Race to The Rock - FH16 Aero v FH Aero

Commercial Motor
January 16, 2025

 

While most high-horsepower Volvo FH16s are purchased with heavy-duty tasks in mind, quite a few end up on regular haulage routes. The justifications for this can be varied: for some fleets, the FH16 serves as a prestigious flagship; for others, it’s a well-earned reward for top-performing drivers. But one of the most compelling reasons to choose a Volvo FH16 over the 13-litre FH? Faster journey times.

With 780hp, a loaded FH16 has the muscle to maintain speed even on the steepest gradients, making it ideal for operators covering hilly terrain or tight schedules. The real question, though, is how much time that extra 4 litres and 280hp actually shaves off a long haul. To find out, we set up a challenging 1,500- mile race from Calais to Gibraltar. One of us climbed into the cab of an FH16 Aero, with the 780 hp engine and Globetrotter XXL cab, while the other took the wheel of an FH Aero with the 500hp I-Save engine. Our only rule? Stick to the speed limit.

 

WILL SHIERS / VOLVO FH AERO

Our race doesn’t officially begin until we disembark the Eurotunnel in Calais, which is a relief given the embarrassingly long time it’s taking me to board the train. Embarking is tricky enough in a standard artic, but the new FH Aero cab’s 239mm front protrusion adds an extra challenge. The last thing I want is to damage it and end up hunting for a replacement bumper in France, while George speeds ahead in the FH16 Aero. With a 280hp advantage over me, I’m already anticipating three days of playing catch-up. The only question is: how far behind will I be by the time we reach Gibraltar?

Having agreed on the same route, we head out of the terminal together. He’s leading the way, driving on the limiter, while I follow with adaptive cruise control engaged. Life is good – until we reach the first of many undulating hills. At 38 tonnes, I’m confident a regular FH 500 would take these hills in its stride. However, this is the I-Save version, optimised for maximum fuel economy. Unfortunately, performance and fuel efficiency don’t always go hand in hand. The I-See software is familiar with the hill topography and selects gears to achieve the most efficient climbs and descents.

It eases off at the crest of each hill, sneakily engaging I-Roll when I least expect it, knowing it will soon pick up speed on the downhill. Frustratingly, there’s no override – and with only dash-mounted push-button controls for the transmission, no manual gear selection either. I try kicking down the accelerator, but despite the familiar click of the pedal, nothing happens; it’s clearly disabled. It seems my only option to close the growing gap between us is to keep my right foot firmly planted on the floor for the next three days. On a couple of the steepest hills, I’m frustrated to see the engine lugging down to 850rpm, clinging to 12th gear for dear life. Eventually, it shifts to 11th, and I quickly press the ‘hold’ button to stop it from shifting up again too soon, meanwhile accelerating hard. This method seems to work, but it takes a lot of effort.

Two hours in, George’s tail-lights are barely visible, and my right thigh is already aching. I can just picture the smug look on his face as my truck gradually fades from his Camera Monitoring System (CMS) screens.

Then, suddenly, it hits me – a lightbulb moment. This truck is designed for optimal fuel economy, so why not just let it do its thing? Why fight it? After all, I’m running a race I’m never going to win.

As soon as I make this decision, a warm wave of calmness washes over me, and I start to enjoy the drive. I’d enjoy it even more if I were paying for the fuel, as I’m stunned to see that even with my heavy foot, we’ve achieved 12mpg so far, and the figure is steadily climbing. What’s more, it turns out the FH16 Aero was only five minutes ahead.

After fuelling up on croissants and espressos, I restart the stopwatch, and we set off again. This time, I let the truck handle even more of the driving, engaging Pilot Assist to keep me centred between the white lines. Now fully comfortable with the truck, I begin to enjoy the interior updates. I explore the digital dashboard, with its four pre-set I let the truck handle even more of the driving, engaging Pilot Assist to keep me centred between the white lines NEED TO KNOW home screens, and experiment with the large touchscreen.

By the time we arrive at Niort, our stop for the night, located about 100 miles north of Bordeaux, the gap between the trucks has stretched to just over 15 minutes.

VOLVO FH AERO / DAY TWO

It’s dark and wet when we set off, giving me my first chance to try the night-vision function on the CMS. I still haven’t mastered reversing with the screens, but I’m impressed with this feature – even if it does make the view look like the northern lights! At one point, a water droplet obscures the lens, but switching on the heating function quickly clears it up.

 The more I drive this truck, the more I appreciate it. I’m now fully accustomed to letting it take control, watching the mpg steadily climb. At one point yesterday, it reached an astonishingly good 14mpg, although with all the hills ahead today, I know that will drop.

But I’m getting a bit bored with France. I’d forgotten just how big the country is. The motorway tolls are also proving to be a hassle, with some not accepting the various credit and debit cards I have on hand. So far, it’s cost us about €250 to drive the length of the country. It’s a lot of money, but for that price, we’ve had a mirror-smooth road surface and hardly any traffic to contend with.

Finally, we approach the Spanish border, and that’s where the real hills begin. I set the overrun and underrun at +3mph and -3mph, and the truck keeps me within these parameters perfectly. The sun is shining, but tomorrow’s forecast is dismal. Torrential rain is expected across southern Spain for the next two days, and I’m worried the Rock of Gibraltar will be shrouded in clouds for the crucial final photograph.

The day takes a turn for the worse when I fail to locate the Volvo Trucks dealer in Valladolid (our stop for the night) and end up in the city centre instead. In an effort to avoid a weight restriction, I find myself winding through a maze of residential streets, acutely aware that I’m just one poorly parked car away from disaster. Then, I accidentally enter a low-emission zone, which presumably requires some sort of permit. I’m relieved that photographer Tom Lee isn’t here to capture this fiasco, though I’m sure a photo (and fine) will soon be arriving in the post from the Spanish authorities. It transpires that the FH16 Aero took the same detour, which explains why just 25 minutes separates the trucks today. 

VOLVO FH AERO/ DAY THREE

It’s another early start, and we make it to a truckstop in Salamanca for breakfast. Like everywhere we’ve stopped in Spain, the prices are fantastic. This spot even offers overnight parking, dinner, and a glass of wine for the bargain price of €12. What would 10 quid get you back home? 

But then it seems there’s not as much money in the transport industry here, judging by the trucks on the road. I can’t believe how many Renault Magnums and first-generation FHs are still trundling around.

The hills in this region are no joke. On one of them, I’m down to 38mph in 10th gear at 900rpm. I’ll bet George barely even noticed the incline.

Then the rain begins – heavy doesn’t quite cover it; it’s biblical. Unbeknownst to me, elsewhere in Spain, 158 people are about to lose their lives in the worst flooding in the country’s history.

I slow down for the downpour, but despite the conditions, the truck’s alert system is still binging at me to “reduce speed to save fuel”. It’s been nagging me for three days, and I haven’t managed to turn it off.

As I roll into La Línea (19 minutes behind the FH16 Aero), which shares a short 0.75-mile border with Gibraltar, the rain suddenly stops, and the clouds lift to reveal the Rock. Picture taken, mission accomplished!

GEORGE BARROW – VOLVO FH16

There’s been a lot of discussion about numbers ahead of this trip. It’s only natural when you’ve got 780hp and 17-litres under the cab. There’s no denying that 280hp is a big advantage; it’s more power than most urban delivery trucks leave the factory with, but will it really make that much of a difference?

Of course, my FH16 will win, but in a long-distance race such as this, surely it’s the manner of the victory that really matters. I’m talking about effortless, stress-free driving and even about having a bit of fun along the way. By those metrics, I’d wager the 780 wins by a Republican Party landslide. So yes, I may have 56% more power than my rival, but I am betting on having 100% more fun. Just don’t mention the fuel costs.

The journey, and clock, begins as we depart the LeShuttle train (9,400hp), but I’d like to rewind for a moment to indulge in the perfect approach and entry into the steel girder locomotive freight carriage. It’s a nervous dance given the additional aerodynamic nose on the Aero’s Globetrotter XXL cab, but having adjusted the ride height, and by being a bit greedy with the line, stealing space on the other side of the carriage before turning hard into the train, it’s a damage-free entry. Saturday night’s Strictly judges would score it a 10, and 10 minutes later I’m sitting in the drivers’ carriage aboard LeShuttle where a video helpfully demonstrates how to drive onto the train I’m already sitting in. More helpful still is how the video says the very manoeuvre just executed won’t work. If that’s an omen for defying logic then I’ll take it, as no sooner than I’m off the train and out through the traffic calming chicanes, I take my first chance to open up the taps, hear 17 litres sing, and put some serious daylight between Will and me.

I’m in a truck most drivers would give their gonads to drive, so I intend to drive it, and in my book that means making the most out of my right foot and doing away with all the fancy electronic driver assistance systems. Will can I-Save his way to a fuel efficient arrival, but the 780 and I are in a race, and although there’s a momentary flinch of regret as the fuel consumption display makes its first appearance at just over 7mpg, I press on to the motorways and establish a steady cruise on the limiter. 

Northern France is utterly boring, and were I driving something with 780hp not at a GCW of 38 tonnes, I’d have already picked up my first speeding ticket. Sly Gendarmes have concealed themselves out of sight, setting up a tiny suitcase-sized speed trap at the road’s edge. Fellow drivers on the other carriageway are flashing feverishly at us as a warning, so I refrain from clipping the suitcase for fear of losing the race courtesy of a detour to the Bastille. Besides, Will is now a distant dot in my CMS screens, giving me plenty of chance to pass the tedium of the autoroute by experimenting with the cruise functions.

There are no prizes for guessing how the standard cruise control works, but I’ve taken a sudden liking to the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). Reneging on my commitment to fully drive the beast without electronic helpers, I find ACC the best solution for this part of the journey. Pilot Assist is too nannying with its self-steering, and I’m not normally a fan of adaptative speed systems either due to their fondness to jab the breaks all too eagerly. But the 780 does allow me to set a decent distance to the vehicle in front before it gets too nervous. More importantly, it tells me just how fast they’re moving. This, I later discover, will be crucial for tackling the hills. A mandatory break comes and goes as uneventfully as the rest of the day’s driving, and while I’m rightfully ahead of Will, it’s disappointing to learn by how little.

On a more positive note, despite screaming out of every French toll booth like Sonic the Hedgehog getting a Power-Up, the fuel economy is now in double-digits, and more than half of flat and dreary France is now dealt with.

VOLVO FH16 / DAY TWO

Have you ever been in a snowstorm so dense you can barely see your own feet? Well, looking at the cameras as I pull out of our overnight stop in Noirt I do a double-take. Light drizzle – that thin rain that gets you unexpectedly drenched when you’re walking the dog – is causing the automatic wipers to flick across the screen once every minute, but the view to the rear is full of crazy white illuminations. It’s meteor shower meets Ibiza nightclub strobes. Once you are moving it’s less intense (no doubt an aerodynamic trick by clever Swedes to keep rain away from the lenses) but the low light performance and ability to gauge depth and distance is the first and only real gripe – excluding the dashboard’s semi-regular reminder to slow down to save fuel.

The drizzle clears and before long we’re approaching the fun part. Proper mountains. Yesterday’s experimentation with the ACC has given me confidence enough to overtake anything travelling below the limiter. The first real test is a massive gradient and a line of slow-moving traffic. Vehicles in the outside lane are scarce, so a fuel tanker is the first to be leapfrogged. It’s travelling at just 33mph, and while we’ve dropped to 45mph, we’re still making progress as it and many others fall further and further behind. Many hills are dealt with at top speed, others at just a fraction below, and with the ACC set to +3 /-3 in either direction it’s not only easy to go up, but safe coming down too.

Of course, there are gear changes. There’s one. There’s another. But they are so infrequent you can count them on just one hand. The miles covered between shifts is startling. There’s a third. Before you realise it’s time to slow down, pull over and take your next break.

Less straightforward is the approach to Valladolid. Several hours earlier, I’d already passed one of Spain’s big commercial vehicle production sites, the Mercedes-Benz plant at Vitoria – home to the Vito van. Now as Iveco’s production site for the Daily and S-Way cabs hove into view in Valladolid, the FH16 Aero’s sat-nav throws a fit and before long we’re squeezing through a city centre where even a large Daily van would feel uncomfortable.

VOLVO FH16 / DAY THREE

It’s surreal to be floating along above what looks like the cloud line, but the fog-filled valley is a metaphor for my journey behind the wheel of the FH16 Aero 780. Serene, relaxing, astonishing. It’s also a stunning way to start the day and in this terrain it also means the 500hp FH Aero is falling far behind.

Continually being ‘out front’ has meant having to find suitable rest areas, something which hasn’t been a problem. Of course, many have a unifying aroma, similar to those in the UK, but the facilities and parking areas put ours to shame. I have, of course, also spent more time in these rest areas Fuel for thought: The FH16 may have had the advantage in terms of speed, but this comes at a cost when fuel consumption is taken into consideration than Will. Not much, but on a day like today, with an end in sight, the subject of driving hours is weighing heavily. I’m confident my faster FH16 Aero will make it, but (whisper it, so he doesn’t think I care) I’m worried Will might fall short of our rendezvous at The Rock.

That fear is compounded when a government issued emergency alert appears on my iPhone warning of the severe weather and the threat to life. It’s monsoon-like, but there’s never a nervous moment in the FH16 Aero, and against all odds, the camera systems are more than up to the job. Whereas a mirror would now be covered in muck, the view is crystal clear.

As we approach the Bay of Gibraltar from the Algeciras side, our destination is suddenly presented to us. The Rock stands like an actor illuminated in the limelight as menacing storm clouds engulf the rest of the bay. I park the FH16 Aero 780 XXL in front of the Gateway to the Mediterranean as afternoon sunshine peaks through the clouds, praying the weather holds and that the FH Aero with its I-Save engine isn’t actually as far behind as I may otherwise want it to be.

CONCLUSION: WILL SHIERS - CM EDTIOR

At first, I really didn’t like this truck; it simply felt like the wrong tool for the job. It reminded me that Noah Lyles chose not to wear flip-flops for his gold-medal-winning 100m sprint in the Olympics. In much the same way, if I’m planning to race across Europe again, I won’t be choosing the FH Aero with its 500hp I-Save engine. However, the truck isn’t without its strengths. Over the three days and 1,452 miles, the time difference between the two vehicles was under an hour. That’s pretty remarkable, especially considering this model is optimised for fuel efficiency, not speed.

Once I gave up trying to push it to match the FH16 Aero and allowed it to perform as intended, I actually started to really enjoy the experience. When you’re on the road for 10 hours a day, exhaustion can easily set in. But this truck’s Adaptive Cruise Control, Pilot Assist, and other advanced safety aids really helped. They didn’t just add an extra layer of security – they brought a sense of calm and ease to the long drive.

Fuel economy, though, was the biggest takeaway. The FH16 Aero’s 10.98mpg exceeded all expectations, but the FH Aero’s 13.64mpg was truly outstanding. Go back 30 years and we would be happy if a 38-tonner achieved 7mpg around the CM test route. Based on my calculations, over this distance, the fuel savings added up to about £160 each way. Sure, George probably got a thrill blasting out of French toll booths and flattening Spanish hills, but was that £320 worth of enjoyment? If I had to choose solely as a driver, I’d probably still go with the FH16 Aero. But from the perspective of an operator, it’s the 500hp I-Save all the way. Sometimes, logic has to win over passion – it’s definitely a case of the head ruling the heart.

CONCLUSION: GEORGE BARROW - CM DEPUTY EDTIOR

Covering 1,500 miles in the FH16 Aero really has to be considered a privilege. On a job like this it’s really an obvious choice for comfort and speed. While the cynics amongst us will say you can only travel at the speed limit – which both trucks were more than capable of doing for 85% of the journey – it’s that other 15% or so where the 780hp makes a difference. Never once did I think or worry that I would not reach our scheduled stops within my normal driving hours.

Will, on the other hand, did at one point come mightily close to having to stop for an additional 45 minutes in order to put in a 10-hour shift. The Globetrotter XXL cabin also felt ideal for this job. The greater space is noticeable, but I felt it also helped with the noise levels. Apart from when battling torrential rain, the cabin was as quiet as one of the many monasteries we passed en route. The elephant in the XXL’s roomier interior is of course the cost. Is £160 each way really going to dent the profits enough to rule out a 780 for a job like this? I would argue that the greater comfort and higher probability of making your destination in time outweighs that amount, particularly as additional late deliveries, rest and driving time could have other financial implications. Besides, 10.98mpg seems like a stellar performance – one that could also be improved upon slightly were I not treating every toll booth like a day out at Santa Pod drag stip. Perhaps my own fuel figures were flattered a touch by the ease at which 3,800Nm ascended these hills, but that’s not to say the FH Aero (2,800Nm) didn’t do extraordinarily well at such a weight and over these terrains. Ultimately, I don’t want to be rational about this... the FH16 Aero was the perfect truck for this job, and I’m glad it was me who got to experience it.

TIME DIFFERENCE  
Day one 458 miles (Volvo FH16 Aero +15 minutes 20 seconds)
Day two 484 miles (Volvo FH16 Aero +25 minutes 3 seconds)
Day three 510 miles (Volvo FH16 Aero +19 minutes 5 seconds)Volvo FH16 Aero +19 minutes 5 seconds)
Total 1,452 miles (Volvo FH16 Aero +59 minutes 28 seconds)

 - This article was previoulsy published in Commercial Motor, to subscribe see the latest Commercial Motor subscription offer

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