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Ford claims 30 mpg F-150 diesel wins pickup mileage crown Michael Martinez, Automotive News / April 19, 2018 DETROIT -- The first diesel version of the Ford F-150 will be rated at 30 mpg in highway driving, making it the most fuel-efficient full-size pickup on the market when it hits showrooms next month. Ford had targeted 30 mpg earlier this year for the rear-wheel-drive version and announced the official EPA estimates for the pickup Thursday. It will be labeled with 22 mpg in city driving and 25 mpg combined. The four-wheel-drive version of the truck with a diesel engine, which is expected to be more popular among customers, is rated by the EPA at 20 mpg city, 25 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined, Ford said. The 2018 Ram 1500 diesel, the only other diesel offered among light-duty big trucks, has an EPA rating of 27 mpg on the highway. "Even a few years ago, customers wouldn't have imagined an EPA-estimated rating of 30 mpg highway would be possible in a full-size pickup, but our team of crazy-smart engineers rose to the challenge," Hau Thai-Tang, Ford's executive vice president for product development and purchasing, said in a statement. The 3.0-liter Power Stroke engine is part of the F-150's midcycle freshening. It's meant to appeal to customers who tow and haul more than usual. The diesel engine will have 250 hp and 440 pound-feet of torque, besting the only other diesel offering in the full-size segment, the Ram 1500. It also will have best-in-class payload capacity among diesel offerings: 2,020 pounds for XL and XLT fleet applications and 1,940 pounds for retail applications. It can tow up to 11,400 pounds, which also is best among full-size diesel light-duty pickups. The diesel engine will be mated to Ford's 10-speed transmission, which was introduced on the 2017 F-150. Ford said it expects the diesel engine to account for roughly 5 percent of retail sales. It will cost $2,400 to $4,000 more than other F-150 engines. Retail customers may get the diesel on the three highest F-150 trims: Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. Fleet customers, may order a diesel in the less expensive XL and XLT trims. Although F-150 is the first full-size pickup to crack the 30 mpg barrier, the Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup also achieves that mark.

Watt’s Mack? 4MF426AP4

Typically the starter relay is a 2MR338 with 1 small post, and the accessory relay is a similar looking unit (2MR350) albeit with 2 small posts. But then your V8-equipped RD8 has a 24-volt starting system. I’d want an experience Mack parts person to double check it.

I meant, what does the original look like?

UAW Press Release / April 17, 2018 Terry Dittes UAW Vice President and Director of the Heavy Truck Department issued the following statement Tuesday: “The membership at Daimler Trucks voted by a 98% margin to support a strike if sanctioned by the International Union. This strike authorization development is due to the fact that an agreement has not yet been reached on a contract that expires on Friday April 20th, 2018 for some 7,000 UAW represented Daimler Truck members.”

Richard Truett, Automotive News / April 17, 2018 The auto industry is finally getting traction on its quest to make 95 octane gasoline the new regular in the United States. In testimony Friday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's environment subcommittee, Dan Nicholson, General Motors' vice president of global propulsion systems, said making 95 octane the new regular aligns the U.S. with Europe and is one of the most affordable ways to boost fuel economy and lower greenhouse gas emissions. GM, Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, working with the United States Council for Automotive Research, are seeking just one grade of fuel: 95. That would eliminate today's grades, generally 87 octane for regular, 88-90 for midgrade and 91-94 for premium. Even though premium gasoline costs about 50 cents more per gallon than regular, Nicholson says moving to 95 octane would cost consumers far less. Speaking during a panel discussion at SAE International WCX World Congress Experience in Detroit the day before testifying before the house subcommittee, Nicholson said a 3 percent fuel economy improvement could be attained for less than a 3 percent increase in the cost of fuel. "This will have customer value if it is done correctly. Don't think of the premium fuel that is available today," Nicholson said. "If it is done in the right framework, it could have a lot of value for customers at a low rate if we pick the right octane level. If you go too high, it'll get expensive. But if you pick the right one, it'll actually work for customers. They can get around 3 percent fuel economy improvement for less than 3 percent" cost. A 3 percent fuel economy improvement might not sound like much, but engineers struggle for every tenth of a percent gain as they design, engineer, test and calibrate vehicles. "Fuels and engines have always been a system. That's how you have to think about it. I think America deserves as good a gasoline as Europe," Nicholson said. Technologies such as downsized turbocharged, direct-injected engines -- Ford's EcoBoost line, for example -- stop-start systems, lightweight vehicle bodies and transmissions with eight, nine and even 10 speeds have boosted fuel economy. But moving the fuel economy needle now is very expensive. For example, Nissan Motor Co.'s new VC-Turbo (variable compression turbocharged) four-cylinder costs at least $3,000 more to produce than a standard 16-valve double-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder. The new engine, available in the 2019 Infiniti QX50, delivers about 20 percent better fuel economy than the engine it replaced. Some of the cost savings from switching to 95 octane gasoline presumably would come from refiners gaining efficiencies from producing high volumes of one fuel for the U.S. Nicholson told me that it doesn't matter how the petroleum industry raises octane. Octane can be increased in several ways, such as by using more ethanol or by reducing heptane. David Filipe, vice president of Ford's powertrain engineering, appearing on the panel with Nicholson, said 95 octane fuel must be affordable. "That's been something that has been important to us. How do we do this without having a big impact on the customer?," Filipe said. "We don't want to put the burden onto the customer." Filipe said the cost must not add more than 5 cents per gallon. Higher octane enables engineers to raise an engine's compression ratio. That, in turn, increases horsepower and torque and helps the engine run more efficiently. Raising an engine's compression may be the most cost-effective -- and untapped -- way to improve fuel economy and lower carbon dioxide emissions. Increasing compression usually requires a modification to the pistons or the cylinder head's combustion chambers. "We have an opportunity to play a large role in offering consumers the most affordable option for fuel economy improvement and greenhouse gas reduction," Nicholson testified. "We believe a higher efficiency gasoline solution with a higher Research Octane Number (RON) is very important to achieving this. USCAR research shows that 95 RON makes sense from the viewpoints of both refiners and fuel retailers."

I've attempted to explain it before. In the way that the Europeans came out of WW2, it took them decades to claw their way back to the top. In an extremely hostile business environment, they developed an aggressive and merciless demeanor. We thought that we were the best, the benchmark for the world. And we were, coming out of WW2, for decades. Look at the great GM during the 1950s-1960s. But we began resting on our laurels from the 1970s, and with our head in the sand became soft. Now, look at us today. Foreign companies dominate our domestic market, and we have minimal heavy industry.

VW Truck Division Signals Possible Takeover of Navistar Transport Topics / April 16, 2018 Volkswagen AG’s heavy-vehicle division is open to a takeover of U.S. affiliate Navistar International Corp. as the German company seeks scale to compete with global leaders Daimler AG and Volvo AB. Volkswagen Truck & Bus, which is changing its structure to access capital markets in about a year, might consider boosting its existing stake of just less than 17% of Navistar, though that could trigger a mandatory takeover offer, Chief Financial Officer Matthias Gruendler said April 16 at a Munich press conference. Any purchase could be funded by parent Volkswagen and not depend on an initial public offering that the truck unit is considering, he said. A takeover “would theoretically be possible,” Gruendler said, outlining a potential price tag of about “3 billion to 4 billion,” without specifying dollars or euros. While he declined to comment on a possible time frame for a deal, he said cooperation between the manufacturers is developing well. Andreas Renschler, head of Volkswagen Truck & Bus, outlined global growth plans at the briefing that included adding sales in China and sharing costs across its MAN, Scania and Brazilian VW commercial-vehicle operations through joint procurement and development of parts. Volkswagen bought its holding in Lisle, Ill.-based Navistar in 2016 to gain a foothold in North America, where Daimler makes Freightliner vehicles and Volvo owns the Mack brand. Navistar shares jumped 7.3% to $39.75 as of 8:22 a.m. in New York, before regular trading. As of April 13, the stock was down 14% in 2018, for a value of $3.7 billion. Volkswagen shares fell 1.3% to 175.02 euros in Frankfurt. That pared the stock’s gain this year to 5.2%, valuing the German company at 87 billion euros ($108 billion). The Volkswagen truck division’s preparations for an IPO or a debt sale will take 12 months, and MAN’s Diesel & Turbo engine and Renk industrial-equipment units will be shifted from the business to parent Volkswagen, the executives said. “This comprehensive project will accelerate the transformation of our company” into “a true global champion, and will quickly make it ready for the capital markets,” Renschler said at the press conference. He reiterated that no decision has been made on an IPO. Bigger Payload The revamp of the heavy-vehicle division, which Evercore ISI estimates has as much as 30 billion euros in assets, marks the most significant structural shift so far for Volkswagen as the world’s biggest carmaker retools for massive change across its industry. The Wolfsburg, Germany-based manufacturer appointed Herbert Diess, head of its namesake auto brand, CEO last week, and he pledged to accelerate decision-making across the group to adapt to rapid shifts in technology and competition. An IPO for the truck and bus unit is just one option the division is considering to gain financing, Renschler said in an interview, adding that another would be to sell bonds. “It’s ultimately a decision for our shareholders,” he said. VW Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch told reporters as April 13 the auto manufacturer will retain a controlling stake in the commercial-vehicle business and that a share sale might not happen until 2019, as it still requires final approval.

Volkswagen exec hints at possible, eventual Navistar takeover Jason Cannon, Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / April 16, 2018 Barely more than 13 months ago, Volkswagen Truck and Bus acquired approximately 16.2 million newly issued shares of Navistar stock for $256 million, and one high-level executive hinted this morning the German automaker could one day be after a large slice. VW Truck and Bus Chief Finance Officer Matthias Gruendler said Monday at a press briefing a takeover of the Lisle, Ill.-based truck maker “would make sense at some point,” according to Reuters. “The cooperation is working really well.” While Gruendler offered no timeline and such a move certainly doesn’t sound imminent, Volkswagen would be legally required to make an offer for the remaining Navistar shares once it acquires 17 percent or more of the company. Volkswagen currently teeters just below that threshold at 16.9 percent. Lyndi McMillan, Navistar’s manager of external communications, said the company had no comment on speculation that VW Truck and Bus could up its stake in the company. “What we can say is that our alliance with Volkswagen Truck & Bus, which recently celebrated its first anniversary, is already demonstrating strong progress,” she says. “We look forward to continued success with our strategic alliance.” To-date, Navistar CEO Troy Clarke has lauded the partnership between the two companies, noting each have benefited from engineering collaborations and cost-savings. Last week, Volkswagen installed Herbert Diess as its new chief executive and is considering a push to sell stock in its truck and bus division which, the company says, will allow it to better compete globally with rivals Daimler and Volvo. Volkswagen’s truck and bus unit last week signed an agreement with Toyota-brand Hino, calling for the companies to collaborate on diesel and gasoline-electric hybrid engines, connectivity and autonomy, while also sharing research and development as well as procurement costs.

VW's trucks division open to buying majority of Navistar Reuters / April 16, 2018 MUNICH (Reuters) - Volkswagen is open to buying a majority stake in U.S. truckmaker Navistar "at some point," it said on Monday, as the German automaker prepares its trucks business for a possible stock market listing that could help raise funds to expand. Volkswagen Truck & Bus acquired a 16.9 percent stake in Navistar International Corp in 2016 and last week joined forces with Toyota's Hino Motors as it strives to compete more effectively with global truck market leaders Daimler and Volvo. Volkswagen (VW) plans to convert its trucks division, which includes the Scania and MAN brands and a Brazil-based commercial vehicles business, into a public limited company as a prelude to a potential stock market listing. "(Taking over Navistar) would make sense at some point," Matthias Gruendler, the finance chief of VW truck and bus, told reporters on Monday. A takeover would require between 3 and 4 billion in extra costs and could be shouldered without proceeds from a possible initial public offering (IPO), he said, without specifying whether he was talking about euros or dollars. "The cooperation (with Navistar) is working really well," he added. U.S. law would require VW to issue a formal takeover bid for Navistar if the German manufacturer raises its stake in the U.S. company above 17 percent, Gruendler said. VW paid $256 million for its stake in Navistar, bolstering Europe's biggest automaker's access to the lucrative North American truck market. VW's trucks unit had "significant" synergies from joint procurement with Navistar last year, division CEO Andreas Renschler said. Foreign expansion, as well as more joint development and purchasing of parts between MAN and Scania, may help VW's truck and bus operations increase their operating margin to 9 percent by about 2025 from 6.9 percent last year, Renschler added. VW group's supervisory board last Thursday paved the way for a potential IPO of its trucks business as part of a sweeping shake-up that also included naming a new group CEO and plans to streamline its multiple car brands. Renschler said preparations to tap capital markets either through an IPO or selling debt would take 12 months, adding MAN's Diesel & Turbo engine unit and transmissions maker Renk would be switched to VW. "We need a lot of investment and funding," Renschler said. "We are lifting the (trucks) group to the next level."

The Wall Street Journal / April 16, 2018 Volkswagen AG's commercial-vehicles unit said it is considering a full takeover of Navistar International Corp., one of America's largest truck makers with a market value of nearly $4 billion -- an ambitious move for the German auto maker just days after naming a new chief executive. Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH already owns just shy of 17% of Illinois-based Navistar and officials at the unit said Monday it could raise that stake or even launch a full takeover. The suggestion comes amid huge upheaval at Volkswagen. The company's board ousted Matthias Müller as CEO last week, replacing him with Herbert Diess, and reshuffled several executive board posts. Upon taking control Friday, Mr. Diess vowed to accelerate the pace of change at Volkswagen, including a potential stock market listing of its trucks business. It also comes at a politically sensitive time for the German auto industry. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Europe of using what he characterizes as unfair international trade rules to flood the American market with imported vehicles. A charge German car companies refute. Talking to reporters Monday, Volkswagen Trucks CEO Andreas Renschler suggested a full takeover of Navistar would be "a good idea" as the company builds out its global strategy ahead of a possible initial public offering. Finance chief Matthias Gründler said the company could use proceeds from an IPO to fund the acquisition but also suggested it could mount a takeover beforehand, saying financing such a deal would be "manageable." Navistar, whose shares rose nearly 6% on the news, said the comments were speculation but noted its alliance with Volkswagen was "demonstrating strong progress." Navistar is the successor company to International Harvester, whose roots go back to the Cyrus McCormick's invention of the mechanical reaper for farm crops in 1831. International Harvester was dismantled during the 1980s, leaving Navistar as a company focused on trucks, engines and school buses. Its International brand is well-known throughout the North American trucking industry and the company has an extensive network of dealers and service shops, which would be a key asset for Volkswagen. It generated $30 million of net income on revenue of $8.6 billion last year and has a near 12% share of the U.S. market for heavy trucks. Volkswagen Trucks acquired a 16.6% stake in Navistar for about $256 million in 2016, a cornerstone of its global expansion strategy that gave the German truck maker a foothold in the U.S. as well as in Mexico and Canada. The North American Free Trade Association area is the largest truck market in the world by sales. Volkswagen Trucks now holds about 16.9% of Navistar, Mr. Gründler said, adding that if the company lifted its stake above 17% it would be required under U.S. securities law to make an offer for the rest of the company. Such a move would likely be welcomed by investors ahead of the IPO. Some analysts have encouraged Volkswagen Trucks to buy Navistar. Navistar's debt and unfunded pension liability total billions of dollars, likely diminishing the price that Volkswagen would be willing to pay for the rest of the U.S. company. Volkswagen Trucks was created in 2015 to consolidate Volkswagen's holdings in MAN trucks, Scania AB and Brazilian commercial-vehicles group Caminhoes Onibus. Volkswagen poached Mr. Renschler, the architect of rival Daimler AG's truck business, to build the company into a global business. Through its MAN unit Volkswagen Trucks holds a 25% stake in Hong Kong-based Sinotruck Ltd., one of China's largest commercial-vehicle manufacturers. Last week, Volkswagen Trucks and Japan's Hino Motors Ltd. unveiled plans to form an alliance that is likely to see the companies jointly develop commercial vehicles for the Japanese and Southeast Asian markets. The partners hope to benefit by sharing development and procurement costs. "That's one of the reasons for the strategic alliance. We only have to spend money once, as opposed to twice or three times," Mr. Renschler told reporters last week in Tokyo. Hino is owned by Toyota Motors Co. Initially, the venture won't jointly produce trucks and the companies say Volkswagen has no immediate plans to acquire a stake in Hino.

'Holy grail' platform coming into Focus Nick Gibbs, Automotive News / April 16, 2018 LONDON — Joe Bakaj, Ford of Europe's head of engineering, calls it nothing less than the holy grail. The new Focus compact, which rolled out here and in the central Chinese city of Chongqing last week, debuts Ford's global version of Volkswagen's much acclaimed MQB modular architecture, a central element of Ford's aim to achieve $4 billion in engineering efficiencies over the next five years. The unibody front-wheel-drive architecture (it has no snappy name, yet) is the first of Ford's five new global platforms — and arguably the most important after the body-on-frame truck architecture. Ford is developing them to enable savings and cut development time for new models by up to 20 percent, the company announced in March. The new architecture underpinning the Focus is flexible enough to encompass subcompacts such as the Fiesta as well as midsize models and crossovers such as the Edge and Escape, Bakaj told Automotive News at the global launch of the Focus here. "It's very scalable," said Bakaj (pronounced ba-KAI'). The U.S. version of the next- generation Focus will be sourced from China in the second half of 2019, Ford said. It's unclear what body styles will come stateside. Ford is ending U.S. production of the car this year at its Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. What VW did VW Group's fwd modular transverse toolkit (aka MQB) was launched in 2011 and now underpins around 40 percent of the cars the VW brand sells globally. It predicts that by 2020, that figure will rise to 80 percent. The architecture is also used by Audi, Skoda and Seat, creating savings across the group. Ford's embrace of a similar modular system makes sense for the company, said Tim Urquhart, principal analyst for IHS Markit. "It's the only way forward to drive proper value and economies of scale, especially for a mass-market player like Ford," he said. Like the MQB, the Ford unibody platform will fix certain hard points, such as the distance between the ball of the driver's foot and the front axle, Bakaj said. That would allow the fitting of common modules across a range of vehicles, such as seat structures, electric handbrakes and air-conditioning units. "You won't use every module from the bottom to the top, but you'd try and reuse as many modules as possible," Bakaj said. This strategy looks much further ahead than Ford managed with vehicles on the C1 platform underpinning vehicles such as the current Focus, Escape and Transit Connect van, which used different air-conditioning systems, for example. "When we ran those car lines, we didn't have a clearer long-term plan over time, and we had to make changes," Bakaj said. "If you can plan out a suite of vehicles over a period of time, you get a scale globally." Vehicles built using Ford's new architecture even have their own design chief. Joel Piaskowski was appointed Ford's head of cars and crossovers globally in August last year. Increasing the number of model ranges on a single architecture can bring problems. VW initially struggled to adapt the MQB across different vehicles and brands, pushing up costs. The greater number of common parts can reduce supplier costs because of scale savings, but the strategy can also disrupt production and drive up recall costs in the event of a part failure. The scale will be key to ensuring the Focus is cheap enough to compete in China, yet sophisticated enough to attract buyers in the U.S. "We'd use the same technology but aim to source locally in China. That's how we'd get cost and scale," Bakaj said. Ford said it has reduced the number of orderable configurations on the U.S. Focus from 360 to 26, as well as cut engineering costs for the global car. "For example, in many markets, we won't have a price leader where we would have in the past," Jim Farley, head of global markets, said at the event. That would cut the need to make cheap wheel trims, for example. "The reduction of complexity is around the vehicles and the content that doesn't add a lot of value," he said. At the same time, Ford has added "good complexity"; one example is increasing the num-ber of higher-end trim levels to push up the average purchase price. In Europe, Ford added a crossover-inspired Active version with greater ride height, different bumpers and plastic protective strips. Said Bakaj: "We've reduced the number of parts we've engineered; we've reduced the cost of engineering, but we've offered more derivatives to suit different personalities, and that's the holy grail." .

Does it look like this 2MR350 accessory relay? https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ve/MLV-494922013-switch-msw-1242-2mr350-mack-_JM

Delete rear shocks was a factory option on SS34 and SS38 camelback suspensions.

Yes, 14QK2107P2 for SS34 camelback.

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Transport Engineer / April 12, 2018 Dumfriesshire-based forestry haulier WD & A Haley has taken delivery of two Range T520 tag axle tractors, its first vehicles of this type. Supplied by dealer Border Trucks Carlisle, the operator’s new additions have a 13-litre engine providing a maximum torque of 2550Nm, Optidriver automated gearbox, Alcoa Dura-Bright aluminium wheels and hydraulic power steering. They are hooked to logging industry skeleton trailers with timber bolsters, transporting 29 tonnes of logs at a time. The Range Ts are also equipped with a Bigfoot Tyre Deflation system, which allows drivers to control the air pressure in each tyre from the driving seat, giving extra traction and reducing damage to forestry roads. The operator has run Renault Landers, Premiums and Kerax in the past, but decided on the new additions after hearing “great reports” about the Range T, according to owner Antony Haley. Haley says: “Forestry work is tough, the landscape is awash with steep embankments and we needed something with plenty of grip and power. The T520s give us this by the ‘bucket-load’, coping skilfully with all types of terrain. “The tag axle is good for tight corners, too, and importantly gives us the traction on the hills and on difficult land.” He described the deal a “very competitive” and says he’s looking to add more to the seven-strong fleet. .

The medium-duty Freedom, based on the global market Renault Midlum*, was launched in 2001. * The Midlum was replaced by the D Range in 2013. Volvo took full control of Renault and Mack in 2001. In 2003, Volvo decided to terminate the Freedom and walk away from medium-duty in North America (Mack had profited greatly from the Renault-produced Mid-Liner medium truck range from 1979). So the Freedom was only sold for 3 years, and hasn't been sold for 15 years. Also, Volvo Group's unofficial policy is not to support trucks over 10 years of age. It's a great truck, but the owner of the Mack name, Volvo, has no interest in supporting it in North America. Renault Trucks does a superb job with after-sales support in the global market, but has no presence in North America.

Try calling the Mack brand at +1 (866) 298-6586. I'm sure Volvo will fall all over themselves trying to help you (sarcasm on my part). https://macktrucks.vg-emedia.com/ProductListing.aspx?keyword=freedom https://macktrucks.vg-emedia.com/ProductListing.aspx?keyword=MV You have what would be a good truck (Renault Midlum).......if acceptable after-sales support was still available in North America. It isn't......not even close. Candidly speaking, you should sell it at the first opportunity, as parts will always have to be ordered, cost a fortune, and most mechanics have no experience working on it. Let it break someone else.

Did you try obtaining a 202SB34A water pump repair kit and 57GC184 water pump gasket set from Watt's Mack (BMT website provider) at 1-888-304-6225?

The Trump show caves again......or were they ever actually serious about putting a stop to that "giant sucking sound"? .

At NAFTA table, U.S. lowers key auto content demand Reuters / April 13, 2018 MEXICO CITY -- U.S. trade negotiators have significantly softened their demands to increase regional automotive content under a reworked NAFTA trade pact in an effort to move more quickly towards a deal in the next few weeks, auto industry executives said on Friday. A deal on automotive content rules would remove one of the biggest sticking points in talks to update the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement. The Trump administration had initially demanded that North American-built vehicles contain 85 percent content made in NAFTA countries by value, up from the current 62.5 percent, along with half the value coming from the United States -- levels that Canada, Mexico and automotive groups had said was unworkable. But the U.S. target has been cut by 10 percentage points, and the U.S. specific percentage demand dropped, industry officials said. "The U.S. put on the table 75 percent instead of 85 percent for the regional content value of the vehicle and its core components," said Eduardo Solis, head of Mexico's AMIA automotive industry association. "All of this is being carefully analyzed and specific questions are being asked during this round of the U.S. negotiators (in charge of) rules of origin," Solis said in a statement. The 75 percent regional content is for major components such as engines, drivetrains, axles, suspensions and body panels. Aluminum and steel would go into a bucket of other parts and materials requiring 70 percent regional content, while a third bucket of lesser parts would require 65 percent regional content. "From the parts manufacturer perspective this is a significant step in the right direction, compared to where we were," said Ann Wilson, head of government affairs at the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association. "But it does appear that this will creates significantly more paperwork for smaller suppliers to have to certify their parts," Wilson added. "I think there's a lot of room yet to improve this." Negotiators from the three nations were due to discuss the new U.S. proposals at talks this week in Washington. Talks on rules of origin were due to take place on both Friday and Saturday, according to a schedule seen by Reuters. A senior union leader who spoke to the Canadian negotiating team on Friday said the talks were progressing slowly. "We really still are far, far, far away on the issues that are keeping us apart and frankly there has been very little discussion on them this week," Unifor President Jerry Dias told Canada's CTV network, citing the U.S. stance on dispute resolution and labor standards. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has been pushing for a deal-in-principle on NAFTA in the next few weeks as the Mexico's presidential election campaign officially gets underway. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he thought negotiators were "pretty close" to a deal, but that he was in no hurry for a conclusion. "Unless the United States makes some meaningful major changes in the short term, for anybody to think this is getting done by the end of April is pushing their luck," said Dias. U.S. negotiators had also recently floated the idea that 40 percent of automotive production must occur in areas paying wages of between $16 to $19 per hour. Some auto industry officials briefed on the U.S. plan said the latest version would require an average wage rate of $16 an hour for a finished vehicle. Setting wage minimum wage thresholds for the auto industry could benefit the United States and Canada, whose trade unions say that lower Mexican pay has prompted manufacturing capacity to move south of the Rio Grande. Talks to rework NAFTA, which underpins $1.2 trillion in annual trade, began last year after President Donald Trump took office promising to abandon the 1994 agreement if it could not be reworked to better serve American interests.

Iveco Truck & Bus Press Release / April 10, 2018 IVECO presents the new Stralis X-WAY and its sustainable vehicle ranges for the construction industry at Paris Intermat 2018 answering President Macron’s call for massive conversion of heavy truck fleets to gas IVECO showcases its wide offer of vehicles for the Road Building, Urban Construction, Recycling and Quarry sectors on the CASE Construction Equipment stand (Hall 6 Stand E 042) at Intermat 2018. IVECO presents its ranges of natural gas powered vehicles, answering President Macron’s call for the conversion of the country’s heavy truck fleets to gas at the European Commission’s High-level Conference on Financing Sustainable Growth held in Brussels on March 22nd 2018: “It is also about committing resolutely to a transformation of the transport sector, through a widespread use of electric and hydrogen vehicles and the conversion of heavy freight to gas.” The new Stralis X-WAY truck developed for construction logistics is the perfect answer for the ongoing boom in construction driven by the Grand Paris project. On display is its natural gas version, ideal for operating in Paris due to the city’s focus on curbing emissions. IVECO is taking part in the international exhibition for construction and infrastructure Intermat 2018 from the 23rd to the 28th April at the Parc des Expositions in Paris-Nord Villepinte, Paris. It is present on the CASE Construction Equipment stand, where it is showcasing its offering for every mission: Recycling, Urban, Road Building and Quarry. IVECO: the right vehicle for every mission The brand is presenting at the show the Stralis X-WAY, the new range specifically developed for construction logistics and urban service missions, which provides the perfect crossing for on-road applications requiring off-road mobility – taking the mission-oriented approach to the extreme. It combines IVECO’s best fuel-efficiency and safety technologies with the renowned off-road robustness of its toughest vehicles to deliver high productivity with best-in-class payload and outstanding Total Cost of Ownership. The area dedicated to Recycling highlights how IVECO and CASE offer a complementary range of products that make a perfect combination to achieve a circular economy based on the generation of bio-methane from waste. On display in this area is a Stralis X-WAY Hook Lifter, ideal for the recycling industry with its outstanding manoeuvrability, compact overall dimensions, ground clearance, traction and big payload. For the Urban sector, IVECO is presenting its sustainable Light Commercial Vehicles and trucks featuring its advanced alternative traction technologies, the natural gas powered Daily Blue Power – International Van of the Year 2018 – and the Stralis X-WAY NP (Natural Power). The brand is at the forefront of the industry with its pioneering sustainable solutions, which are increasingly in demand because of the fight against Climate Change and the issue of clean air in urban areas. Pierre Lahutte, IVECO Brand President, said: “IVECO’s commitment to supporting the energy transition has driven us to pioneer sustainable technologies, resulting in a full offering of alternative traction vehicles. At a time when municipalities are putting in place traffic restrictions and stringent emissions regulations to address the issue of air quality for their citizens, our natural gas powered vehicles give construction businesses a competitive advantage, especially when bidding for work in city centres.” The Stralis X-WAY NP on display in the urban area, combined with a CIFA electric mixer, is the first electric concrete mixer on a Bio-CNG truck. This vehicle not only delivers the advantages of extremely quiet operation and PM and CO2 emissions close to zero, but it also offers excellent operational features with an outstanding concrete load capacity of 8m3 – a capacity in line with the best diesel chassis. The Stralis X-WAY operates in a sector where payload is key, and in this respect it raises the stakes with the biggest payload in the segment. Its Super Loader version on an 8x4 chassis developed for concrete mixer applications weights in at less than 8,845 kg, taking the customers’ payload to new heights: it can carry 355 kg more load than the best vehicle certified by independent certification body UTAC. The new Daily Blue Power, which has been crowned “International Van of the Year 2018” , can access jobsites located in city centres round the clock, freeing construction businesses from the constraints of environmental regulations with its winning combination of technology, low emissions and environmental impact, high performance and efficiency. This new product family is IVECO’s Sustainability champion, delivering urban access with no limitation and giving customers the choice of three technologies: the Compressed Natural Gas powered Daily Hi-Matic Natural Power; the zero-emission Daily Electric and the Daily Euro 6 RDE 2020 Ready, the most advanced diesel technology in the industry. On display at the Intermat show, the Daily Hi-Matic Natural Power in the unique version of 7.2 ton Gross Vehicles Weight which allows a payload of up to 4,9 tons and a body length up to 6.4 meters with its 5.100 mm wheelbase. Its advanced sustainable technologies are combined with the historical strengths of the multi-award winning Daily family, which has built a solid reputation for its robustness, versatility, performance and durability. For the Road Building sector, IVECO is showing a Stralis X-WAY NP model, powered by the brand’s industry leading natural gas technology, which offers a further environmental advantage combined with the payload and performance benefits of the range – a benefit for construction logistics operations in urban centres with restrictions on diesel vehicles and job sites operating 24/7 with noise constraints. In the Quarry segment area of the stand, IVECO is displaying two vehicles: the Astra HD9 8x6 Euro VI and a Trakker, both in dumper configuration. The IVECO Astra range of vehicles is designed for heavy off-road applications in oil & gas, mining, quarrying, heavy construction and heavy haulage. Every single detail, from the high performance driveline, simple design electronics, has been developed to deliver the highest levels of performance, strength and reliability in the toughest jobs. At Intermat IVECO is introducing the new HD9 86.50 Euro VI featuring a full automatic transmission – a configuration that confirms the Off-Road DNA of the IVECO Astra product range with performances comparable to those of quarry and mining dumpers of the same payload, depending on the mission. The Trakker is engineered to work in all weathers and in all terrains – even the most extreme off-road conditions and combines robustness, reliability and efficiency with technology. The Trakker has repeatedly proved its legendary strength and durability on the most difficult terrains of the Dakar Rally. IVECO will also offer dynamic tests of several vehicles of the Stralis X-WAY range on the CASE Construction Equipment site in Monthyon, including a vehicle equipped with the new Hi-Traction system as well as vehicles in tipper, mixer and crane configurations. .

Renault Trucks Press Release / April 11, 2018 Renault Trucks is adding new features to its Optitrack system, designed to increase the pulling power of vehicles and maintain high performance whatever the terrain. The constructor is also providing an Optitrack+ version, incorporating new hydraulic motors for customers working in extreme conditions. Optitrack was developed by Renault Trucks in partnership with Poclain Hydraulics in 2009 and is available on the C2.5 range of vehicles, providing additional temporary pulling power thanks to two hydraulic motors fitted in the front wheel hubs. This system offers the possibility of benefiting from temporary all-wheel drive on demand, overcoming the constraints of a “conventional” all-wheel drive vehicle, particularly in terms of fuel consumption, loading height, maintenance costs and additional weight. Renault Trucks is now consolidating its Optitrack system by incorporating new features. Outstanding pulling power The hydraulic pressure of the system has been stepped up from 420 to 450 bars, leading to a 7% increase in the maximum wheel torque. This new feature boosts pulling power, enabling drivers to cope with the difficulties inherent in handling vehicles with high payloads or on steep terrain. In order to ensure maximum start-up power in the most demanding situations as well as total vehicle control, Renault Trucks has added a "boost" function. When activated by the driver, this increases front wheel tyre pressure to the maximum (450 bars) in order to achieve maximum start-up torque. Increased operating comfort and manœuvrability The Optitrack system disconnects when vehicle speed reaches 50km/h (compared to 40km/h on previous versions) and automatically re-engages at 20km/h, no longer requiring driver intervention. Finally, a self-calibration device permanently adjusts the settings of the Optitrack system, ensuring life-long vehicle performance, and an additional reverse gear has been added (R2) for optimal manoeuvrability on all types of terrain. Agility in all terrain with Optitrack+ Trucks operating in extreme conditions can now benefit from the features of the enhanced Optitrack+ version. Optitrack+ features new hydraulic motors that increase front wheel torque by 30 %. This enhanced version offers seamless pulling power for coping with high payloads, steep slopes and soft soil. Optitrack+ is particularly recommended for earthmoving or the transport of aggregate in difficult conditions. .