DUBLIN, Va. — Volvo Trucks has built a fully-equipped VHD in pick-up truck form, for the enjoyment of visitors to the company’s New River Valley truck plant.

The bright orange, unique Volvo VHD chassis has a full-size crew cab and a pick-up truck  bed, Volvo announced. It’s a four-door, five-seat rig powered by a 500-hp Volvo D12 engine and I-Shift automated transmission. Volvo points to the modified rig as an example of the company’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 pick-up shows the depth of our capability and versatility, from the engineering to the design to the craftsmanship.”

The new truck will also be used as a sales tool, shuttling visitors around the New River Valley truck plant site and creating a lasting impression, the company says.

“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 pick-up allows people who are not professional drivers to experience the technology for themselves.”
The truck will also appear at trade shows and other events.