Volvo Trucks has developed a new I-See technology which operates as an autopilot and changes gears automatically and utilises gradients to save fuel.

According to the truck maker, the new technology straps up the truck's own kinetic energy to push the vehicle while moving up on a hill so that the same energy can be used for acceleration when the vehicle drives downhill.

Volvo Trucks product developer Anders Eriksson said if kinetic energy can be exploited to a greater extent, it may help cut fuel consumption.

"This will benefit both the environment and the industry's economy, something that is very important today as fuel costs are becoming an increasingly heavy burden on many haulage firms," Eriksson said.

Volvo said that the kinetic energy of an object has to be transformed into some other form of energy when it is slowed down and when a vehicle applies brakes, its kinetic energy is transformed into heat.

Volvo Trucks product manager Hayder Wokil said I-See is an autopilot linked to the truck's cruise control, taking over and handling gearchanges, throttle and brakes on gradients, ensuring they all operate in the most fuel-efficient way possible.

"I-See freewheels as much as possible - so on certain stretches of road no fuel is used at all," Wokil said.

"In this way fuel consumption can be cut by up to 5%. This figure is based on the results of simulations and tests on public roads."

According to Volvo, a truck operating in normal conditions, by covering 140,000km a year, the new technology will save about 1000litres of fuel pr year.

Further the new technology allows the driver to focus more on the surrounding traffic and other aspects during the journey.

The new I-See technology will be offered in the market in 2013.