Things To Know About The Volvo Trucks I-Shift Dual Clutch – Video
Driving I-Shift is a real pleasure. Without the clutch pedal, you can safely sit back and concentrate on the other two. I-Shift uses its built-in intelligence to quickly and automatically choose the right gear at all times. And the software provides shifting skills that are impossible for even the best of drivers to match. Still, if you want to get more involved, you can. The buttons on the shift selector allows you to step in and shift gear manually.
I-Shift makes driving easier, safer and more comfortable. There’s no heavy clutch, and no stick to wrestle with. Every gear change is perfectly timed. The simplicity of the system reduces driver fatigue, helping you to focus on the road and the traffic around you. And if you do want to change gear manually, the button on the gearstick gives you direct control of the shift.
I-Shift is designed to save fuel – up to 5%. The internal energy losses are lower than on manual gearboxes, but it’s the electronics that really make the difference. Every gear change is timed precisely. This ensures that the engine works at its most efficient rpm, whether in economy or performance mode. Additionally, when you’re travelling downhill, I-Roll disengages the engine – maximising the truck’s momentum and saving up to an additional 2% of fuel.
It may seem strange. Beneath the surface of I-Shift, the hallmark of modern transmissions, hides an old-school unsynchronised manual gearbox (hence the compact design and low internal losses). But of course there’s much more to I-Shift than that. The secret lies in the intelligent electronic control unit. It’s responsible for controlling the pneumatic system that handles the clutch and shifts. By constantly receiving information about vehicle speed, acceleration, weight, road grade, torque demand and more, it can carry out every shift with extreme precision. It also communicates closely with the engine, which in turn adjusts revs and engine brake effect for fast and comfortable shifting.
If you drive in extremely tough conditions, you will appreciate the reinforced I-Shift. It has been designed exclusively for environments where you frequently climb or descend gradients of above 10%, or drive in extremely rough terrain. This means that I-Shift is now available for conditions where a manual gearbox or the automatic Powertronic used to be the only options.
I-Shift just got even more versatile and easy to drive. The automated gearbox is now available with the choice of one or two crawler gears, plus the additional option of extra reverse gears. If you transport heavy loads, you know that starting from a standstill can sometimes be difficult, especially in hilly terrain or poor road conditions. Ultimately, you may have to unload the cargo or even request towing, which has devestating effects on your uptime and productivity. Equip your Volvo FH with I-Shift with crawler gears and this will be a worry of the past. Your startability is dramatically improved, and the strain on the clutch is reduced by up to 75 percent, saving you from unnecessary repairs.