the even gears and the other has the uneven gears. I-Shift Dual Clutch can basically be described as two parallel connected gearboxes in one housing.
Dual clutch transmission truck driver#
The two Volvo I-Shifts are similar mechanically, but to the driver they operate much differently. About 95% of Volvo's sales of heavy trucks in Europe last year included the I-Shift, and in the U.S. The current I-Shift automated manual, with a single clutch, goes back to 2002 in Europe and 2005 in the U.S. Some European cars now offer them, and Eaton recently introduced a dual-clutch transmission for medium-duty trucks. There's no official word yet if they will be available in the U.S., but it's seen as likely by many in the industry.Īs a concept, dual clutch transmissions appeared in the 1980s in auto rallying and racing. Deliveries of the I-Shift Dual Clutch started in Europe this fall.
Volvo Truck claims to be first in the world to launch a dual-clutch automated mechanical transmission in heavy trucks, and to this reporter’s knowledge, that is correct. Volvo I-Shift Dual Clutch: Smooth Operator
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