Volvo Trucks South Africa has confirmed that it will begin series production of Euro 6 FH long-haul trucks at its Durban plant from the first quarter of 2026.
Euro 6 truck production
The company initially introduced Euro 6 FH trucks to the South African market in April this year, but now, with the modernization of its semi-assembled assembly plant, Volvo will significantly increase local production of these heavy-duty vehicles, which are noted for their low emissions and high fuel efficiency.
Euro 6 technology aims to reduce the emission of harmful pollutants, such as nitric oxide, in diesel vehicles. In addition, Volvo Euro 6 trucks integrate AdBlue technology, a system that converts nitrogen oxide into nitrogen gas, and have advanced emission control systems such as selective catalytic reduction and diesel particulate filters.
These advances improve air quality, but also optimize vehicle performance and reduce operating costs by extending maintenance intervals and increasing truck uptime.
The Volvo Trucks South Africa plant has undergone major upgrades to support this transition. In the fourth quarter of this year, four additional lifts will be installed that will allow for better positioning and maneuverability of trucks on the assembly line, thereby improving safety, efficiency and accessibility during the manufacturing process and in the repair shops.
Volvo Trucks South Africa currently offers its revamped FH Globetrotter and FH Aero Globetrotter models in Euro 3, 5 and 6 variants in the local market, along with a range of electric trucks. In fact, in 2026, the company will introduce a new FH electric truck model with a range of 600 km, enabling longer distances to be covered and facilitating inter-regional operations, which is a key step towards decarbonization of the transport sector.
Eric Parry, senior manager of sustainable solutions at Volvo Trucks South Africa, highlighted the company’s focus on working closely with its customers to achieve mutual success, especially when it comes to sustainability and efficient operation. “We are committed to caring for the environment and continuously improving our transport solutions by providing our customers with tools that enable them to optimize their operations and reduce their environmental footprint,” Parry said.
In addition, to improve reliability and reduce breakdowns, Volvo Trucks South Africa offers an advanced uptime monitoring system to predict maintenance needs and reduce downtime.
Thanks to this service, the company estimates to have prevented 432 breakdowns between January and July of this year. This system monitors critical aspects such as air filters, oil consumption, clutch wear and brake pads, thus contributing to the greater operability of trucks on South African roads, which account for 82.4% of the country’s cargo transport.
Source and photo: Volvo Trucks South Africa
