He broke the speed record in the 500 and 1000 meter categories from a standing start. The record-breaking vehicle is a special build in every respect, except for the engine and dual-clutch I-Shift transmission, which is production.
Volvo Trucks' Iron Knight, driven by Boije Ovebrink, is now the official speed record holder for the 500 and 1000 metre distances. During the development and development of the truck, Volvo Trucks' team of experts discovered innovative methods to combine technology with design.
"This shows that the I-Shift dual-clutch gearbox has huge potential and won't let you down in extreme conditions. The fact that the world record vehicle uses exactly the same gearbox as our FH production trucks is something we are very proud of," says Claes Nilsson, President and CEO of Volvo Trucks.
With an average speed of 169 km/h and a time of 21.29 seconds, the Iron Knight broke the world speed record at 1000 metres from a standstill. He also broke the corresponding record for the 500-meter distance, with a speed of 131.29 km/h in 13.71 seconds. The feat took place on a closed test track in northern Sweden and has been recognised by the FIA, the international motor racing association.
"Experts from different parts of Volvo Trucks worked closely together to develop a truck with unrivalled performance. In addition to the Volvo Trucks driveline, which is the heart and soul of the Iron Knight, we built the truck by hand, down to the last screw. The fact that we managed to break not one but two records is beyond amazing," says Olof Johansson, Volvo Trucks' technical director.
At the wheel of the Iron Knight was Boije Ovebrink, who has over 30 years of experience in car and truck racing. In the past, he broke five speed records and in 1994 he took the title of European Truck Racing Champion.
Volvo Trucks' Iron Knight can be summed up in a single word: perfection. It's beautiful to look at and unleashes unparalleled driving power when planked. This is the third record-holder truck I've driven and I can't think of a better successor to the Wild Viking and Mean Green tradition," says Boije Ovebrink.
This is how the attempts for the speed record were made
The attempts were made at the so-called "Skellefteå Driving Centre", an old airport just outside Skellefteå in northern Sweden. The speed record event was monitored and approved by the FIA, the International Motor Racing Federation. The truck covered the distance in both directions. The average time and average speed were calculated on the basis of these two passes. The record set by the FIA is the average speed of the two passes.
Volvo Trucks' oldest record-breaking trucks
- 2007: The Wild Viking (1600 hp) broke the world record for the 0-1000 m distance from standstill with an average speed of 158.8 km/h.
- 2010: The record for the same distance was broken by the NH D16 (1800 hp) which achieved an average speed of 166.7 km/h.
- 2011: The Mean Green hybrid truck (with 1800 hp diesel engine and 300 hp electric motor) set new records for the 0-500 and 0-1000 m stopping distances, with an average speed of 115.3 km/h and 152.2 km/h respectively.
- 2012: Mean Green made his attempt in the 1000m category starting with the vehicle in motion, with an average speed of 236.6 km/h.
The Iron Knight, a truck built to break records
- With 2400 hp, 6000 Nm of torque and a weight of 4.5 tonnes, the Iron Knight has a kilo to horsepower ratio of 0.5 hp/kg.
- The engine is the significantly improved D13, centre-mounted, with liquid-cooled intercooler and four turbochargers.
- The dual-clutch I-Shift transmission maintains a seamless torque delivery during gear changes. In addition to the reinforced clutch (its discs and plates are made of heat-packed material), the Iron Knight uses the same gearbox that is fitted to the Volvo FH production trucks.
- The electronics have been kept to a minimum in order to minimise the weight of the vehicle.
- The software has been reprogrammed to allow for high performance.
- The cabin is made of fiberglass and its aerodynamics have been optimized. There are large air intakes in the side mufflers that provide cooling air to the engine.
- During the record-breaking attempt, the Iron Knight developed a maximum speed of 276 km/h.
Watch Iron Knight break two world records
