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The F-MAX's Ecotorq 13 features a Jacobs’ "bridge brake". Note the braking power of 544 PS (metric horsepower) / 536 horsepower. 980mm and 1200mm 5th wheel heights, and a 1100mm height option specifically for pulling 2.9 meter tall containers and staying under 4.0 meter overall height requirements. 1,050 litre (277 gallon) total available fuel capacity....nice. Note that Ford Trucks is plating these 4x2 tractors at 42 metric tonnes (92,594 pounds).

Here is the new Ford F-MAX spec sheet (in global market English): https://www.fordtrucks.com.tr/Uploads/Foy/fmax_technical_brochure.pdf

Here is the Ford Trucks global range (all the models). Scroll to the bottom. The columns beginning from the left side: Tractors, Rigids, Vocational/Construction https://www.fordtrucks.com.tr/tr-tr/anasayfa

https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/48202-the-euro-6-ford-ecotorq-motor/?tab=comments#comment-356956 https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/38795-fords-china-heavy-truck-joint-venture-plans-take-off-in-2016/?tab=comments#comment-277516 Available in ratings from 420 to 500 horsepower, I think the Ecotorq 13 (12.7-litre displacement) is the "sweet spot" for this truck. Right now, the 9-litre Ecotorq is offered up to 330 horsepower, so there is a gap between 330 and 420. They had tried the 10.3-litre Cursor 10 and expected FPT (Fiat Powertrain Technologies) to provide them with the new 11.1-litre Cursor 11 replacement, but I heard Iveco complained. Since most operators these days want a minimum of 420hp, I think the Ecotorq 13 is fine. Yes, the Ford F-MAX is a new "clean sheet" design. The Euro-6 engines use SCR exclusively, because MEGR* only works satisfactorily up to Euro-5. * Massive Exhaust Gas Recirculation - EGR levels from 35% to 50%.

Bob, the percentage of Dearborn-made investment in the Ford-Otosan depends on the project. For example, the Transit range receives massive Ford investment because the majority of that product is exported to Ford country markets worldwide. The investment in Cargo, which is massive, including the ramping up of China production in which Ford Dearborn is the Chinese truckmaker's partner, has also varied. Ford-Otosan largely took over R&D for Brazil a few years back, because Dearborn designated Ford-Otosan its global commercial truck design base. The folks at Otosan are enthusiastic, but none of this would have been possible without Dearborn money and Bill Ford's support. Ford is creating a vertically-integrated truck platform with Ford engines, transmissions and axles. That engineering costs serious money, which speaks volumes about the level of commitment.

The Ford F-Vision speaks volumes about the company's commitment to the heavy truck segment. This is a serious, highly advanced concept vehicle. I myself am extremely impressed. Naturally, a concept is a "best guess".....made in the present. "Big Red" was another brilliant and extremely serious concept from Ford Truck. We didn't get there altogether, but have no doubt that a great deal was learned. That Ford has produced a futuristic concept truck on the same level as the examples from DAF, M-B, MAN, Scania, Iveco and Volvo should make Americans very proud.

Phil Romba, Transport Topics / September 21, 2018 Early Adopters Are Reporting Operational — and Environmental — Benefits I’ve speculated in the past that fleets would tire of natural gas engines, partic­ularly as legislators or regulators began taxing the alternative fuel on the same basis as diesel. Several years ago, it seemed to me that fleets invested in natural gas just to check the proverbial box on a corporate mandate about sustaining the environment. But early adopters of natural gas engines have demonstrated some operational and maintenance advantages over today’s diesel engine: Prices and the supply of diesel will continue to be volatile, likely keeping natural gas cheaper than diesel for the foreseeable future. And the complex maintenance of the emissions-control systems on today’s diesel engines will remain costly. A case for natural gas ­engines was given a boost re­cently when Cummins Inc. voluntarily recalled 500,000 medium- and heavy-duty engines for a failed catalyst in the selective catalytic reduction, or SCR, emissions-control system. Natural gas engines do not require SCR. An early adopter of natural gas engines, UPS Inc. announced in June another $130 million invest­ment in natural gas vehicles, including 400 on-highway tractors. According to Bill Brentar, UPS senior director of maintenance and engineering, natural gas engines have shorter oil change intervals than diesels; and, unlike diesels, they require periodic valve adjustments and spark plug replacement. But they do not require the “expensive emissions equipment maintenance,” such as the diesel particulate filter and regeneration. Nor, he added, do natural gas engines require diesel exhaust fluid. “Up to this point, the pros and cons appear to be balancing out,” he said. UPS does not see a “measurable difference” in maintenance costs between natural gas and diesel engines. However, the natural gas trucks “run higher average miles, so our perception today is, they are about equal.” AJR Trucking in Rancho Dominguez, Calif., also made news in May when it put in service the first of 20 Kenworth T680 day cabs powered by Cummins Westport’s 12-liter ISX12N natural gas engine. According to Cummins Westport, exhaust emissions for this engine are 90% lower than the current standards for diesel exhaust. Jack Khudikyan, co-owner of AJR, said a yearlong test provided the data the fleet needed to confidently bid on a contract with the U.S. Postal Service, knowing higher maintenance costs would be offset by fuel costs that are about half of diesel. Depending on the duty cycle, he said compressed natural gas engine maintenance costs can be 15% higher than those for diesel. “Spark plugs must be changed every 60,000 miles or 1,000 hours at a cost of $450,” he said, “and valves must be adjusted at the same interval for a cost of $550.” One significant drawback to a CNG fuel system is the added weight of tanks. AJR Trucking specified tanks that hold the equivalent of 167 gallons of diesel, giving the new tractors a range of about 700 miles. The tankage adds 4,200 pounds to the weight of each tractor. UPS also experienced a weight gain on tractors using CNG. But in addition to the 2,500-pound increase, day-cab tractors with a CNG fuel system require a second drive axle to accommodate the weight. The fleet can operate single-drive-axle tractors when liquefied natural gas (LNG) is used because that fuel system is not as heavy. When UPS decided in 2012-13 to deploy natural gas engines, Brentar said the company projected maintenance costs for natural gas engines would be equal to its diesel-powered trucks. And with parity of maintenance costs, use of natural gas “would provide emissions and sustainability advantages and also provide for lower fuel costs over the long term.” Brentar added, “Those assumptions and estimates have been vali­dated up to this point and there is nothing in our data or experience to suggest that is going to change.” Time and these experiences have changed my mind about natural gas engines in heavy-duty applications. Fleets have adopted them because they provide operational — and environmental — benefits. .

They're so-called "economic migrants". Most don't want to adopt the culture of the European country they're in.....they only want to make money there.

I'm going to preface this comment by saying it is based on the news we're presented with. My thoughts are based on that. I personally know no facts. First, the US State Department is demanding that German companies leave Iran, including Volkswagen, after just having allowed them back in. I question whether our government has the right to make demands upon non-US companies in other sovereign countries. That's arguably a stretch that much of the world won't buy in to, and it can doesn't come across well in the PR department. Secondly, the US yesterday announced sanctions on China for having purchased ten SU-35 fighters and S-400 surface-to-air missiles. How can we tell another sovereign country who it can and can't purchase from? The fighters were actually purchased in 2017, and nothing was said then. The S-400 missile system has also been purchased by our NATO partner Turkey......who was not sanctioned. Several other countries which the US State Department refers to as allies, including India and Saudi Arabia, are allegedly considering S-400 purchases. Having a tariff show with China is one thing they will tolerate, but the relationship becomes chilly real fast when you sanction them.....not a good thing for two deeply intertwined countries that are attached at the hip economically. I humbly suggest that history has proven, elbowing other countries and their companies doing business outside the US around the globe, and this business of sanctions, has rarely achieved the targeted results. I think prompt confrontation over concerns is excellent, but then it's "how" you go about it that determines a mutually agreeable outcome. The countries of the world are never all going to be best friends. But we can learn to reasonably get along, particularly the larger ones which have the ability to lead by example. Every human being in every country is here on earth for a very short time*.....there are far better ways to using our brief existence rather than fighting. No matter where I travel around the world, I see mostly good folks who want to live in peace. http://www.autonews.com/article/20180920/COPY01/309209976/vw-rejects-trump-envoys-take-on-iran-pullout https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions/us-sanctions-china-for-buying-russian-fighter-jets-missiles-idUSKCN1M02TP https://www.france24.com/en/20180921-usa-sanctions-china-buying-russia-jets-missiles Now, Moscow says Washington is "playing with fire", as Beijing demands we immediately revoke the sanctions. The Chinese and Russians don't like or trust each other. However, they will become friends of convenience. Do we really want to take actions that pair them up? Of course not. We're pushing them down a dead-end alley.....what happens next could be very ugly. * The world is approximately 4.54 (± 0.05) billion years years old. Mankind has only been on earth about 200,000 years. The average age of death is about 78. Considering the earth's age versus our time here, it's like checking into a hotel for a few seconds. In essence, we're merely guests here for a very short time. Rather than fighting, spending trillions to destroy ourselves, we should unite and invest our time, money and effort in a harmonious future.

Not the main reason. The engine was a bonus. After decades of trying to sell Kenworth, and to a far more limited extent Peterbilt (South Africa) in global markets, Paccar decided the DAF opportunity......being able to buy a famous brand that was nearly bankrupt for a modest amount of money, was a solid strategy towards becoming a global player. They couldn't accomplish that with the Foden and Leyland brands, but the DAF brand had the potential to reach the goal.....and it did.

Immigration is not a human right, rather it is a privilege. Most people who "legally" apply to immigrate will sooner or later succeed. Those who would criminally cross the border illegally are generally undesirable as residents in the US.

‘Immigration is not a human right’: Hungary slams ‘pro-migrant’ UN officials for ‘spreading lies’ RT / September 19, 2018 Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has accused the UN human rights watchdog of “spreading lies” about his country, saying that immigration was not a “fundamental human right.” The official took aim at the “independent experts” with the UN Human Rights Council, stating they “should not be independent from the truth.” “Recently, unfortunately, some UN officials started to spread lies against and about my country,” Szijjarto told the UN body’s meeting on Wednesday. Such officials would like to “force on us impossible things,” namely allowing illegal migrants into the country, Szijjarto stated. “They say that migration is a fundamental human right, which is a lie,” he stressed. The harsh statement of the foreign minister came as a response to criticism against Hungarian anti-immigration policies. Last week, the UN rights body blasted the so-called ‘Stop Soros’ law, adopted by the country’s government back in July. The UN paper said Hungary “attacks against civil society, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers” with the law, adding that it’s against the international human rights law and poses a threat to the “values” of the whole European Union. It added that it targets the critical “civil society” and fuels “hostility, xenophobia and … discrimination against migrants, asylum seekers, refugees and all those trying to provide them support.” The ‘Stop Soros’ law has imposed restrictions on foreign NGOs, which work with migrants, obliging them to seek licenses from the government. It also criminalized aiding migrants, namely “providing financial or property benefit” to them or simply informing them about the asylum-seeking procedures. Those who do so could now face 12 months in jail. The controversial law is named after Hungarian-born billionaire, globalist and strong supporter of open-border policies George Soros. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly accused him of conspiring to stir unrest in his native country and to undermine Europe’s stability with mass-migration waves. A strong anti-immigration stance has also put Budapest at odds with the EU. Last week, the EU parliament greenlighted a move to trigger Article 7 of the 2007 Treaty of Lisbon against Hungary. The provision is designed to be applied when there is “a clear risk of a serious breach” of EU values by one of its member states and is often referred to as the ‘nuclear option’ of the bloc. If fully implemented, Budapest would be deprived ofvoting rights in the EU. Budapest, in turn, accused Brussels of wishing to turn Hungary into a “country of migrants,” calling the EU parliament vote a “petty revenge” of the pro-immigration crowd. Other countries, who are at odds with the EU over immigration policies, namely Poland and Czech Republic, rushed to support Budapest after voting on Article 7. Last year, Poland itself became the target for the same Article 7 proceedings, over its judicial reform.

Not at all to me. The Scania, DAF, MAN, M-B, Ford, Iveco and Volvo cabs all have completely different architecture (engineering).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashok_Leyland

FordBlog / September 20, 2018 The result of many years of research and development, the new Ford F-MAX is a great source of pride for all of us, taking the international Truck of the Year at its world premiere at the IAA Hannover Commercial Vehicle Show. Ford Otosan first entered the commercial truck segment in 1959. "In 1982 with the construction of our Inonu commercial truck plant, our truck business entered into a new era,” said Ford Otosan (Koc Holding) CEO and President Ali Koc. “Today, we are proud to be the first Turkish company with the ability to develop and produce a vertically integrated truck including the drivetrain. Today, we are presenting the world premiere of F-MAX. The International Truck of the Year award reflects the world class level of our production and engineering capabilities. I congratulate all my colleagues who contributed. Our hammer is ready to enter the international market as a new player," he said. In 2010, Ford Otosan and Ford Motor Company made a strategic decision for the truckmaker to become a global player. “With the strategic decision we arrived at in 2010, we took massive steps towards the growth of Ford Trucks. We have completed nationwide dealer network in Turkey. After establishing our sales network in the Middle East, Africa, Russia and Turkic Republics, we continued to grow in international markets with the opening of dealers in Central and Eastern Europe. As of today, we operate in 33 countries. By the end of 2020, we plan to have sales representation in 51 countries. We have invested over 400 million dollars for Ford Trucks since 2015. In 2017, we increased our sales in international markets by 50 percent. Today is a culmination of our deep investment in Ford Trucks. F-MAX will accelerate our growth in international markets. Our infrastructure and global structuring are ready for F-MAX to enter the international markets as a new player. The goal of Ford Trucks is to export one out of three vehicles we produce, and sell 50 percent of F-MAX production in European markets." .

Scania Group Press Release / September 20, 2018 At this week’s IAA in Hanover, the major commercial vehicles trade fair, Scania premiered its long-distance coach fuelled by liquified natural gas (LNG). As cities across Europe rally to curb emissions and carbon-conscious operators follow suit, gas is increasingly seen as the simplest alternative to diesel. “Some ten years ago, I was convinced this breakthrough would come; it’s just meant being patient,” says Zoran Stojanovic, a gas vehicles expert at Scania. “Now we’re seeing more and more applications for gas and sales are really taking off.” He credits the proliferation of gas-powered vehicles to the rapidly expanding fuelling infrastructure for LNG and CNG, compressed natural gas. The first LNG filling station in Germany was, for example, recently opened and this year Italy has gone from a single LNG station to twelve. With greater filling opportunities, more customers are considering purchases of gas vehicles. “Don’t ask me what comes first: the hen or the egg,” Stojanovic remarks. “The infrastructure and fleet must grow in parallel; we need to keep eggs heated while feeding hens.” Strong city growth CNG vehicles are showing the strongest growth and for example Madrid recently ordered 460 new buses, of which 184 from Scania. This huge investment has been made in preparation for the city’s 2025 diesel ban. With cities in the forefront of the shift to gas, more vehicle applications need to become available, according to Stojanovic. “Servicing cities not only involves supplying buses, distribution trucks and refuse trucks. We tend to overlook the fact that growing cities require a host of daily service; houses will be built, streets and roads maintained and sewage system improved. Scania has recently introduced a gas-powered tipper truck but we will also in the coming years need the entire range of construction vehicles with gas tanks.” Larger market for gas vehicles An encouraging development is that as gas vehicles become more commonplace, operators can expect greater residual value. There is, in short, a larger market for these trucks and buses. In phasing out fossil fuels, switching to LNG and CNG is seen as an intermediate step in reducing carbon emissions by some 20 percent. However, these is a vast potential for expanding CO2 free biogas production through anaerobic digestion of organic waste, explains Stojanovic. In Sweden, for example, fuel pumps at filling stations now have an 85-percent biogas share. “As biogas production takes off, we can blend in more and more renewable fuel. Many countries are already producing biogas earmarked for heating and generating electricity rather than for transport. Favourable taxation of this clean fuel could certainly speed up transition.” .

Daimler Press Release / September 20, 2018 São Bernardo do Campo / Stuttgart – Automated Mercedes-Benz trucks are being used for the first time in the Brazilian sugar cane harvest. As part of a development partnership with the Brazilian agricultural technology manufacturer GrunnerTech, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil has configured 18 Mercedes-Benz Axor 3131 trucks specifically for automated use in sugar cane harvesting. The Axor, which has proven itself on the Brazilian market, is equipped with all the technological components required for automated Level 2 driving: the vehicle automatically controls the speed and proximity as well as longitudinal and lateral guidance. Although the driver retains control of the truck at all times, his hands do not have to be permanently on the steering wheel. In addition to the automated driving functions, the Axor has an additional front axle, extended tyre spacing, "high flotation" tyres for agricultural use and antennas to receive satellite signals. Two of these automated trucks are already in customer service at AgroCana Caiana in the fields of the Brazilian state of São Paulo. A total of 18 vehicles will soon be sent to other Brazilian customer. How does this work in practice? Before the truck can actively help on the plantation, the harvest route is determined on the computer with a level of accuracy down to the centimetre. The automated journey is controlled via cruise control, GPS and geo-referencing. The Axor works together with a sugar cane harvester, which also drives autonomously and conveys the harvested sugar cane straight to the truck body. The average speed is around six kilometres per hour. Once the Axor has been filled, the driver takes control of the truck again to transfer the goods to a vehicle with a larger capacity. What advantages does the automated truck offer the customer? On the one hand, the automated Mercedes-Benz Axor is in operation 24 hours a day. In addition, the new truck also pays off financially for the customer: compared with a conventional tractor, fuel savings of up to 50 percent are possible. Lubricant consumption is reduced by 40 percent and servicing and maintenance costs fall by 30 percent. Precisely pre-set route guidance also increases productivity: One vehicle is able to harvest twice as much product in the same period of time. .

Superb video, so much goes into the IAA show, the world's best truck event.

Bloomberg / September 20, 2018 Volkswagen AG’s MAN unit is sticking to a profitability target it fell short of for years amid painful cost-cutting, underscoring the ambitious goal of the German automaker’s truck division to generate industry-leading returns as it prepares for a possible share sale. MAN still aims to generate an operating profit margin of about 8 percent even as some business areas like smaller vehicles or buses are unlikely to achieve that level, Chief Executive Officer Joachim Drees said Wednesday in an interview at the biannual commercial vehicle show in Hanover, Germany. “I do want to have aspiring targets -- we might not get there in some areas, but what’s more important is that the whole organization adopts a mindset that constantly tries to make things better,” Drees said. “We changed a lot in recent years and made a lot of improvements, but we want more.” Boosting MAN’s returns is vital for parent VW’s truck division that was recently renamed Traton AG to deliver on a target of an average operating profit margin of 9 percent across industry cycles. Traton’s Munich, Germany-based MAN subsidiary lags behind sister brand Scania in terms of profitability. Scania specializes in lucrative heavy-duty trucks, whereas MAN offers a full range of commercial vehicles from the TGE delivery van to the heavy-duty TGX range. Smaller vehicles tend to be less profitable than larger ones. MAN as a whole improved its operating margin to 4.3 percent in the first half of the year from 4 percent in the year-earlier period. Its truck and bus operations had a margin of 5.5 percent. Boosting efficiency across the entire organization is important to finance huge investments for new technology like electric vehicles and digital services at a time when truck demand in key markets is robust. “We want to take the next step now and become more weather-proof for when market conditions change,” Drees said. “That includes further growth in Europe and narrow the distance to the number one,” he said, referring to European market leader Mercedes-Benz trucks, a unit of Daimler AG. Europe is the main sales region for both MAN and Scania. VW’s supervisory board this week gave the go-ahead to prepare Traton, which comprises Scania, MAN and a business in Brazil, to access capital markets as it considers an initial public offering next year. VW truck chief Andreas Renschler said Tuesday the timing of a possible deal is fluid and depends on market conditions. The proceeds would generate fresh funds to expand outside Europe and fuel a challenge to global truck-industry leaders Daimler and Volvo AB. Drees said there is no set time frame yet for the split-up of MAN SE, an industrial conglomerate controlled by VW since 2011 with a history that roots back 260 years. Its truck and bus operations have been folded into Traton, and its business producing large diesel and turbo engines as well a holding in gearbox maker Renk AG are due to be shifted to another unit within VW. VW’s Traton unit will host a capital markets day for analysts and investors on Thursday. .

Navistar already benefits from Traton alliance: Clarke John G. Smith, Truck News / September 20, 2018 HANNOVER, Germany – Navistar is already realizing the benefits of extra purchasing power made possible through a 17% equity stake secured by Volkswagen Truck and Bus – recently rebranded as Traton Group. A related joint venture for procurement activities offered the business access to a bigger scale, Navistar president CEO Troy Clarke said during the IAA truck show in Germany. There have also been opportunities to licence technology and participate in related research and development. A Traton-developed powertrain is in the works for use in Navistar trucks, and is expected in 2021. “We were the first alliance partner of what is now Traton, and that was a multi-year journey,” said Clarke. “At the end of the day, [chief executive officer] Andreas Renschler and leadership at Traton said this is a company that has more good days ahead of it than bad days ahead of it.” There were certainly some challenges, but Navistar is now enjoying black ink in its business ledgers. The business has improved its EBITDA six years in a row, and is now making net income rather than recording losses. “It’s really been, financially, on a good path,” said executive vice-president and chief financial officer Walter Borst. Through shared procurement the companies expect to save $500 million over five years, and realize a $200 million run rate by the fifth year. “We’re on track to do this,” he said. A Traton joint venture with Hino is also looking to secure savings in a similar way. Traton has demonstrated further faith in Navistar by increasing its stake over the original 16.6%, buying shares on the open market and at rates higher than those paid when securing the first shares, Borst added. The deal involving the original equity stake closed in March 2017. Navistar has also hinted at a new product to be launched in early November. .