Tesla is building a new factory and here's why you should…

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the carmaker is “bursting at the seams” and needs a new plant. This factory could mean big business for the state where it's built.

Truck market has bottomed out: Volvo chief

Volvo takes wraps off new VNL

Volvo launch showcases new customer center

Volvo’s New VNL Tractor Blends Technology, Functionality, Capability

Trucking reporters took the new Volvo VNL for a spin on the test track at Volvo's New River Valley facility. Photo: Jack Roberts

A lot has happened in the 20 years since Volvo Trucks North America last introduced a Class 8 highway tractor. The excitement among Volvo engineers, designers and executives at the company's New River Valley, Virginia, manufacturing facility and sparking-new Customer Center was palpable for the official unveiling of the 2018 VNL tractor on July 11.

Volvo's VN model, which debuted in 1996, was a tremendous step forward in terms of aerodynamic design. So in terms of styling, the new VNL is more of a refinement instead of a departure. The design DNA the new VNL inherited from its predecessor is clearly evident, although the new truck features a pointedly more wide-bodied stance, with tapering lines flowing down and toward the rear of the tractor. It is an aesthetically pleasing look — this is a sharp-looking truck — but it is also a design with function: The new truck boosts a 1% boost in aerodynamic efficiency compared to the older design. That doesn't sound like a lot. But, as Volvo on-highway product manager Jason Spence, notes, when you're in an industry that celebrates a tenth of a percent boost in fuel economy, 1% is not bad at all.

More savings come from pairing the new aerodynamic design with Volvo's latest fuel-focused powertrain technologies. This includes downspeed cruising at just a shade over 1,100 rpm and a new, compound-turbocharger option for the high-horsepower D13 that will be available next year. All told, Volvo engineers say the new VNL delivers a full 7.5% boost in fuel economy compared to the latest models of the previous-generation VN tractor.

While the truck's exterior builds upon proven Volvo design cues, inside the cab ...Read the rest of this story

Peterson’s 290 Series Lights Designed to Be Small and Durable

Peterson's 290 series LED License/Utility light, has a compact, rugged design and a single-diode Great White LED designed for good performance and durability.

The light features precision optics and improved light dispersal combined with a compact design and single-diode economy.

The 290 series lights are available as low-profile utility/auxiliary lights measuring just 3-inch wide by 0.6-inch high, or as legal license lights when installed with either a top- or side-mount spacer bracket. Hard-wired with a choice of either stripped leads or .180 bullet connectors, the new lights surface-mount on 2-inch centers.

“We think our new 290 series lights are the most exciting LED license light design on the market,” said Mark Assenmacher, Peterson's marketing director. “Their precision optics with optimal light output and superior dispersal make these USA-made products the best value in LED license lights.”

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter

White House to hold off-camera briefing following Donald …

CNBC Kayla Tausche reports on the initial reaction from the White House about Donald Trump Jr.'s release of emails that led to a meeting with a Russian government lawyer.