In Volvo Trucks’ latest commercial, The Casino, a surprised parking valet is given the keys to a brand-new Volvo FH. What he doesn’t know is that the truck is remarkably similar to a sports car – thanks to its world-first transmission, I-Shift Dual Clutch.
Ambrogio Adani’s first shift as a parking valet at Casino San Remo in Italy didn’t quite turn out as he expected. In The Casino, Volvo Trucks’ latest commercial, he is busy parking one sports car after the other when suddenly a brand-new Volvo FH drives up and stops in front of the casino. Adani looks very surprised, to say the least, but the fact is that with its new I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission, the truck has a whole lot in common with a sports car.
Just like the technology found in many sports cars, I-Shift Dual Clutch features double clutches, which means the truck loses neither road speed nor torque during gearchanges. Volvo Trucks is the first maker in the world to develop this kind of transmission for series-produced heavy trucks.
“For trucks, a dual clutch transmission is a major improvement, offering far smoother and easier driving. The heavier the transport assignment, the tougher the route and the more gear shifts, the more you gain with I-Shift Dual Clutch,” says Astrid Drewsen, Product Manager Drivelines at Volvo Trucks.
I-Shift Dual Clutch is a further development of I-Shift and can be described as two parallel-linked gearboxes. When one gear is active, the next gear is pre-selected in the other gearbox. During the gearchanging itself, the first clutch is disengaged at exactly the same instant that the second one is engaged, so gearchanges take place without any interruption in power delivery.
With The Casino, Volvo Trucks is continuing on the communication journey it launched with a series of commercials in 2012 and 2013. All told, these films have been shown more than 100 million times on YouTube, not only strengthening Volvo Trucks as a brand but also increasing interest in owning a Volvo truck.
“We’re really pleased that so many people are taking note of our products. With our latest film about Volvo Trucks’ new transmission, I-
Shift Dual Clutch, we are continuing to communicate our technological innovations in a way that is not only relevant to people interested in trucks but also to a wider public,” says Claes Nilsson, President of Volvo Trucks.
I–Shift Dual Clutch will be available on all markets that sell the Volvo FH with Euro 6 D13 engines featuring power outputs of 460, 500 or 540 horsepower, starting in September 2014.
Facts I-Shift Dual Clutch
– I-Shift Dual Clutch is based on the I-Shift transmission. Despite having many new components, 
the new unit is just 12 cm longer than a conventional I-Shift.
– I-Shift Dual Clutch changes gear without any interruption in power delivery when needed. When driving in conditions where it is optimal to skip a few gears, the new transmission behaves just like a regular I-Shift unit.
– I-Shift Dual Clutch can change gears without interruption in power delivery in all gears apart from range changes, which take place when shifting from 6th to 7th
– Smooth gearchanges mean there is less wear on the driveline and the rest of the vehicle.
– Fuel consumption with I-Shift Dual Clutch is the same as with I-Shift.
– I-Shift Dual Clutch will be available on the new Volvo FH as a complement to I-Shift and manual gearboxes.
