VWTB’s presence at Fenatran marked by introduction of a concept car and first sale of brand’s self-driving vehicle

• 30 new Volkswagen truck models developed in order to deliver even greater efficiency, comfort, safety, and cutting-edge technology
• Meteor Optimus unveils aerodynamics and fuel economy technologies
• Twenty units of the self-driving Constellation truck sold to Vamos Group
• VW Truck & Bus launches Future Program, which seeks to accelerate sustainable ESG practices

Volkswagen Truck & Bus will be starting off the latest edition of the International Freight Transport Trade Show - Fenatran in São Paulo with two major announcements for the brand: the sale of the assembler's first 20 autonomous vehicles, a highly symbolic achievement, and the development of the VW Meteor Optimus concept model, which will offer potential fuel savings of up to 8%. In addition, more than 30 truck models from the assembler will be released. These models were developed through more than R$1 billion in investments and will be introduced to the Brazilian market in 2023.

VWTB will also take advantage of the platform offered by the sector’s largest Latin American trade fair and officially commit to its Future Program, which will have its own specifically-designated display at the brand's booth. The Future Program is focused on boosting the company's ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) practices. The program’s motto is "connecting today and tomorrow" and seeks to consolidate the best practices already adopted by the assembler and develop initiatives to expand these practices over the medium and long term.

“This edition of Fenatran will be historic for us, as it symbolizes the ushering in of a new era, with the most significant engineering developments seen in our more than 40 years of history. VWTB will be introducing 30 new models specifically focused on offering efficiency, comfort, and technology, as well as improved safety features. These new models will be available to customers by January 2023. And VWTB is taking it one step further, with an eye towards the future: we recently finalized our first sale of autonomous vehicles and we also presented the VW Meteor Optimus concept truck, which includes a special package of technological solutions aimed at anticipating future trends,” affirmed Roberto Cortes, the assembler’s President and CEO.

Volkswagen Truck & Bus is a leader in sales of commercial vehicles intended for leasing and has now taken its offer one step further. The first 20 units of the VW Constellation 31.280 8x4 with automated steering are already set to be sold to Vamos Group, the brand's largest client in the segment, and will ultimately be used in agribusiness. The sale was confirmed just over a month after the model’s field tests were announced.

As part of another area of the company’s research, VWTB has also revealed its unprecedented VW Meteor Optimus concept, which includes innovative aerodynamics and cutting-edge solutions such as camera side mirrors and a driver's seat massager. The model offers significant improvements in terms of comfort, safety and connectivity. The Meteor Optimus’ design also includes intelligent systems that offer greater efficiency in vehicle operation and fuel savings of up to 8%.

A pioneer in research involving alternative energy sources, VW Truck & Bus is also making significant advances along another front. Like the brand’s entire portfolio, VW Meteor Optimus can already be run on green diesel (hydrotreated vegetable oil or HVO), an alternative and renewable fuel that is extremely promising for Brazil’s national energy matrix, despite not yet being commercialized on a large scale in the country. Fueled with HVO, Meteor Optimus offers the potential reduction of up to 90% in CO2 emissions when compared to traditional diesel vehicles available on the market.

The assembler is also expanding initiatives aimed at supporting clients in their journey towards offering increasingly sustainable transportation through means of a new partnership for the supply of charging solutions for VW e-Delivery and solar energy. Brasol, a Siemens group company, is the latest member of VWTB’s e-Consortium, which was created to enable electromobility and will be assuming responsibility for the installation, operation and maintenance of equipment at a fixed cost for the customer.

Most significant development in VWTB’s history

Volkswagen’s new truck lines exceed current legislative requirements, offering increased efficiency, comfort, and safety, as well as the latest technology. These new models represent the most significant development seen in the company’s history to date. The company has redesigned the entirety of its models available within the Delivery, Constellation and Meteor families, all of which have been tested and approved as part of the largest fleet of prototypes built by the assembler. These efforts involved more than 100 different vehicles and were intended to ensure that the most ideal solution was found for each market segment. The result is a portfolio that delivers on average 10% more operational efficiency, as well as increased fuel economy, greater load capacity, and innovations in the areas of comfort, safety and technology.

First sale of Volkswagen self-driving truck made to Vamos Group

• The twenty units sold will be leased for use in agribusiness
• Vehicle 100% developed in Brazil

Volkswagen Truck & Bus officially entered the era of autonomous vehicles and has already received a large-scale order from Vamos, a leader and pioneer in the leasing and sale of trucks, machinery and equipment offering a wide-ranging network of dealerships for new and previously-owned vehicles. Twenty units of the VW Constellation 31.280 8x4 will be made available for the purpose of leasing in the agribusiness area. The sale was announced today (November 7) by Roberto Cortes, President and CEO of Volkswagen Truck & Bus, during a press conference held at the International Freight Transport Trade Show – Fenatran.

“We are starting off on the right foot yet again, celebrating the first sales of this model immediately after having announced the start of field testing. Vamos Group will be the first company to purchase self-driving Constellation trucks, and we are very pleased to be announcing this new partnership. We expect to able to start delivering these vehicles during the first few months of 2023”, Cortes stated.

Completely developed and tested in Brazil, the VW Constellation 31.280 8x4 relies on electric power steering that is capable of interfacing with its onboard technology. In addition to its electric power steering system, the vehicle is equipped with an advanced real-time geopositioning system (Real Time Kinematic or RTK), which identifies the vehicle’s position and allows it to follows a pre-programmed route with an accuracy of 2.5 cm while presenting minimal variations, a feat that is impossible to achieve in human vehicle operation.

Another important advantage that is currently being tested is VWTB’s exclusive camera system, which replaces traditional mirrors and offers a 360° view around the vehicle, as well as provides increased visibility while operating the vehicle at night.

"Vamos Group is leading the way in the leasing of Volkswagen trucks and buses and is also the largest member of our network of authorized dealers. The company’s preference for our products is a testament to the excellence and versatility that VWTB offers on a market as demanding as Brazil. We hope to be able to once again respond to the expectations and demands of a client of this size”, Ricardo Alouche, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Services at the assembler, affirmed.

Vamos is a pioneer in the heavy vehicle leasing sector in Brazil and offers a significant growth potential on the market, given that only 1% of the Brazil’s fleet of trucks is currently leased. Vamos Locação model provides savings of up to 30% in fleet costs, as it allows clients to focus on their main business activities, without having to worry about documentation and maintenance. In addition to offering significant savings, leasing also contributes to the renewal and modernization of fleets, thereby helping to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint.

“The purchase of Volkswagen's autonomous trucks will increase the size of the fleet currently available within the agribusiness sector, which is rapidly expanding and offers a wide range of new business opportunities. We are investing in VWTB’s technology in order to offer our clients new solutions and are therefore honored to be the first company purchasing this model from Volkswagen in Brazil”, Gustavo Couto, Vamos’ CEO, stated.

Durability in transport

The VW Constellation 31.280 8x4 is synonymous with durability. The Constellation 31.280’s front axle provides a technical capacity of 8 tons, and its rear axle, which is fitted with a hub reduction, has a capacity of 13 tons. The vehicle’s Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) is 42 tons, and it makes use of high flotation tires that minimize compacting of the soil and increase traction. The vehicle’s 3-meter wide gauge axles, combined with its reinforced suspension, which has been adjusted for this type of operation, provide increased lateral stability in all conditions.

The Constellation 31.280’s 8x4 traction system, with the addition of the renowned D08 280 cv engine with automated 12-speed transmission, guarantees a high level of performance on any terrain, in addition to increased comfort for drivers and availability and durability of the components of the powertrain system.

The Constellation 31.280’s sugarcane kit provides the model with several items that allow the truck to be adapted for operation in the sugar-alcohol segment, including a "bush break" front end protection grille; a vertical exhaust system, agricultural pre-filter, lower radiator "steel chest" guard, a guard that protects the alternator from straw; thermal protection in the vehicle’s pneumatic system piping (brake system), a radiator protection screen, air intakes for use in cleaning the cabin and the front grille, an electrical wiring harness offering robust protection, power take-off, among other features.

About Vamos

Vamos (VAMO3) is part of the Simpar Group and is a market leader in the leasing of trucks, machinery and equipment, with more than 38 thousand vehicles leased and operations located throughout Brazil’s national territory. A pioneer in the leasing segment, Vamos offers an extensive network of dealerships that includes 41 company-owned retail locations for the brands Transrio (Volkswagen Truck & Bus), Fendt (premium agricultural machinery), Valtra (agricultural machinery and equipment), and Komatsu (distributor of lines of yellow machinery and equipment), as well as 11 retail locations for previously-owned vehicles. In January 2021, the company made its Initial Public Offering and in its first year of trading on São Paulo’s B3 stock exchange received a Transparency Award from ANEFAC, as well as Exame Magazine’s award for the Transport, Logistics, and Logistics Services segment. Learn more at www.amos.com.br.

About Volkswagen Truck & Bus

Part of the TRATON Group, Volkswagen Truck & Bus offers a complete portfolio of solutions for the transporting of cargo and passengers and is one of Latin America’s largest vehicle assemblers. Brazil is VWTB’s global center for research and development, and the company has established itself as a specialist in emerging markets for vehicles that are tailormade in accordance with clients’ specific needs. Since 1981, when VWTB first started its operations, the company has outpaced competitors on the marketplace. Meeting the needs of clients by offering the most ideal cost-benefit ratio has always been the assembler’s main focus. And that's precisely what VWTB offers: customized trucks and buses, excellent after-sales service and an extensive range of available services.

Futuro Program: VWTB continues to drive its ESG practices forward

With a focus on future generations and the preservation of the environment, Volkswagen Truck & Bus ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) journey has been renamed the Futuro Program. Adopting the motto "connecting today and tomorrow", the initiative aims to consolidate the best practices that have already been put in place by the assembler, as well as expand initiatives that have a positive impact on sustainability and diversity over the medium and long term.

When it comes to ESG initiatives, VWTB has always maintained a consistent pace in terms of development. These efforts are reflected in the company’s sustainability practices, which include the creation of working groups that seek to discuss and implement initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions. The company has also established a partnership with Rio de Janeiro State University aimed at promoting the development of the circular economy. At VWTB assembly plants, additional initiatives have been developed based on the same premise: the mapping of water leaks at the plant in Resende, improvements in indicators for vehicles produced, including a 32% reduction in waste disposed of in landfills, a 22% decrease in the consumption of electricity, and a 21% decrease in water withdrawal between 2018 and 2021.

VWTB has also set itself apart on the market with projects that benefit the community in which it operates. Included among ESG initiatives from VWTB is support for projects aimed at developing citizenship practices, culture, education, sport, environment, and volunteering opportunities. This is reflected in the company’s support for the construction of the first neonatal ICU unit in Resende, the municipality in which its assembly plant is located. 

In recent years, the company has made significant advances in terms of pluralism and inclusion, intensifying awareness of such issues among leadership and employees in line with its pillar of social responsibility and ESG strategy. An example of these efforts are the professional training projects that the company has implemented for young people, such as Formare and Dual Study, as well as the Novos Horizontes Program, which offers financial support to persons with disabilities as they complete their studies in order to help prepare such individuals for the job market. More than 100 VWTB employees have volunteered as a part of five different affinity groups centering on issues of gender, race and ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, persons with disabilities, and intergenerational communication. These initiatives seek to create spaces in which individuals are free to express themselves and foster an inclusive and welcoming environment.

VWTB has also taken steps to further reinforce its commitment to corporate governance. VWTB has had an efficient compliance and risk management system in place for more than a decade, as well as an extensive system of internal controls. In addition to its code of conduct and ethics hotline, the company has installed a series of committees that assess and make strategic decisions related to sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and proper conduct, among other key issues at the corporate level. The assembler also requires that its suppliers adopt the same stance, focusing on issues such as the prevention of pollution, compliance, respect for human rights, and data protection.

VWTB ushers in a new era with the most significant development in its history

Efficiency, comfort, safety and technology are the major difference makers under VWTB’s new portfolio

New research includes testing of brand’s first autonomous vehicle

VWTB’s vehicles will be able leave the factory 100% connected

Investments exceed R$1 billion for this launch 

Volkswagen Truck & Bus presents this week, in first hand, the pillars that will sustain its new portfolio starting in 2023. The brand's new lines for the cargo transport are the result of an investment of more than R$ 1 billion and exceed Brazilian legal requirements, implementing significant developments that delivers increased efficiency, comfort, safety and technology, and at the same time the assembler makes advances in its research with autonomous vehicles.

These new lines represent the most significant development in VWTB’s history, with the company redesigning the entirety of the models included in its Delivery, Constellation and Meteor families. The lines include approximately 4,500 new parts, with the localization of several components. All tested and approved in the largest prototype fleet ever built by the automaker.

Throughout the program, more than 100 vehicles were involved in the largest study ever carried out by Volkswagen Truck & Bus to ensure that the ideal solution was found for each segment. The result is a portfolio that delivers on average 10% more efficiency and offers innovations in comfort, safety and technology. To ensure even more profitability, the vehicles will also be able to leave the factory 100% connected.

"We have truly gathered the best available solutions for our clients, anticipating and creating new market trends as it is our DNA, with technologies ready to make a difference in the realities seen on Brazilian streets and roads. At the same time, we continue to focus on the future, particularly with regards to our new research on autonomous vehicles”, states Roberto Cortes, president and CEO of Volkswagen Truck & Bus.

With the start of testing of Constellation autonomous vehicle, the assembler is making steady advances in relation to the last of the three pillars that the TRATON Group, of which VWTB is a part, has established for the future of commercial vehicles: electric, connected and autonomous. The progress that the brand has made on this journey has been consistent: its e-Delivery models gain new load capacity and become the largest in their segments. In parallel, the brand also announces that its trucks can be produced connected to the RIO system for intelligent fleet management.

In order to be able to make progress with regards to this strategy, VWTB’s network of dealerships in Brazil will come to include ten new locations by next year. Inaugurations and modernization processes will be carried out throughout the country and will involve investments of more than R$ 200 million. These investments are accompanying the pace of recovery in the sale of trucks and buses by the brand, which has been at the head of the Brazilian cargo transport market since last year.

VWTB begins testing the brand's first autonomous truck

Volkswagen Truck & Bus has officially entered the era of autonomous vehicles. The first vehicle from the brand capable of traveling without the need for direct interference from the driver is currently being tested. The vehicle is Constellation 31.280 8x4 and will be used by harvesters in fields and sugarcane crops in the interior of São Paulo, in Brazil, with a focus on providing greater productivity and efficiency in operations. With this first step, VWTB is also making advances with regards to the last of the three pillars that make up the future of transport: electric, connected and autonomous. The onboard technology developed by VWTB’s engineers allows the truck to be able to maintain its planned trajectory, control speed, recognize signs, obstacles and even pedestrians without input from the driver, thereby providing maximum precision, efficiency and safety during all operational stages.

In order to achieve this level of operation, the vehicle relies on electric power steering that is able to interface with its onboard technology. In addition to its electric power steering system, the vehicle is equipped with an advanced real-time geopositioning system (Real Time Kinematic or RTK), which identifies its position and follows a pre-programmed route with an accuracy of 2.5 cm while presenting minimal variations, a feat that is impossible to achieve in human vehicle operation.  

Cruise control is another solution used to provide safety and precision in operating the vehicle. The system determines and maintains the speed that is to be reached during operation of the vehicle. The driver is also able to alter the vehicle’s speed using a keypad interface. Even with autonomous mode enabled, the driver is able to control all aspect of operating the vehicle: disabling self-driving and retaking control of the vehicle at any time.

Another important advantage that is currently being tested is VWTB’s exclusive camera system, which replaces traditional mirrors and offers a 360° view around the vehicle, as well as provides increased visibility while operating the vehicle at night. Drivers are able to navigate and make adjustments to the autonomous system inside the vehicle’s cabin in a practical and ergonomic manner using an intuitive and simple interface. This allows drivers to optimize the productivity of the vehicles operated.

VWTB relied on the expertise of the engineering team from its research and development center in Resende (RJ) for the integration of automation systems, software development and control modules, electric power steering, reinforced suspension, a cabin with new items such as a bench seat with integrated seatbelts, easy-to-clean seats from the Constellation family’s well-regarded Robust package, an exclusive night vision camera system that replaces mirrors, and a powertrain with automated transmission. The vehicle was also developed through partnerships with the companies RAVEN, in the case of the geopositioning system, and BMB in customizing the vehicle for use in the harvesting of sugarcane, in addition to new solutions such as 3-meter wide gauge axles.

Tailor-made for operation in the sugarcane industry

The Constellation 31.280 8x4 will be used by sugarcane harvesters for field transshipment operations, subsequently loading the cane onto larger vehicles that are responsible for transporting it to the plants. The vehicle’s autonomous navigation system, with provides an accuracy of 2.5 cm combined with 3-meter wide gauge axles, reduces damage caused to seedlings during operations due to greater precision in harvesting operations, respecting the distance between rows and preventing the rows in which the seedlings are located from being crushed by the vehicle’s tires.

The Constellation 31.280’s front axle provides a total capacity of 8 tons, and its rear axle, which is fitted with a reduced wheel hub, has a capacity of 13 tons. The vehicle’s Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) is 42 tons, and it makes use of high flotation tires that minimize compacting of the soil and increase traction. The vehicle’s 3-meter wide gauge axles, combined with its reinforced suspension, which has been adjusted for this type of operation, provide increased lateral stability in all conditions. The Constellation 31.280’s 8x4 traction system, with the addition of the renowned D08 with 280 cv engine with automated, guarantees a high level of performance on any terrain, in addition to increased comfort for drivers and availability and durability of the components of the powertrain system.

The vehicle is also equipped with a hill start aid (HSA) system that increases safety and facilitates operation of the vehicle. The Constellation 31.280’s sugarcane kit provides the model with several items that allow the truck to be adapted for operation in the sugar-alcohol segment, including a "bush break" front end protection grille; a vertical exhaust system, agricultural pre-filter, lower radiator "steel chest" guard, a guard that protects the alternator from straw; thermal protection in the vehicle’s pneumatic system piping (brake system), a radiator protection screen, air intakes for use in cleaning the cabin and the front grille, an electrical wiring harness offering robust protection, power take-off, among other features.