kscarbel2

There's no such thing as Bosch/Cummins common rail. The superb "XPI" high pressure common rail fuel injection system on ISG and ISX engines, and the entire Scania engine range, is design and produced by a joint venture between Cummins and Scania. The high pressure common rail fuel injection system used on Mercedes-Benz/Detroit Diesel engines is Bosch, and it's quite good. The medium duty ISB and ISC use Bosch-sourced common rail.

Ford's train depot purchase has ties to founding family's heritage Alexa St. John, Automotive News / June 14, 2018 DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co.'s purchase of a blighted former train depot in Detroit as the centerpiece of an urban technology campus carries symbolism that likely factored into the automaker's decision to undertake such an ambitious rehabilitation project. The depot, abandoned 30 years ago, is in a part of Detroit known as Corktown, which has ties to company founder Henry Ford's Irish heritage. Corktown is Detroit's oldest surviving Irish neighborhood, and thus a natural place for Ford Motor to play a role in the city's revitalization. Ford ancestry Most of Henry Ford's ancestors left Ireland in the early 1800s. Ford's grandfather, John Ford, and father, William Ford, were among the 1 million U.S. immigrants from Cork, Ireland, in 1847. Henry Ford, born in 1863 in what is now Dearborn, Mich., grew up with a curiosity for machines amid Detroit's industrial boom. Henry Ford's heritage influenced even his early automobile business decisions. He selected Cork as the site for the first purpose-built Ford factory outside the U.S. in 1917. Much of the Cork factory was dedicated to Ford tractor production. The last Model T ever built, Ford's most iconic contribution to the auto industry, came from the Cork factory's production line in the 1920s, along with the Model A, Model BF, Model Y, Prefect, Anglia, Escort, Cortina and Sierra. Though the company name has since officially changed from Henry Ford & Son, it still uses that moniker in Ireland — the only place in the world it does so. Ford also has the biggest network of dealers of any automotive manufacturer in Ireland, the company said in a statement, with 52 dealerships across the country. Bill Ford, Ford Motor executive chairman and a great-grandson of Henry Ford, celebrated the company's centennial in Ireland last year. "Ford has deep roots in Cork, not only through my family's historical connection, but also through the impact that the Ford factory has had as an engine for prosperity for the area over many decades," Bill Ford said in a statement during the family's travels to Ireland last April. Neighborhood Bill Ford spoke nostalgically of that connection last year, when Ford Motor revealed plans to put about 200 employees into a former hosiery factory in Corktown that it bought and renovated. More than 30 years after Ford closed its Cork factory in 1984, the company is re-emphasizing its cultural heritage, but this time in Detroit. "Henry Ford is synonymous with Detroit," former Detroit mayor Roman Gribbs once said. The train depot Ford bought, known as Michigan Central Station, opened in 1914, 11 years after Henry Ford started his automobile company. Both entities thrived in parallel for much of the 20th century, though Ford's success in making cars more accessible to people contributed to the eventual decline of rail travel and the station's closure. The train station isn't the only Corktown property in which Ford has expressed interest. It has promised to reveal its plans for the area in more detail next week. The family that had owned the depot since 1995 said on Monday that it began having discussions with Ford in October. Ford, whose headquarters in Dearborn are seven miles west of the depot, has many ties to Detroit that go far beyond Corktown. Henry Ford's Piquette Avenue Plant, known as the birthplace of the Model T, is on the city's east side. Detroit's Renaissance Center, a series of 1970s office towers fronting the Detroit River that now house General Motors' headquarters, was conceived by Henry Ford's grandson, Henry Ford II, and financed largely by Ford Motor.

Senate Bill Aims to Repeal Federal Excise Tax on Heavy-Duty Trucks and Trailers David Cullen, Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / June 13, 2018 A bill introduced in the Senate on June 12 is the latest attempt to repeal the12% federal excise tax (FET) on the sale of heavy-duty trucks and trailers. The FET-- originally imposed in 1917 to help finance U.S. military operations in World War I-- has grown steadily over the years. It currently tacks $12,000 to $22,000 onto the price of a new heavy-duty truck, according to the American Truck Dealers division of the National Automobile Dealers Association. “This burdensome tax creates excessive costs that are passed on to truckers, who play an essential role in maintaining our nation’s economy,” said Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), who is the sponsor of the new bill (designated S. 3052), which seeks to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. “I was happy to introduce legislation to repeal it.” ATD noted in a statement supporting the Senate bill that it is similar in scope to the Heavy Truck, Tractor and Trailer Retail Federal Excise Tax Repeal Act (H.R. 2946), introduced by Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) in June 2017, which ATD also supports. The House bill currently has 17 bipartisan cosponsors. The dealer association said that from June 20-21, it will host its annual ATD Legislative Fly-In to Capitol Hill to rally bipartisan support for S. 3052 and H.R. 2946. “It is the highest excise tax Congress levies on a percentage basis on any product, including alcohol and tobacco,” said ATD Chairwoman Jodie Teuton, vice president of Kenworth of Louisiana and Hino of Baton Rouge. “It’s time for Congress to repeal this tax, and we thank Sen. Gardner for his leadership on this important issue.” ATD noted that other supporter of FET repeal include Bendix Commercial Vehicles, Daimler Trucks North America, Mack Trucks, National Trailer Dealers Association, Navistar, NTEA, Truck & Engine Manufacturers Association, Truck Renting and Leasing Association, Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association, and Volvo Trucks North America.

Ford says fuel cell venture with Daimler will close Reuters / June 13, 2018 DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. and Daimler AG are winding down a joint venture formed to develop automotive fuel cell technology, Ford said on Wednesday, as both companies plan to take their respective fuel cell technology development in-house. The Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation Corp venture, based in Burnaby, British Columbia, will close this summer, Ford said in response to an inquiry by Reuters. Despite years of research and investment by major automakers and startups, vehicles powered by fuel cells remain a tiny niche in the global vehicle market. Honda Motor Co. and General Motors Co. are collaborating on fuel cell development, and Toyota Motor Corp. is ramping up efforts to mass-produce fuel cell stacks. Earlier this week, Ballard Power Systems Inc. extended a contract with Volkswagen AG's Audi unit to work on fuel cell development. Ford "will take fuel cell stack development in-house, as well as leverage the supply base, and close Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation Corp. by summer 2018," the company said. "Both companies will continue to explore ways to cooperate on developing fuel cell stack modules." Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche earlier this year indicated that the German automaker was shifting its focus toward battery-electric vehicles. The venture employed about 200 people, according to its website.

Germany orders Daimler to recall 774,000 diesels in Europe Bloomberg / June 11, 2018 Daimler AG was ordered to recall 774,000 vehicles in Europe after two meetings with Germany’s top regulator failed to allay concerns about irregularities in the Mercedes-Benz maker’s diesel emissions. The carmaker will upgrade engine software in Vito vans as well as the GLC SUV and C-Class sedan, Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer said Monday in a statement from Berlin, after meeting with Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche for a second time in two weeks. The government is ordering “an immediate formal recall because of prohibited shutoff devices,” Scheuer said. While a setback for a company that’s steadfastly denied cheating on diesel emissions, the software-focused recall means Daimler escaped more costly measures such as fines or a hardware fix. Speaking with reporters after the announcement, Zetsche said talks with the government had been “constructive.” Government pressure Germany has ratcheted up pressure on Daimler to specify models and the number of vehicles that needed recalling to adjust their exhaust systems, criticizing the company’s piecemeal response to concerns about excessive pollution from its diesel vehicles. The recall comes nearly three years after Volkswagen AG’s sweeping emissions violations. Unlike VW, which admitted duping official emissions tests and faces costs of some 26 billion euros ($31 billion) in fines, buybacks and recalls globally, Daimler has rejected wrongdoing. As the diesel fallout rumbles on, German prosecutors also on Monday named Rupert Stadler, head of VW’s Audi unit, a suspect in the cheating scandal. Unapproved functions Germany’s automotive regulator KBA found five unapproved software functions in Daimler’s Euro 6 diesel engines, affecting as many as 1 million vehicles in Germany, Bild am Sonntag reported Sunday. This follows the KBA instructing the carmaker in May to recall 4,923 Vito vans worldwide that don’t comply with regulations. Daimler at the time said it would go to court if necessary to overturn the order. The company said Monday it’s considering an appeal. The models aren’t currently available in the U.S., according to the brand’s U.S. site. “We don’t see any evidence that Daimler was designing software to deliberately cheat on emission testing,” said Arndt Ellinghorst, an analyst with Evercore ISI in London, who estimated the cost to be less than 100 million euros. “With this recall, fines are off the table.” Daimler already voluntarily recalled some 3 million vehicles in the EU last year, alongside similar moves by VW and BMW, for software updates to improve emissions performance. Liberal interpretations of loose European Union rules on car emissions, ultimately resulting in many cities failing EU pollution limits, have led to a number of spats between authorities and carmakers. Daimler relies on diesel vehicles for profit and to lower the carbon-dioxide output of its vehicles to meet environmental regulations. Threat of fine Scheuer had threatened the carmaker with as much as 3.75 billion euros in penalties related to diesel-engine emissions irregularities, Spiegel magazine reported following Zetsche’s earlier meeting. For context, during previous standoffs on diesel practices, the ministry failed to make much headway on holding carmakers accountable. In 2016, Opel, then owned by General Motors Co., didn’t end up facing sanctions after then-Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt raised doubts about the legality of devices used in its engine software. The same year, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV snubbed Dobrindt’s request for a meeting to discuss emissions. The country’s automotive industry has been under intense scrutiny since Volkswagen revealed in September 2015 it had rigged as many as 11 million diesel-powered cars to cheat on official emissions tests. Municipalities, battling excessive levels of smog-inducing nitrogen oxide mainly produced by diesel vehicles, have been considering bans. Hamburg made the first move last month with restrictions on two streets. Mercedes recalled more than 3 million cars across Europe almost a year ago for a software patch for their emissions systems.

When you asked your local Mack brand distributor for the name of their regional sales, service or parts representative (whoever you seek), what was their response?

https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/44430-new-common-rail-mp8/?page=2&tab=comments#comment-330572

2019 Ram launch slows to a trickle Larry Vellequette, Automotive News / June 11, 2018 Delayed EPA approval for key versions of the redesigned Ram 1500 could spoil the brand's plan to flood the market with old and new pickups this year and possibly overtake the Chevrolet Silverado in sales. Nearly five months after the start of production of the 2019 Ram 1500 — known as the DT — the only models EPA-certified for sale are two- and four-wheel-drive versions equipped with the standard 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. DT model Ram 1500s began arriving at U.S. dealerships in the second half of March, but dealers haven't yet received the 3.6-liter V-6 version or the 5.7-liter V-8 with an optional 48-volt belt-start generator. The belt-start generator, a fuel-saving mild-hybrid device, is standard with the V-6. "I have customers looking for them and asking about them every week," said one Ram dealer in Michigan. It's unclear why 2019 Rams with belt-start generators are not available. The delay also could result from the EPA being far more stringent with automakers in its testing in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal. FCA and the EPA remain locked in litigation over the automaker's previous use of its 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine in the Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee, which resulted in delayed certification for the 2017 and 2018 EcoDiesel Ram 1500s. Still, after a high-profile launch at this year's Detroit auto show, the slow rollout of 2019 Ram 1500s appears to be suppressing the pickups' sales. The lack of a V-6 this long after launch is a problem. In the old truck, the V-6 represented about 20 percent of sales. Though Ram pickup sales were up 4.3 percent in May compared with 2017, it was the first monthly sales increase this year. Year to date, sales are down 8.4 percent. However, FCA US said retail sales of the Ram 1500 pickup were up 18 percent in May to 27,011. Last year, Ram appeared to hatch a plan to knock the Silverado out of the No. 2 spot in the full-size pickup segment in 2018 by continuing to build the previous-version DS, backed by discounts — while ramping up production of the new Ram 1500. But while Ram sales are off this year, Ford's F series, the top seller, is up 5.7 percent; Silverado sales are estimated to have increased 11 percent. This time a year ago, Ram and Silverado were running almost neck and neck. Like Ford and General Motors, FCA reports sales of its half-ton light-duty pickups together with its heavy-duty three-quarter and one-ton pickups and normally does not differentiate model-level retail sales. Its monthly totals also do notbreak down sales by DS or DT versions. With the DS Ram still in production, FCA has been able to wage an incentive war with GM and Ford, beginning last month after a fire at a magnesium supplier in Michigan interrupted Ford F-150 production for a short period. In Texas, for example, Ram was advertising $4,000 in bonus cash on top of $13,500 in savings on a 2018 Ram 1500 Lone Star Silver crew cab. Through May, average incentives of $6,578 per vehicle are 11 percent higher than in the first five months of 2017, according to Motor Intelligence, citing Autodata Corp. data. But Motor Intelligence said that average factory incentives for Ram pickups in May had dropped to their lowest level since January. Dealers say interest in the redesigned Ram 1500 remains strong, even if customers can't yet buy or order one equipped with the more fuel-efficient 3.6-liter V-6 engine. Indeed, according to suppliers, FCA's Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, where the redesigned Ram 1500 is built, is scheduled to operate six days per week through Sept. 4, including two scheduled Sunday operations in July and scheduled holiday shifts on Independence Day and Labor Day.

Scania Group Press Release / June 8, 2018 The bright yellow Scania Citywide gas buses in the Arctic city of Akureyri are powered by methane gas from a nearby landfill site. Learn how the buses help the local community, while also lowering their carbon footprint and their use on fossil fuels. .

Volvo Trucks Press Release / June 7, 2018 . . . . .

Freightliner Trucks Press Release / June 8, 2018 . . . .

99 percent of energy production in Norway comes from clean hydropower.

This suspension has a reasonably good ride.

.

GM powertrain exec says diesels can be saved Christiaan Hetzner, Automotive News / June 8, 2018 TURIN – Tumbling diesel sales in Europe do not signal a grim future for the technology, General Motors powertrain executive Pierpaolo Antonioli said, citing new evidence suggesting nitrogen oxide emissions can be cut to an absolute minimum. GM, which kept its Turin [diesel engine] engineering center despite selling Opel/Vauxhall to PSA Group (Peugeot/Citroen) last year, was first to market a truck with an EPA-certified 30 mpg highway rating with the diesel versions of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. In January, the automaker announced a 3.0-liter inline-six turbodiesel planned for the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado. “Internal combustion engines, including the diesel, can still play a role in the years to come," Antonioli, who bears global responsibility inside GM for development of diesel engines, said Wednesday at the Automotive News Europe Congress here during a panel discussion titled “What is the Future of Diesels?” “Bosch said just a few weeks ago that they can already achieve very low emissions, especially for NOx, without increasing the cost of the combustion system,” Antonioli said. Robert Bosch, the world’s largest auto parts manufacturer and a leading supplier of diesel injection systems, said it has developed a method to cut on-road NOx emissions to just 13 milligrams per kilometer, far below the 80 mg/km test bench limit under Euro 6 regulations and the 168 mg/km limit that takes effect in September as part of the introduction of RDE real-world testing. Sales of diesels continue to plunge after threats in February 2017 of potential diesel bans in Germany. In May, domestic registrations of diesels amounted to just 31.5 percent of the overall figure in Europe’s largest car market. This was the second-lowest level in Germany since the outbreak of the crisis, as news of Hamburg’s first ban helped suppress demand. Diesel adoption rates in the U.K. were not much better at a 32.5 percent share. Greg Archer, a director responsible for clean vehicles policy at the Brussels-based advocacy group Transport & Environment, said the industry had only itself to blame because of a comprehensive abuse of regulatory loopholes. “The blame lays not only on Volkswagen but every OEM that thought thermal windows and other strategies to turn down their exhaust treatment systems’ effectiveness were legitimate -- they,” said Archer, an avowed diesel opponent. “The more your lawyers try to defend the indefensible, the more the brand and the product are discredited. “The pain is not ending. It will go on and on, and the bans will proliferate unless OEMs constructively engage to sort out the mess.” To redeem their reputation, Archer recommended four initiatives. First, carmakers should clean up the 40 million Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesels on the road, including making hardware modifications. Then they need to support new regulations, such as Euro 7 emissions standards, which ensure diesels pollute no more than gasoline-powered cars. Third, a Europe-wide fund must be introduced to financially support cities’ clean-air plans. Last, the automakers should submit their cars to the scrutiny of credible, nonpartisan organizations that independently test diesels. “Diesel won’t disappear in Europe,” Archer said, “but whether the market share in 2025 is 10 percent or 30 percent depends on how the industry responds to the crisis.”

Ford to mine, monitor vehicle data to enhance commercial fleet performance Michael Martinez, Automotive News / June 7, 2018 DETROIT -- Ford Commercial Solutions, a branch of the automaker's mobility unit, is expanding digital services to help fleet operators better monitor and maintain vehicles. One is a product that wirelessly beams information on a vehicle's GPS location, mileage, fuel usage, operating conditions, and driver behavior and more to the cloud without the need for third-party plug-in devices. The second service is similar but is specific to law enforcement agencies and lets them collect data about a vehicle's fuel consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, health and driver seat-belt usage. Ford Motor Co. is working to connect all of its vehicles by 2019 and has partnered with Verizon Connect to do so. The automaker said it has reached service agreements with connected-vehicle companies Geotab and Spireon to give fleet operators a choice of what telematics service they use. "Our new products are tailored to serve fleets of all types, whether they're run by law enforcement, composed predominantly of Ford vehicles, or are large multi-make fleets that want more insight from their Ford vehicles," Lee Jelenic, CEO of Ford Commercial Solutions, said in a statement Thursday. The products are among the first offered by Ford Smart Mobility since the automaker reorganized the unit this year. Executives have said mobility services could deliver higher profit margins than Ford's core automotive business, and Ford is working on how to monetize emerging technologies. Commercial fleets are one of the automaker's largest targets because it dominates the U.S. market with the Transit and Transit Connect vans and the F-series pickup. The products introduced Thursday are powered by Ford's open cloud-based platform, the Transportation Mobility Cloud, which is built and operated by Autonomic, a Silicon Valley startup Ford acquired this year. The goal of the Transportation Mobility Cloud is to provide fully established, back-end technology so Ford and other automakers can focus on creating products customers want. Sundeep Madra, a co-founder of Autonomic and vice president of Ford X, which oversees Autonomic's work, said dealers and fleet operators are increasingly interested in how the cloud can help them. He said dealers could use the cloud to alert customers of maintenance issues and schedule appointments to a time when the repair shop would have loaner cars available. "They're really excited about that coming together," Madra said Thursday at the TU-Automotive technology conference in Novi, Mich. "The cloud enables all that to happen." .

They were, last time I was in Johannesburg. It's long been popular there.....with the 60 Series.

The 'real journey' is just beginning for Shell's Starship truck Fleet Owner / June 6, 2018 JACKSONVILLE, FL. The Shell Starship ended its 2,300-mile trip from San Diego, CA, to Jacksonville, FL, on Tuesday with a presentation highlighting the tractor-trailer’s efforts to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. But, as Shell’s Chris Guerrero pointed out, the real journey is only beginning. The goal with the ship’s maiden voyage was to explore the Class 8 truck’s potential to increase freight-ton efficiency by transporting a 39,000-lb. payload of artificial reef material from California to Florida. The long-term goal is to drive the fuel-economy conversation into the future. “There’s more work left to be done,” said Guerrero, the global marketing director for Shell Lubricants. “Four years ago, when we talked about the possibility of working with Bob Sliwa and AirFlow Truck Company, we recognized there was an opportunity for us to do more than test low-viscosity fluids in fuel-economy applications. That’s something we do regularly. We thought there was an opportunity to raise the level of discourse and dialogue around fuel economy, and what’s possible. “Through perseverance and hard work – something every truck driver is well-acquainted with – we arrived here today, not in Jacksonville, but at a crossroads of where we move going forward.” The trip Sliwa, who partnered with Shell to design and build the “hyper-aerodynamic, super fuel-efficient” truck, also piloted the Starship across the country, battling real-world conditions truckers see daily, like traffic, bad weather and even a tire blowout, along with unique challenges. The truck was bombarded by curious passersby throughout its journey, both on the highway and during stops along the way, including a state trooper who pulled the truck over as it entered Florida. “We weren’t doing anything wrong, he was just so enthralled and intrigued by the truck,” Sliwa said. “He told me during our stop autonomous vehicles are allowed in Florida now, and he didn’t know if it was autonomous, and I guess he wanted to see if the robot would stop when he lit him up.” Sliwa said the trooper, who does training for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, eventually let them go, after taking plenty of pictures – to document the vehicle and, most likely, for himself. He wasn’t the only one, either. “All day long cars were coming by with cell phones, taking video (and) pictures,” Sliwa said. “The truckers were some of the worst. Going through California, a trucker was going 49 mph in the fast lane with his four-way flashers because he wanted us to pass him on the right so he could make a movie. “The guy wanted to see the truck, but that raised my stress level through the roof.” The technology The truck took three years and 18,000 man-hours to conceive and construct, all with Shell Rotella financing, and Sliwa’s company not only built it, but he was charged with delivering it to Jacksonville intact. Mission accomplished. Even the extremely low-profile trailer skirts – only 3-4 inches off the ground – made the trek undamaged. “This is a very expensive truck,” Sliwa quipped. “Shell paid a lot of money for me to build it – although way less than the SuperTruck folks.” The “co-engineered” Starship features a custom-made cab crafted entirely of carbon fiber; active grill shutters that open for cooling, when necessary, and close to improve aerodynamics when not; boat tail, trailers skirts and automatic tractor fairings for streamlining; automated tire inflation system; and a 5,000-watt solar array covering the trailer roof that powers the cab’s air conditioner. Shell intended to use Hyliion’s hybrid electric axle system, which provides a power boost uphill and captures braking energy downhill to recharge the tractor’s battery pack, but the project ran out of time. “The technology’s not on the tractor yet,” Hyliion CEO Thomas Healy said. “It was one of those things where, as we were coming to the completion of this, timing-wise it didn’t work out. But in the next couple of months here, we’ll replace the rear axle of the tractor with a fully electric axle, and then mount our battery-box control systems on it, and make into a hybrid truck.” The results The Starship truck’s first-of-its-kind testing concluded May 24 and was third-party verified by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE). The truck achieved an average fuel economy of 8.94 miles per gallon compared to the average U.S. fuel economy for transport trucks of 6.4 miles per gallon. They averaged 10.2 mpg during one 100-mile stretch in Texas. Those results were with a gross vehicle weight of nearly 73,000 lbs., which is 28% heavier than average, according to joint statistics compiled by the EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But the most important number, said Bob Mainwaring, Shell Lubricants’ technology manager for innovation, is 178.4, which is the ton-miles per gallon for freight-ton efficiency, a more relevant measurement of energy intensity that combines a cargo’s weight with the amount of fuel consumed. The North American average for trucks is 72 ton-miles per gallon, according to a NACFE report. “Our goal with the Starship Initiative is to challenge how the trucking industry is defined,” Mainwaring said. “Through this road trip, we were able to test the Starship truck along with a number of technologies available today to provide insight into what trucking fleets and owner/operators could consider adopting to help reduce fuel use and emissions as they haul heavy loads. “This includes optimized aerodynamics, drivetrain and operational efficiencies, and low viscosity lubricants.” With Starship technology on all the 2 million trucks in the U.S., Shell extrapolates an estimated 229 million less tons of CO2 entering the atmosphere per year – a 60% reduction in emissions. “These and other learnings are not the final results,” Mainwaring said. “They are simply the start of our ongoing learning.”

Freightliner Unveils All-Electric eCascadia, eM2 Models Transport Topics / June 6, 2018 PORTLAND, Ore. — Freightliner Trucks introduced the first all-electric versions of its heavy-duty Cascadia and medium-duty M2 models here, a major step toward bringing a full lineup of electric trucks to the North American market. The first-generation eCascadia and eM2 test vehicles were unveiled here June 6 at the Portland International Raceway during Daimler Trucks’ capital market and technology day. Freightliner plans to deliver 30 of the trucks to customers later this year. This “electric innovation fleet” will further test the vehicles in real-world operations, the company said. The manufacturer intends to begin series production of the two models in 2021. The Class 8 eCascadia, which offers 730 peak horsepower and a maximum range of up to 250 miles on a single charge, is designed for local and regional distribution and drayage operations. The vehicle can charge up to 80% in about 90 minutes, the company said. The eM2 has 480 peak horsepower, a range of up to 230 miles and can charge to 80% in about 60 minutes, the company said, adding that the vehicle is well-suited to local distribution, pickup and delivery, food and beverage and final-mile delivery. Martin Daum, the head of Daimler’s global truck and bus business, said the company has set out to be the clear industry leader in e-mobility. “We were the first movers on electric trucks and we strive to provide the leading electric truck in each relevant segment,” said Daum, who arrived at the presentation in a Fuso eCanter model, a fully electric Class 4 cabover that already is in production. “These innovative trucks reflect DTNA’s commitment to bring practical, game-changing technology to market,” said Daimler Trucks North America CEO Roger Nielsen. Nielsen asked the event production crew to cut the music as the eCascadia and M2 drove into view to illustrate how quietly the vehicles run. Nielsen entered in a Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley, an all-electric school bus from Thomas Built Buses, another division of DTNA. The bus, which has a 100-mile range, is set to enter limited production in 2019. .

Daimler unveils two all-electric Freightliner trucks Fleet Owner / June 6, 2018 PORTLAND, OR. Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) unveiled on June 6 what President and CEO Roger Nielsen said will be the “broadest [electric] truck fleet in North America by 2021.” The unveiling of the Freightliner eCascadia heavy-duty truck and Freightliner eM2 medium-duty model took place on the same day DTNA announced the creation of the Automated Truck Research and Development Center in Portland. Electric mobility is an “important part of the company for the future,” said Martin Daum, president of Daimler’s global truck and bus unit. “We have decades of experience in successfully producing durable commercial vehicles in high volumes that stand up to the demands our customers place on them," Nielsen said. "We now bring this unmatched experience and expertise to the electric truck category.” Nielsen, who rolled up to the press conference in an all-electric Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley school bus manufactured by Daimler’s Thomas Built Buses unit, noted that “battery technology is catching up to our expectations.” That bus is slated to begin limited production in 2019 and will join the Fuso eCanter, a fully electric light-duty truck. He then introduced the eCascadia, which he said can offer a range of 250 miles, and be recharged up to 80% of capacity in 90 minutes, offering an additional 200 miles of driving. The eCascadia has up to 730 peak horsepower, and the batteries provide 550 Kwh usable capacity. Immediately after, the eM2 was debuted, which offers a 230-mile range and ability to recharge to 80% in 60 minutes, providing drivers another 180 miles. It has up to 480 peak horsepower. Nielsen stated the vehicles will be in “serious production in the next two-to-three years.” In the meantime, DTNA in 2018 will roll out the “Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet,” which includes delivery of the first 30 eCascadias and eM2s to “customers hauling real freight,” Nielsen added. Meanwhile, Daimler said the automated truck center would be built on the grounds of the company’s existing headquarters in Portland. Engineers will work in close coordination with colleagues in Germany and India. As part of the day’s events, DTNA showcased a series of demonstrations, including automatic emergency braking of a two-truck platoon. .

Daimler Trucks North America to Build Electric Cascadia, M2 Trucks Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / June 6, 2018 PORTLAND, OREGON. Freightliner Trucks premiered two fully electrified commercial vehicles, a Freightliner eCascadia and a Freightliner eM2 106, during the Daimler Trucks Capital Market and Technology Day on June 6. Freightliner plans to deliver an Electric Innovation Fleet of 30 vehicles to customers later this year for further testing under real-world operating conditions. Both electrified Freightliner models are designed to fit specific applications, carefully identified through an extensive “co-creation process” with customers. For the eCascadia, for instance, the focus is on port drayage and local and regional distribution. The eM2 is designed for local distribution, pickup and delivery, food and beverage delivery, and last-mile logistics applications. The eCascadia uses wheel-end motors to produce up to 730 peak horsepower. The batteries provide 550 Kwh usable capacity, a range of up to 250 miles, and have the ability to charge up to 80% (providing a range of 200 miles) in about 90 minutes. The eM2 has up to 480 peak horsepower. The batteries provide 325 Kwh of usable capacity, a range of up to 230 miles, and have the ability to charge up to 80% (providing a range of 184 miles) in about 60 minutes. “The Freightliner eCascadia and eM2 are designed to meet customer needs for electrified commercial vehicles serving dedicated, predictable routes where the vast majority of daily runs fall between 45 and 150 miles,” said Roger Nielsen, president and chief executive officer of DTNA. The Freightliner eCascadia with 80,000 lb. gross combined weight rating (GCWR) and eM2 with 26,000 lb. GCWR are part of Daimler Trucks’ global electrified truck initiative. The Mercedes-Benz eActros, with a range up to 124 miles and a 55,000 lb. GCWR, is now entering testing for distribution applications with customers in Europe, while the E-Fuso Vision One, a Class 8 concept truck in Japan with a range of 220 miles and a 51,000 lb. GCWR, gives an outlook on the electrification of the Fuso portfolio. The Fuso eCanter, a light-duty truck, is already in regular production as a fully electric truck from Daimler Trucks. “Our primary goal at DTNA is bringing vehicles to market that are safe, reliable and efficient. Heavy-duty electric vehicles present the greatest engineering challenges, but they also are the best learning laboratories,” Nielsen said. “DTNA is preparing to pivot our future business environment to bring e-mobility solutions into the realm of our core business,” he noted. “Battery technology is rapidly improving and bringing costs down and power density up. Now we see applications to develop use cases for electric vehicles that match the real cost of ownership with conventional powertrains.” Leveraging Global Scale Daimler emphasized that this rollout is part of a global effort, and in fact the goal is to develop a single proprietary electric system that will be used on its products around the world. Saying that it aims to become “the undisputed number one when it comes to e-mobility,” Daimler said it has bundled all of its electric activities under a new organization for e-mobility: the E-Mobility Group (EMG). EMG will define the strategy for everything from electrical components to completely electric vehicles for all brands and all business divisions, while also working to create a single global electric architecture. EMG is globally structured, with employees working cross-functional in various locations throughout the company's worldwide development network, e.g. in Portland (U.S.), Stuttgart (Germany) and Kawasaki (Japan) Daimler Trucks commercial electric vehicles breakthroughs already entering the market include: Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner C2 electric school bus, Jouley, with a range of up to 100 miles that starts limited production in 2019 More than 100 electric vehicles built by Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. in 2012 with supplier Electric Vehicles International (EVI) on the MT-55 walk-in van chassis are still on the roads today The Fuso eCanter, a fully electric Class 4 light-duty truck in regular production with electric urban delivery vehicles being delivered to various customers in North America, Asia and Europe The fully electric Mercedes-Benz Citaro is based on the global bestseller Mercedes-Benz Citaro, going into full production in late 2018 The Mercedes-Benz eActros is a fully electrified heavy-duty distribution truck starting operations with initial first customers in the second half of 2018 Developing Charging Infrastructure DTNA understands the success of electric commercial vehicles requires extensive knowledge and support on the infrastructure side, and is leading the initiative to develop a commercial vehicle charging infrastructure for North America. Germany-based Daimler AG, DTNA’s parent, is a founding member of CharIN, the Charging Interface Initiative – an effort to develop a standard charging system for battery-powered vehicles. DTNA itself is heading a CharIN taskforce to develop a new electric commercial vehicle charging standard globally, collaborating with utilities and service providers. While the Society of Automotive Engineers recently released charging recommendations for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, Andreas Juretzka, chief engineer for Daimler’s e-mobility efforts, told HDT that they are concerned that the SAE process may not move quickly enough. The trucks shown here to journalists and investors were equipped with European charging ports.

. .

Freightliner debuts electric Cascadia, M2 Truck News / June 6, 2018 PORTLAND, Ore. – Daimler Trucks boldly proclaimed it intends to be the world’s leader in electric trucks, and it showed for the first time its electric-powered eCascadia and eM2 for the North American market. The announcements and electric truck debuts came at the company’s Capital Market and Technology Day here, in front of investors and media. “The Freightliner eCascadia and eM2 are designed to meet customer needs for electrified commercial vehicles serving dedicated, predictable routes where the vast majority of daily runs fall between 45 and 150 miles,” said Roger Nielsen, president and chief executive officer of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA). “These innovative trucks reflect DTNA’s commitment to bring practical, game-changing technology to market. The eCascadia, utilizing North America’s bestselling Class 8 platform, and eM2 106, based on one of the most in-demand medium-duty truck designs, are built on validated, series production trucks in extensive use by our customers every day.” The eCascadia boasts up to 730 peak horsepower, with batteries located at the axle ends that produce 550 Kwh of usable power. It’ll have a range of up to 250 miles and can be recharged to 80% of its power within 90 minutes, providing another 200 miles of range. It’s aimed at regional distribution and drayage applications. It’s capable of handling a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 80,000 lbs. The eM2 medium-duty truck produces 480 peak horsepower, with batteries that provide 325 Kwh of capacity for a range of up to 230 miles. It can be charged to 80% within an hour, providing another 184 miles of range. It’s designed for local distribution, pickup-and-delivery, food and beverage delivery, and last mile logistics applications. The eM2, said Nielsen, represents the broadest range of opportunities that are practical today. It has a GCWR of 26,000 lbs. “Our primary goal at DTNA is bringing vehicles to market that are safe, reliable and efficient. Heavy-duty electric vehicles present the greatest engineering challenges, but they also are the best learning laboratories,” Nielsen said. “We have decades of experience in successfully producing durable commercial vehicles in high volumes that stand up to the demands our customers place on them. We now bring this unmatched experience and expertise to the electric truck category.” Martin Daum, head of Daimler Trucks globally, said electrification is not new to Daimler. He noted the company produced a Fuso eCanter prototype as far back as 2010. Daum said Daimler will work closely with customers to jointly gain knowledge of how to use electric trucks, and in which segments to do so. Daimler also launched a new electrification strategy dubbed EMG – its e-Mobility Group. Nielsen said the time is right to roll out a line of electric commercial vehicles, thanks to maturing battery technology, lower battery costs, improved power density, and more use cases where the real cost of ownership of running electric trucks if favorable when compared to conventional powertrains. “We are ready to pivot our future business environment to bring e-mobility solutions into the real of our core business,” Nielsen said. “We have much to learn but we are well on our way.” Thirty eCascadias and eM2s will be deployed with fleets later this year, as part of the Freightliner Electric Innovation fleet. They’ll be evaluated in real-world applications. Meanwhile, the company is also working to support charging infrastructure development. Daimler AG is a founding member of CharIN – the Charging Interface Initiative – which is looking to develop a standard charging system for battery-powered vehicles. Daimler’s leading a CharIN task force that will develop a new electric commercial vehicle charging standard globally. “We are the undisputed global leader of the trucking industry and we want to remain in that position also with regards to electric trucks,” said Daum. “We were first-movers on electric trucks and we strive to provide the leading electric truck in each relevant segment. With the foundation of the global electric mobility group, we maximize the impact of our investments in this key strategic technology field. Thus, we can go for the best solutions in batteries, charging solutions and energy management.”

Shell’s Starship achieves 178.4 ton-miles per gallon Truck News / June 5, 2018 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a six-day, 2,300-mile journey across the United States, Shell’s Starship lived up to its tagline of being ‘super fuel-efficient’ by putting up major numbers on its run. The truck, developed collaboratively with Shell Lubricants and AirFlow Truck Company, attained a remarkable 178.4 ton-miles per gallon for freight efficiency – representing a 248% increase over the North American average that sits at 72 ton-miles per gallon today – during its trip from San Diego, Calif. to Jacksonville, Fla. in the last week of May. In total, the Starship burned 257 gallons of fuel. The freight ton efficiency number is the one to focus on according to Shell executives, as it is a “more relevant statistic for judging the energy intensity associated with moving cargo from point A to point B since it combines the weight of cargo being moved with the amount of fuel consumed.” By focusing on miles per gallon only, Robert Mainwairing technology manager for innovation, Shell Lubricants, said, you’re making drivers “go slow, and go light. And that encourages truckers to run empty. The better alternative is freight ton efficient, to assess the amount of fuel or energy required…so it drives a go slow, go heavy approach.” And that’s exactly how the truck got from point A to point B – slow and heavy. The truck, loaded with clean reef material, weighed in at 73,000 lbs, with an average speed of just over 50 mph, was decked out in a number of aerodynamic improvements and technologies to help achieve these numbers. “Our goal with the Starship Initiative is to challenge how the trucking industry is defined and to further the conversation by working with AirFlow Truck Company and others,” said Mainwairing. “Through this road trip, we were able to test the Starship truck along with a number of technologies available today to provide insight into what trucking fleets and owner/operators could consider adopting to help reduce fuel use and emissions as they haul heavy loads.” The cab itself is a bespoke aerodynamic design made of carbon fiber, to minimize wind resistance. The futuristic and streamlined design of the truck was amped up with cameras replacing the side mirrors. It also sports active grill shutters, that open and close to maximize efficiency. Boat tails also played a major role in the fuel economy the truck achieved. In addition to having low rolling resistance, single-wide based tires on the truck, it also has an automatic tire inflation system installed. The roof of the truck is covered with 5,000 watt solar panels that charge the main 48 volt battery bank on the tractor. The battery powers the cab’s air conditioning and inverter for the 120 volt hotel loads. According to Shell, if all the trucks in the U.S. reached the overall fuel economy and freight ton efficiency as the Starship, they would emit 229 million less tons of CO2 into the atmosphere per year, which would correspond to a 60% reduction in CO2 emission from U.S. truck fleets. Though all of these technologies helped achieve remarkable number, none could be possible, said Shell, if it wasn’t for operational efficiencies controlled by the driver. Driving the truck across the country was Robert Sliwa, the owner of AirFlow Truck Company. “A poor driver can negate all the technology in the truck and get poor fuel mileage,” he said. Overall, Sliwa reached an average of 8.94 mpg with the Starship on his run. The best fuel economy attained in his trip was 10.2 mpg. He said the truck was extremely quiet, most times he couldn’t even hear the engine on his trip, only the tires. His German shepherd, Kayla, joined him for the six-day trip that concluded on May 24. “Driving the truck is an exercise in concentration,” he added. “The mental aspect of it is not to be underestimated. I was constantly aware of the grades the truck was coming up to and going down. I was doing my own predictive cruise. Really for a truck driver to maintain the best fuel economy he or she can, you have to get feedback from the gauge and anticipate what is coming up.” The results of the truck were measured by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) as a third-party. According to Mike Roeth, the executive director of NACFE, the council used two telematics devices and a data logger to verify the results. Essentially, Roeth said, NACFE used a PeopleNet device and a LinkeDrive device to measure miles travelled, fuel consumed, and weight. “The Shell team didn’t take the easy road to trying to achieve the best results they could with their first drive with the truck,” he said. “They knew they wanted to make the truck run, but they went a step further. They carried a much heavier load than many average truckers on the road carry, traveled a longer route in an uncontrolled environment with a variety of technologies not tested in these real-world conditions. For us, it was a rewarding opportunity to see the truck move from an idea on paper to traveling with the team on the road to help verify the run results.” And while these results are all Shell could have hoped for, Carlos Maurer, Shell Lubricants Americas president, says this is just the tip of the iceberg for what is achievable tomorrow. “For me, what is fantastic, is that this truck can be commercialized and on the road today,” he said. “All the products and technologies on the truck are ready to be rolled out. I believe the results today are just the baseline and I believe we will get better as time goes on and continue to make improvements.”