Charlie The Hamster – Weighing In At 6ozs – Steers A Volvo FMX In The New Film ‘The Hamster Stunt’

Following the viral success of last year’s Ballerina Stunt, Volvo Trucks is now back with a series of new stunts. After the revelation of ‘The Hook’, comes the next film: ‘The Hamster Stunt’. Here the aim is to demonstrate how easy it is to steer a Volvo FMX equipped with Volvo Dynamic Steering by letting a hamster guide the truck up the side of a Spanish quarry.

With Volvo Dynamic Steering, an electric motor replaces the driver’s muscle power, making it possible for the 6oz hamster to steer the truck. This technology is unique in the automotive industry.

“At low speeds, a heavily laden vehicle is so easy to manoeuvre that it can be steered with just one finger. When driving on the highway, this dynamic steering system offers unbeatable directional stability,” explains Jan-Inge Svensson, the engineer behind the development of the system’s software at Volvo Trucks.

Charlie the hamster underwent several weeks of training prior to the test. “Charlie’s our star! He demonstrated that he has the best strength, confidence and attitude to learning new ideas”, says animal trainer Grace Dickinson.

‘The Hamster Stunt’ is one of many spectacular tests involving Volvo Trucks’ new models. In the recent video ‘The Hook’, Volvo Trucks’ President Claes Nilsson balances on the front panel of a Volvo FMX as it dangles 70 feet above Gothenburg harbour. In ‘The Ballerina Stunt’, slackliner Faith Dickey balances between two Volvo FHs driving down a motorway.

“Our films reveal the technical innovations of our new truck models in a unique way. More films of spectacular tests are due out soon,” reveals Claes Nilsson

See the film here : http://youtu.be/7N87uxyDQT0