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Big Rigs / April 16, 2019 "I've only been here with RBA for five weeks, but so far I'd have to say this is a great job," Brenton Redshaw from Devonport, told us when we ran into him at Kempton's 24-hour Caltex Roadhouse/Truckstop Mood Food. "I've been working in the tree industry for some years, and it is so good to be back on the road again. This is definitely where my heart is," he said. "I did furniture prior to that up and down the Hume and Pacific Highways to Queensland every three weeks, and it is also really good to be home driving on Tasmanian roads again." He was driving an RBA 2000 Magnum with a 600 Cummins up front, and towing a fridge unit from Hobart on his return to Burnie at the time. He added that the truck hadn't had a permanent driver for a while, and he was looking forward to getting it "up to the standard of the rest of the fleet". Asked about time off he said, in one word, that's "family". .

Diesel News Australia / March 2019 The new T610 1400mm aero roof sleeper is a new bigger sleeper from Kenworth. It completes the T610 range, the 1400mm sleeper cab option is suitable for a variety of applications from single trailers to road trains and has been designed and engineered in Australia. Following the introduction of the T610 and T610SAR in early 2017, Kenworth has progressively released application-engineered T610 cab configurations, including the day cab, 860mm aero, 760mm mid-roof, and most recently the 600mm aero sleeper which offers room for both a sleeper and a bullbar in combination with full-length 34 pallet trailer sets within the 26m B-double envelope. The new 1400mm aero roof sleeper will be the most spacious sleeper in the Kenworth range coming with even more interior space and in-cab standing room than its 50” predecessor. As standard, the 1400mm sleeper comes with a 790mm inner spring mattress, and the option of a King single, which is 300mm wider than the standard at 1090mm. The upper bunk option, if selected is 100mm wider than in the 50” cab. There are many different fit-out combinations and options to tailor to your needs, depending upon your selected bunk size. With the King single there is rear wall hanging space and shelving. The standard bunk comes with multiple storage tower and hanging space options. Both configurations feature separate clean and wet storage under the bunk, provision for a stand up fridge and shelf cavity for appliances such as a microwave, over-door storage, optional 240v electric sockets and sleeper power distribution modules, and the option of a slave air conditioning unit. Designed from the inside out in a decade-long development process, the T610 cabin is centred on the needs of the driver and incorporates greater foot space, more storage, wider walkthrough access between the seats and more door and windscreen glass, providing improved space, visibility and ergonomics. “The core of the T610 project was about building a bigger cab to create the ultimate driver environment, which leads to better all-round driving performance, safety, efficiency and productivity” said Brad May, Paccar Australia’s Director Sales and Marketing. “The 1400mm sleeper cab option allows maximum living space for our customers whose applications allow it. The Aero roof allows freedom of movement with full height standing room between the seats – and a fantastic bunk as standard that allows a quality well-earned sleep for drivers.” Kenworth spent significant time optimising the shape and surfaces over the sleeper cab roof to improve the aerodynamics while delivering an impressive looking truck for the most discerning of buyers. An optional roof fairing completes the picture for when backed up to maximum height trailers. .

Prime Mover Magazine / April 16, 2019 With the expectation of boosting its market share at the lighter end of the heavy-duty sector, UD Trucks Australia has revealed an eight-litre engine variant of the Quon that was launched with an 11-litre engine in 2017. The eight-litre Quon will come in two variants, the CD 25 360 and the CW 25 360, with the former set to be the hero model on UD’s stand at the Brisbane Truck Show in May. Both iterations feature a GH 8 engine producing 350hp (263kW) at 2200rpm and peak torque of 1428Nm (1053lbft) between 1200 and 1600rpm. They are equipped with a host of advanced safety features to ensure the safety of the driver and other road users. This includes: Traffic Eye Brake, UD Stability Control, and Lane Departure Warning System. Other features designed to help maximise fuel savings include ECO mode, adaptive cruise control, and ESCOT Roll. The latter enables the vehicle to coast in neutral on slight downgrades to reduce fuel consumption. UD Trucks Australia Vice President of Sales, Mark Strambi, says the new Quon variants are valuable additions to the UD range. “The eight-litre version is an exciting addition to the Quon range that offers the same levels of drivability and safety as the 11-litre version,” said Strambi. “It really is a fantastic truck. While slightly smaller than the 11-litre models, it still possesses a sizeable payload capacity, while offering operators extra flexibility through greater load efficiency.” On a recent trip to Japan, UD customers were given the opportunity to drive the Japanese-spec eight-litre Quon. In addition to the test drive, the customers visited UD Trucks’ headquarters in Ageo and were given an insight into the company’s innovation roadmap and strategic plans moving forward. “UD Trucks strives to implement care, pride and quality into the mindset of its workforce and how it designs and builds trucks,” said Strambi. “We wanted to highlight UD’s philosophy to our customers as well as give them an exclusive look at the eight-litre Quon,” he said. “The response to the quality of the drive and the features available on the new trucks was resoundingly positive and we are really excited to be adding them to the Quon range in Australia.” .

Freightliner Trucks Australia / April 15, 2019 Learn more about the Argosy - https://www.freightliner.com.au/trucks/argosy .

The Army has a plan for China, and it’s bad news for JLTV and the Chinook Defense News / April 17, 2019 WASHINGTON — Legacy programs built for the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are looking less like vital capabilities and more like bill-payers for the Army, as the service transitions towards a focus on conflict with Russia and China. In a small Tuesday roundtable with reporters, Army Secretary Mark Esper fielded a number of questions about the future of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and the CH-47 Block II Chinook, a line of inquiry he tied into a recent meeting between Army leadership and officials at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. According to Esper, the Army reached out to INDOPACOM leadership to request a meeting, which eventually happened in Hawaii, in order to discuss how the service is developing capabilities to match up with China. The idea, Esper said, is to make sure that as INDOPACOM head Adm. Phil Davidson is developing war plans, he “takes into consideration what the Army anticipates bringing to the table.” Asked which capabilities he sees as vital to the Pacific, Esper identified long range precision fires as “front and center,” which would be used to “hold at bay” Chinese ships. He then added future vertical lift, air and missile defense, and modernized networks as other key areas they briefed INDOPACOM on. Those capabilities are “something that he needs to know about and he needs to know our thinking where that is in the modernization timeline and everything. So as he thinks about his war plans for the out years, he can calculate those in. and by the same token, it’s an exchange — he can tell us ‘here’s what I’m looking for, here’s what I think I would need,’ and we can adjust our plans as well.” That discussion happens as the service intends to cut the planned JLTV buy and end procurement of the CH-47 Block II for conventional forces, something Esper said was a direct result of the Army leaning into the National Defense Strategy. Those two vehicles were designed and procured in “the context of Afghanistan and Iraq,” and hence just not as relevant anymore, Esper said. “Why the [CH-47s]? Got to carry a heavier payload and fly higher in a hotter climate. What was the heavier payload? JLTV. What drove JLTV? IEDs in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Esper argued. “In many ways they were designed for a different conflict. Doesn’t mean we won’t use them in future conflicts, but now my emphasis has to be on rebuilding my armor, rebuilding my fighting vehicles, having aircraft that can penetrate Russian and Chinese air defenses, that can shoot down Russian and Chinese drones and missiles and helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. “We’re in this transition period and some folks are caught in that transition, and that’s what we’re up against.” More specifically, Esper said there were “no” plans to re-look at the CH-47 decision, and acknowledged that the JLTV total figure is a bit of a moving target. “We are certainly cutting the total number” of JLTV procurement, which had previously been set at 49,000, Esper said. “I know that much. But whether it settles out, finals out right here, today, I can’t tell you. In five years, I could maybe have a different number for you.”

Defense Blog / April 17, 2019 A statement from the U.S. Department of Defense claims that the specialty vehicle manufacturer Oshkosh Corp. to upgrade baseline configuration of Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Family of Vehicles (JLTVs) for U.S. Army. The defense arm of Oshkosh Corp. has received a $19.6 million contract modification to incorporate Engineering Change Proposal into the baseline configuration of the JLTVs. The modification, announced Tuesday by the Department of Defense, provides to incorporate engineering change proposal of capsule roof hatch for the JLTVs. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2021. The newest family of light tactical vehicles, or JLTV, developed to replace ageing HMMWVs currently in service with U.S. infantry forces including the Army and the U.S. Marine Corps. As previously reported, the JLTV family of vehicles comes in different variants—general purpose, heavy guns carrier, utility, and close combat weapons carrier—all providing protected, sustained, networked mobility that balances payload, performance and protection across the full range of military operations. The JLTV family of vehicles is designed to provide a leap ahead in protection, payload, and performance to meet the warfighters needs. The JLTV is the first vehicle purpose-built for battlefield communications networks and provides increased readiness for 21st century warfare. The Army, lead for the JLTV portfolio, plans to purchase some 49,000 JLTVs while the Marine Corps plans to purchase 9,000. To date, Oshkosh has produced more than 2,000 JLTVs and has delivered more than 1,600 JLTVs to the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. .

Thor Trucks to Become XOS, Thanks to RV Maker Lawsuit Trucks / April 16, 2019 Thor Trucks will change its name to XOS after recreational vehicle maker Thor Industries Inc. filed a lawsuit claiming the electric truck startup infringed on its name. The two companies agreed in January that the Thor Trucks name would go away. Thor decided against fighting the industrial conglomerate that includes Thor Motor Coach and other companies. Thor Industries earned $430 million on sales of $8.3 billion last year. Los Angeles startup Thor Trucks will announce its new name, XOS, at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Long Beach, Calif., next week. “It is a setback. No question,” spokesman Kyle Arteaga told Trucks.com. “We had significant brand awareness. But we feel we can recover from this.” Each company paid its own legal fees in the case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. No financial settlement was mentioned in the final judgment and permanent injunction against Thor Trucks. Attorneys for Thor Industries did not immediately respond to calls for comment. Thor Trucks has produced a prototype heavy-duty truck that runs on battery-powered electricity. It also has an agreement with United Parcel Service to test a pair of electric medium-duty delivery trucks in the Los Angeles area. It has a partnership with Troy, Mich.-based AxleTech Inc. to create a specialized axle embedded with electric motors as the powertrain for its electric semi-tractors. Thor believes the design combined with its battery technology will have wide applications, allowing it to sell the integrated system to manufacturers of other vehicles. “The dynamics of electrification are changing,” Arteaga said. “The political environment used to be, ‘Oh, that’s cool.’ Now you have people who really want to move into this space.”

Liebherr Press Release / April 18, 2019 No emissions, no compromises. The new semi-trailers with electric drum drive offer full performance and availability. .

Renault Trucks Press Release / April 10, 2019 .

DAF Trucks Press Release / April 12, 2019 Malaga, Spain - In order to further enhance suitability for the specific requirements of operators in the construction sector, DAF Trucks is expanding its range to include a number of new vehicle configurations, including an 8x4 ‘tridem’ rigid with double-drive tandem and steered trailing rear axle. DAF is also introducing a 10-tonne front axle, and a completely new 7.5-tonne non-steered trailing axle. The new developments underline DAF's ambition to expand its presence in vocational segment — particularly in the construction sector. Range of axles expanded New 10-tonne front axle - Avoids overloading with diminishing loads - For use with heavy cranes directly behind the cab New 7.5-tonne non-steered trailing axle - Die cast, ultra-rigid axle housing - Lower weight - Static load capacity of 26 tonnes - New vehicle configurations CF and XF 8x4 FAW tridem rigid with double-drive and steered trailing axle - Maximum traction for on/off road operation - Gross payload of up to 27 tonnes - Excellent manoeuvrability CF 10x4 rigid with double-drive tandem and steered pusher axle - Tipper chassis for heavy usage - Conversion by Estepe - GVW of 49 tonnes - Net payload of approximately 30 tonnes 8x2 rigid with two steered front axles and steered trailing axle now also available as an XF - GVW of 37 tonnes XF 8x4 FTM tractor for exceptional transport - Combination weights of up to 120 tonnes -Technical GVW of 41 tonnes - DAF Services provides maximum transport efficiency to operators in the construction sector "2018 was an historic year for DAF", says Richard Zink, Director of Marketing and Sales and member of the Board of Management at DAF Trucks. "We ended the year as the second largest truck brand in Europe with a market share of 16.6% in the heavy class. We were the market leader in no fewer than seven countries, produced a record number of 67,000 trucks and were once again the largest import brand in Germany — Europe's largest truck market. Moreover, DAF has been the undisputed leader in the tractor-unit segment in Europe for many years now," he said. The company has plans for further growth. "This is why we intend to make ourselves an even more prominent contender in the rigids and construction vehicle segment", continues Zink. "This is a segment with considerable growth potential for DAF. We offer a strong range of robust chassis and axles, efficient drivelines and comfortable cabs. DAF provides the best truck for every application." . .

Corsair will be first Chinese Lincoln Michael Martinez, Automotive News / April 17, 2019 NEW YORK — Lincoln Motor Co., aiming to build on the momentum from a revamp to the larger end of its utility-vehicle lineup, is now making a big bet on its smallest crossover — particularly in a key market, China. The 2020 Corsair, which replaces the MKC, rides on a new Ford Motor Co. front-wheel-drive platform to better compete in one of the industry's fastest-growing segments. The compact luxury crossover features a new suspension, loads of driver-assist features and a plug-in hybrid option, although that variant won't be ready when the Corsair launches this fall. The MKC has been the brand's second-best seller in the U.S., where it also draws the most customers from rival brands compared with any other Lincoln vehicle. But the compact crossover is even more vital in China, where it's Lincoln's top seller. That's why the Corsair will be the first Lincoln built in China for that market, beginning late this year. By localizing Chinese production, as well as continuing to build the U.S. version in Louisville, Ky., Lincoln is further leaning into utility vehicles as it continues its climb back to relevancy. "Slow and steady wins the race, and cranking out a stable of stylish SUVs with actual names shoppers can identify isn't a bad way to build a brand right now," said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of industry analysis at Edmunds. "If Lincoln continues to build the types of vehicles shoppers want with a focus on style and quality, it has a real shot at a comeback." Lincoln's first-quarter U.S. sales jumped 11 percent, including double-digit gains for all four of the brand's utility vehicles. It's hoping the compact Corsair, unveiled ahead of the New York auto show, will continue that trend, targeting younger buyers as well as defectors from other brands. "It's unapologetically Lincoln," said Joy Falotico, Lincoln's president. "Corsair's addition to the portfolio means Lincoln now has a full family of SUVs to exceed the needs of our luxury clients." 'Sculpture in motion' The vehicle sits on the same fwd platform that underpins the recently retooled Escape, but Corsair has a unique rear integral bush suspension. It's lower, wider and longer than the outgoing MKC, and it features what officials call the "most dramatic expression" of Lincoln's design language. "It is virtually sculpture in motion, a vehicle definitely meant to seduce," said David Woodhouse, Lincoln's design director. Corsair buyers can choose from two four-cylinder engines: a standard 2.0-liter with an estimated 250 hp and 275 pound-feet of torque and an optional 2.3-liter with a targeted 280 hp and 310 pound-feet of torque. While the engines are carryovers from the outgoing model, they're mated to a new eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is available with both engines. The vehicle can switch automatically from fwd to awd in response to road, speed, temperature and other conditions, Lincoln said. The Corsair continues Lincoln's rollout out of five distinct drive modes for use in varying conditions: Normal, Excite, Slippery, Deep Conditions and Conserve. It also features a dual-wall dashboard in the engine compartment to reduce vibrations and sound. Tech features The Corsair has "phone as a key" technology, which Lincoln plans to debut on the Aviaitor crossover this summer. Owners can download the Lincoln Way app and use their smartphone to lock, unlock and start their vehicle. If the phone's battery dies, a backup passcode can be entered on the exterior keypad to enter the vehicle, and the center touch screen can be used to start the engine. The vehicle also features Lincoln's suite of standard driver-assist technology: pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, blind spot information system, a lane-keeping system, a rear backup camera, and auto high-beam lighting. Optional safety features include the company's second-generation active park assist, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, and evasive steering assist. A head-up display is optional. 'Moment of quiet' The Corsair will launch in a hyper-competitive compact luxury crossover segment that jumped 30 percent in the U.S. last year, according to the Automotive News Data Center. MKC sales, in contrast, fell 3 percent. But through the first three months of 2019, MKC sales are up 18 percent, helping the brand to its best first quarter in more than a decade. The Corsair's arrival will follow that of the new Aviator large crossover this summer, which comes on the heels of updates to the Nautilus midsize crossover and the Navigator full-size SUV. . .

Ford to add ‘affordable' nameplate by 2022 Michael Martinez, Automotive News / April 17, 2019 Ford Motor Co. executives have promised for months that they wouldn't abandon customers who want the sedans it's discontinuing in North America. Now those plans are becoming clearer. Jim Baumbick, Ford's vice president of enterprise product line management, on Wednesday said the automaker would by 2022 add an "affordable" nameplate aimed at filling the hole left by ending sales of the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion and Taurus sedans. A Ford spokesman declined to say what sort of body style it would have or how big it would be. "It's an example of how we're moving faster, working together differently and leveraging our five all-new flexible vehicle architectures," Ford said in a statement. "We came up with the concept in just 12 weeks using our new product creation process. Previous all-new vehicles could have taken years of research before receiving approval." Baumbick was speaking at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2019 Auto Summit in New York. His presentation also showed that Ford plans to add a higher-performance variant of its "Mustang-inspired" electric crossover that the company has said it plans to start selling in 2020. Ford previously has teased several upcoming vehicles under development, including a small off-road crossover informally known as the Baby Bronco that's planned for mid-2020, the revived Bronco SUV due in late 2020, and a unibody compact pickup expected around 2022. The pickup matches the timeline of the vehicle Baumbick mentioned, but it's unclear whether that is what he was talking about. Ford product chief Hau Thai Tang in August said the Ford brand would grow to 23 nameplates — three more than it had last year — through 2023. He said nine new nameplates were planned, including seven pickups and utilities, as six others are discontinued.

Ford forecasts $1 billion profit improvement from Michigan truck plant Ben Klayman, Reuters / April 17, 2019 DETROIT - Ford Motor Co’s shift in production at a Michigan plant to trucks from less profitable cars will lead to a more than $1 billion improvement in operating earnings, an official at the No. 2 U.S. automaker said on Wednesday. The increase in earnings, before interest and taxes, in 2021 compared with 2017 is due to the shift at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, from C-Max hybrids and Focus compact cars to Ranger mid-sized pickup trucks and Bronco SUVs, Ford’s Jim Baumbick, vice president of enterprise product line management, said at a Bank of America Merrill Lynch conference in New York. “The absolute change in profitability is over $1 billion EBIT and we expect over the long, normal cycle, that to continue to improve,” he said. “That’s just an example of other choices that we’re making in the portfolio that are going to unlock additional value.” Ford has been restructuring its operations globally to improve profitability and speed product development. Ford is making product shifts elsewhere that are similar to those at the Michigan plant. Baumbick declined to provide details but said there were a couple of cases in which Ford was making “major changes in the overall profit contribution” from one vehicle to another. The Ranger went on sale in January and the Bronco will launch next year. In 2017, Ford built about 200,000 C-Max and Focus vehicles and will assemble more than 200,000 of the Ranger and Bronco vehicles in 2021, when the latter is at full production, Baumbick said. Ford invested $850 million in the Detroit-area plant to retool for the pickup and SUV. Baumbick said Ford will not chase volume over profitability with any launches. “If the better business has a slightly lower volume, then so be it,” he said. As part of Ford’s push to speed up product development, Baumbick said a team of employees in 12 weeks developed a vehicle for the “affordable segments” that will go into production before the end of 2022. He declined to provide more detail. Ford, based in Dearborn, Michigan, gets 150 percent of its operating profit from its strongest products, such as F-150 full-size pickup trucks and Transit vans. The focus is on shifting investments to areas that offer operating profit margins in the high teens on a percentage basis, Baumbick said. He also said a Ford Mustang-inspired battery electric SUV that Ford plans to introduce next year would be profitable from its launch and build on company strengths, just like the upcoming electric F-150 will do.

Nikola wants to disrupt your truck payments by including fuel costs John G. Smith, Today’s Trucking / April 17, 2019 SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – There’s water, water everywhere, and little of it being transformed into fuel. Nikola Motor wants to change that – as well as the way fleets pay for trucks and their fuel. As the company prepares to produce its hydrogen-electric Class 8 trucks by 2022, it’s also establishing plans for the related fueling network and a leasing model that promises to roll truck payments, full-service maintenance, and the fuel cost itself into a single price. Initial estimates from the company suggest that price will run between US 90 and 95 cents per mile over the course of a truck’s seven-year lease – what Nikola personnel refer to as “parity” with the price of running diesel-powered equipment. “We are talking about real disruption,” said Nikola CFO Kim Brady, referring to the pricing that would be available for those that run minimal distances, likely in the neighborhood of around 150,000 km per year. “No one is willing to take risk from fuel.” But doing this will mean delivering hydrogen “at scale” with the support of Norwegian-based Nel, establishing fueling infrastructure to support fleets that adopt the technology. “We’re building our hydrogen infrastructure where the trucks are,” said Jesse Schneider, Nikola’s executive vice-president – hydrogen and fuel cell technology, during briefings at an event dubbed Nikola World. “If you want to build a new type of disruptive vehicle, you have to build the infrastructure.” “This is really one of the most exciting projects that we’ve ever been involved with,” said Nel CEO Jon Andre Lokke. “It solves the chicken and the egg. Everything comes at the same time.” The fueling stations A standard Nikola fueling station is to produce eight tons of hydrogen per day – enough to support about 150 heavy-duty vehicles — although truck-focused depots could produce four times that much. “That’s where you see a lot of cost benefits to the hydrogen,” Schneider said. Public users would pay less than $6 per kilogram. Nikola’s first eight-ton station is to be in place by 2021, while the ramp-up to a target of more than 700 stations in the U.S. is to begin in 2022. Each station will cover a footprint similar to a truck stop covering a little more than seven acres, and also be able to fill mobile trailers for fueling at other locations. “The thing that worries me the most, the thing that would help us the most, is if [government regulators] would just get out of our way,” Nikola CEO Trevor Milton said during a press conference the night before. “Just let us go build stations and pull these diesels off the road. Some of them have standards so stringent, like bureaucracy so deep, you take three to four years to permit an hydrogen station. That should be done in three weeks … We went from start to completion of a hydrogen station [in Arizona] within about four months.” The goal is to be able to fuel a Class 8 Nikola truck with 80 kg of fuel within 10 to 20 minutes. There will undeniably be fewer hydrogen stations than diesel islands, but Lokke stressed that planning will make a difference. The U.S. could get by with fewer fuel islands than exist today, he said. “You have the opportunity to plan.” “We are trying to take the vehicle out of the carbon equation by removing carbon from the feedstock,” Schneider added. This means relying on renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines to develop the hydrogen on site, perhaps supplemented by adjacent solar farms. An entire station will run on about 17.6 megawatts, and at least 30-40% of that is to come from renewable resources. “It really drives down costs,” Lokke said of the business model, noting how it will make the hydrogen competitive with diesel in part because there is no need to transport the fuel. “You will find smaller stations around the world, that will produce hydrogen on site, but never at this scale.” Full-service leases It will be up to Ryder to maintain the equipment. “We perform literally thousands of total cost of ownership studies each year,” said Dennis Cooke, Ryder president of fleet management solutions. The fuel simply “brings another dimension” to the equation. Nikola’s proposed business model will follow the one already in place for Ryder customers in other respects, with leases involving full-service maintenance, pre-defined in-house maintenance service, or service on demand, said Karen Jones, Ryder’s executive vice-president and chief marketing officer. “What we’ve been perfecting in a diesel world, I think will be very transferrable.” “This is the potential to simplify your business model down to hiring and training drivers and keeping them on the road. We can fix all the other costs for you. That’s why we’re proposing lease as the base model,” said Nikola president Mark Russell. “We know that we can generate hydrogen for a cost that is competitive with diesel, and if you buy our truck with a bundled lease we’ll commit to selling it to you for the life of the truck.” Fleet shops that want to service such equipment on their own will require some upgrades, but the changes would be similar to those associated with natural gas vehicles. Hydrogen is 14 times more buoyant than air, which will require some ventilation in the case of any spills. “We’re making a giant step forward here in saving the planet, and we can save you money probably,” Russell said. It isn’t the only differentiator when it comes to options like battery-electric vehicles. “Every pro-forma we have does not depend on any government incentive,” Russell said. “Our bogey for everything is diesel parity and then try to beat it. We want to match it or beat it.” .

Nikola Rolls Out Trucks for Zero-Emissions Future Roger Gilroy, Transport Topics / April 17, 2019 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Nikola Motor Co. CEO Trevor Milton, 28 months after unveiling a prototype Class 8 sleeper, presented to about 2,000 attendees and a global audience watching online two heavy-duty trucks and three other specialty vehicles he said are ready to spark a zero-emissions future. The heavy-duty trucks that drove out from behind the curtains one at a time, amid swirling lights and loud music as people put their cellphones on video, were the stars of the event. PHOTO GALLERY: Images of Nikola Two, Nikola Tre and more As a bright red Nikola Two day cab took center stage, Milton said, “This is a real truck. This is a real [hydrogen] fuel cell,” seeming to speak to those who doubted the emerging truck maker would ever get this far. Nikola introduced a hydrogen fuel cell Class 8 prototype Dec. 1, 2016, in Salt Lake City, its former headquarters. It is now based in Phoenix. The day after the presentations here, Nikola offered the public a first look at the trucks as well as two zero-emissions power sport vehicles and another one designed for special forces operations, which included the ability to be operated remotely like a drone. “We want to transform everything about the transportation industry. With Nikola’s vision, the world will be cleaner, safer and healthier,” Milton said. The flat-front Nikola Tre, bound for Europe, and the Nikola Two day cab will be available either with a hydrogen-electric fuel cell or battery-electric power. As battery-electric vehicles, customers can order either one with 500 kilowatt-hours, 750 kWh or 1 megawatt hour battery-pack options. The U.S. truck is slated to go into initial production in 2022, after field trials. The Tre is expected to reach fleets by 2023, although Milton said during a later press conference he is looking to partner with a European truck maker to reach that market. Both the Two and Tre have enough space in the cab to accommodate bunks and other amenities found in sleepers. Nikola noted a hydrogen fuel cell will be cheaper to operate for longhaul operations, and it expects to see 50-to-1 more hydrogen orders compared with battery-electric. Don Ake, vice president of commercial vehicles for FTR, said, “You have the [traditional] truck makers trying to develop electric or alternative-fuel vehicles, and this just shows the push is on and it’s a race.” Anheuser-Busch announced nearly a year ago it placed an order for up to 800 hydrogen-electric heavy-duty day cabs. “They will be getting the first trucks because they have agreed to share risk with us and understand that we are going to have a lot of bumps in the road at first,” Nikola President Mark Russell told Transport Topics. “New products are always kinky, and those kinks have to be worked out. “This is a complex vehicle. It’s got a lot of parts. And that is some of the work going forward — to make it more simple to manufacture than the current iteration [would be]. If there was a range of requirements for something, we built it to the top end.” Russell said Nikola would be building what he called “Alpha Two” trucks as lighter test vehicles “pretty soon.” Meanwhile, there is much more to be done. Nikola’s Coolidge, Ariz., manufacturing facility is scheduled to come online in 2022 and will be capable of building up to 35,000 trucks per year at full production. The bare site now has road access, utilities and a rail spur. It encompasses 400 acres. Russell said just before speaking with TT, he met with a representative of a European government who said it was interested in “being in the running for our facility” to bring the Tre to that continent. He declined to identify the country. “And then you have people in the former Eastern European bloc who are really anxious to get something like this,” he added. Russell said all of Europe will be facing a diesel ban in the not too distant future. “Emissions are the enemy.” In the meantime, as of April, Nikola had built one hydrogen fueling station in Phoenix. It took six months from permitting to completion. “Imagine doing that in other places,” Russell said, as an illustration of Arizona’s favorable climate for entrepreneurial businesses. Nikola expects to create 2,000 jobs in the state. For Anheuser-Busch, Nikola will create an initial fueling network of eight stations by 2021. Nikola intends to have a network of 700 hydrogen fueling stations in place nationally by 2028. Then there is a fourth round of funding — this time $1.5 billion — to be raised, Russell said, noting investors had come to the event with its strong marketing overtones. “I promise you our model shows us becoming profitable. We start flowing cash in 2023, and then we become profitable some time after that,” Russell said. “Our seven-year, 700,000-mile lease is going to be on a per-mile basis, and includes the hydrogen fuel,” he said. “All you have to do is provide a driver and insurance, and you have a truck.” .

Nikola Two Demo Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / April 17, 2019 Two Nikola Two tractors took part in a brief demonstration at Nikola World, a two day event hosted by the company this week in Scottsdale, Arizona. .

Nikola Unveils Nikola Two Hydrogen-Electric Hybrid Truck Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / April 16, 2019 At the Nikola World event in Scottsdale, Arizona, Nikola Motor Co. showed off two new vehicles, the Nikola Two hydrogen electric Class 8 truck and the Nikola Tre, designed for the European market. The Nikola Two and Nikola Tre will be available with the company’s hydrogen-electric hybrid powertrain as well as all-electric versions for short-haul urban applications. The trucks feature up to 1,000 horsepower and 2,000 ft.-lbs. of torque. To accommodate the hydrogen-electric hybrid system, Nikola emphasized that the vehicles were built around the fuel cell. All of Nikola’s products will also include autonomous driving hardware. The company says there are currently more than 13,000 Nikola trucks on order. Anheuser-Busch has ordered 800 of Nikola’s trucks alone, as part the company's strategy to convert its entire long-haul dedicated fleet to renewable power by 2025. “I cannot wait to see your truck pull a load of Budweiser," said Ingrid De Ryck, vice president of procurement and sustainability with Anheuser-Busch, prior to the unveiling. "Give those Clydesdales a break," she said with a laugh. Anheuser-Busch expects to integrate the Nikola trucks into its dedicated fleet beginning in 2020. The trucks will be able to travel between 500 and 1,200 miles and can be refilled in 20 minutes. Nikola is currently building out a network of hydrogen fueling stations to support its vehicles. The company wants to build 100 hydrogen truck stations a year form 2020-2028 and plans to sell its trucks into routes or cities where they will be able to refuel. The company will start in areas with high concentrations of distribution centers. "We recently opened our first hydrogen station at our Phoenix headquarters,” said Jesse Schneider, Nikola’s executive vice president of hydrogen. “We are leading the way and working with industry and other OEMs to develop hydrogen standards to enable fueling in less than 15 minutes. The goal is safety and interoperability, so that anyone can fuel at our station. This is a big deal.” Nikola previously announced that the Tre will be put into production from 2022-2023. The first Tre will undergo testing in Norway in 2020. At Nikola World, the company also unveiled two non-commercial hydrogen electric vehicles, the Nikola Reckless, an autonomous-capable military all-terrain vehicle, a redesigned NZT off-highway vehicle, and the Nikola Water Adventure Vehicle, a personal watercraft. "We want to transform everything about the transportation industry," said Trevor Milton, Nikola CEO. "With Nikola's vision, the world will be cleaner, safer and healthier." .

Ford Trucks International / April 16, 2019 Ford Trucks F-MAX is now ready to share the loads on the roads of Slovenia! Delighted to introduce our “Big Boy” with a special launch! .

Utter incompetence.

Matt Cole, Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / April 15, 2019 Daimler Trucks North America and Paccar each announced recalls recently affecting approximately 450 total trucks, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents. Daimler’s recall affects approximately 361 model year 2019 Western Star 4700 and 4900 trucks. In the affected tractors, the odometers are accumulating distance in kilometers, but the odometer display is labeled as being miles. These trucks, therefore, do not comply with Federal Motor Carrier Vehicle Safety Standards for “Control and Displays.” Daimler says the odometer not registering the correct distance travelled could cause driver confusion, as well as possible incorrect assumptions about driver speed. DTNA will notify affected truck owners, and dealers will replace the speedometer for free. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number FL-812. NHTSA’s recall number is 19V-171. Paccar’s recall affects approximately 93 model year 2020 Kenworth T680, T800, T880, W900 and W990 models. The rear axles of these trucks may not contain oil, which could cause the bearings, hub and axle shafts to wear, resulting in separation of a wheel end from the axle. The company will notify affected owners, and Kenworth dealers will inspect all of the rear axles for the presence of oil. If no oil is present, the wheel ends will be removed and the bearings, hub and axle shaft will be inspected for damage and replaced if necessary. Owners can contact Paccar customer service at 1-918-259-3258 with recall number 19KWA. NHTSA’s recall number is 19V-176.