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Ford Trucks International Press Release / December 25, 2019 Ford Trucks has sold 1000 vehicles in Romania in two years! Romania is one the most important markets in Eastern Europe for Ford Trucks, Ford Automotive's heavy commercial vehicle brand. To celebrate the delivery of the 1000th vehicle, a ceremony was arranged at the offices of Cefin Trucks, the local distributor, in Bucharest. During the ceremony, Ford Trucks International Markets Director Emrah Duman outlined Ford Trucks’ progress during the past two years. “In only two years in Romania, we’ve reached 8% market share in the heavy vehicle sector. We’re the market leader in the construction sector, with a 27% market share, as well as being in second place in the road trucks sector with 24% of the market share.” Ford Trucks has used its more than 60 years of engineering experience to emerge at the forefront of global competition in the heavy commercial vehicles sector. In Romania, one of the leading export markets in Eastern Europe, its 1000th truck was recently delivered. On Thursday, 28 November, Ford Trucks International Markets Director Emrah Duman and Eastern Europe Regional Manager Selim Yazıcı attended the ceremony. At Ford Trucks, the market leader of Romania's construction sector Ford Trucks first entered the Romanian market in May 2017, when they appointed distributors. In his remarks, Ford Trucks International Markets Director Emrah Duman noted that: As an EU member with a quickly developing economy, new construction projects, and state investments, Romania is in a position of focus for us. As an EU member with a quickly developing economy, new construction projects, and state investments, Romania is in a position of focus for us. At Ford Trucks, we’re very happy that we’ve been able to deliver 1000 trucks in such a short time. This success in Romania is due to our partnership with our distributor Cefin Trucks, the quality of our products and their suitability for the European market, our excellent engineering talent, the power of our research and development departments, and our technology. Our F-MAX truck, winner of the 2019 International Truck of the Year award, plays a very important role. We've now completed our infrastructure in all of Romania's big cities. At 12 locations, we provide sales, after sales service, and spare parts. By the end of this year, we’ll have 14 locations. The result of all this hard work is that, at the end of 2 short years, we’ve reached 8% of Romania’s market share for heavy commercial vehicles. Noting that Romania’s construction sector is growing rapidly, Duman said that “We’ve become the market leader in Romania’s construction sector, with 27% of market share. Also, we have the second largest market share in the trucks sector, with 24%. All of this success was achieved in only 2 short years.” The 2019 ITOY-winning F-MAX will continue to grow in Romania Commenting that the F-MAX’s ITOY award win would accelerate growth in Romania, Emrah Duman continued: “Following the ITOY award, we revised our plans for growth due to the heavy demand coming from Europe, and rearranged our international organizational structure. By opening country and regional offices in more than 10 countries, we aim to grow much more quickly in Europe.”

Ford Trucks International Press Release / December 25, 2019 Ford Trucks, Ford Automotive's heavy vehicles brand, has made a rapid entrance into the Western European market with back to back openings of dealerships in Portgual and Spain. European expansion has stepped up a gear… Emphasizing that Ford Trucks has reached significant market shares in countries such as Romania, Ukraine, Georgia and Kuwait, Ford Trucks Deputy General Manager, Serhan Turfan, said "We’re quickly trending upward in markets where we’ve only very recently begun operating. We’ve just expanded into Portugal and Spain, and our preparations to open in Italy will be finished by the end of this year. Our aim is to spread across all Europe, to Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.” Ford Trucks has used its more than 60 years of engineering experience to emerge at the forefront of global competition in the heavy commercial vehicles sector. With the F-MAX winning the 2019 International Truck of the Year Award, a new page is turned in the company's plans for global expansion. Following the ITOY award, Ford Trucks revised its growth plans due to the heavy demand coming from Europe and rearranged its international organizational structure. The company has appointed country and regional directorates in more than 10 countries and aims to grow rapidly in Europe. "We've completed our preparations for a sustained and potent growth in Europe" With the opening of dealerships in Portugal and Spain signalling Ford Truck’s expansion into Western Europe, Ford Trucks Deputy General Manager, Serhan Turfan, provided this assessment of the company’s global expansion plans: With our award-winning F-MAX, our global expansions plans have reached a very important threshold. Continuing its success after winning the ITOY award, the F-MAX was chosen as 'Truck of the Year' in Russia, Austria and Slovenia as well. In Europe and elsewhere, the demand for F-MAX and Ford Trucks is growing. "Our goal is to complete our expansion in Western Europe by 2023" Explaining that the company is trending upward in markets they have only recently entered, Turfan continued: "In countries such as Romania, Ukraine and Georgia, we aim to hit the same numbers that we have in other markets in Europe. We've recently expanded into Portugal and Spain and our preparations to operate in Italy will be complete by the end of the year." Our goal is to spread across Europe: to Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Our target is to complete our Western European expansion by the end of 2023 and be present in more than 80 countires. We're ready to prove ourselves in the European market." In 2019, Ford Trucks continued to rise in the Turkish market Despite a tight market in Turkey for heavy vehicles, Ford Trucks was able to increase its market share, going from 28.5% in 2018 to more than 30% by the end of October 2019. Ford Trucks has seen uninterrupted growth for 10 years, and has doubled the market share it held in 2008 (14.7%), and now has the highest market share of the last 25 years.

DAF Trucks Press Release / December 18, 2019 150,000 fully electric kilometres - almost four times around the earth. That is the extensive practical experience that DAF has now gained with its CF Electric at several customers. The sophisticated vehicles with VDL E-power-technology are used on a daily basis by customers for the transport of for example food and containers. The DAF CF Electric was named Green Truck Logistics Solution 2019 in June, a prestigious award for the deployment of promising, emerging technologies for innovative, sustainable logistics in Europe. More and more cities are expressing their intention to only allow emission-free and almost completely silent vehicles in their city centers in the near future. The DAF CF Electric is an answer to that. Sales in limited numbers It is one year ago that the first CF Electric was delivered and in the past period DAF gained lots of experience with in total six fully electric trucks. Among other things, this has resulted in a version that is internally referred to as 'Phase 2' and has a new generation of software and a new dashboard. "We have now reached the point where we can start to sell the CF Electric in limited numbers," said Richard Zink, member of the Board of Management and responsible for Marketing & Sales. "Think of a few dozen units on an annual basis. In order to guarantee excellent quality, we start up production in a controlled way. Simultaneously, we can thoroughly build up our service network, step-by-step. The CF Electric tractor unit is now available for customers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia. Depending on the local battery charging infrastructure and after-sales possibilities, sales in other parts of Europe will be considered." Business case The use of the CF Electric has helped customers to determine the business case of an electric truck and experience what its use means in daily practice. Where in the first few weeks, they only used a limited part of their CF Electric’s 100 kilometres of range, some transport operators now drive around 250 kilometres a day with the vehicle. "It is a matter of planning your trips cleverly," said Richard Zink. "The ability to quickly charge the batteries - with the right equipment fully charged in just over 30 minutes - means that additional kilometres are available quickly if required. 18 hours per day, 7 days a week DAF customers Jumbo, Simon Loos and Tinie Manders Transport from the Netherlands and Rhenus Group from Germany all have a CF Electric in their fleet. Also at Tinie Manders, the electric truck is used very intensively: the tractor has already done more than 30,000 kilometres and runs seven days a week from six in the morning until midnight. Most are short trips in the Eindhoven region. “The CF Electric is as reliable as any other DAF truck", says Eveline Manders, co-director of Tinie Manders Transport. "Planning and driving an electric truck requires a different mindset. You have to make sure that the route fits the truck - and not the other way around. Moreover, in order to optimally use the truck, it is important that you can charge the batteries during loading and unloading. If you take these two matters into account, the electric truck can be a great alternative for urban distribution." Recently, DAF and VDL Groep announced that four fully electric, three-axle CF Electric refuse collection trucks will become operational, for the 'zero emissions' collection of residual products in urban areas. About the DAF CF Electric The DAF CF Electric is a fully electric 4x2 tractor, developed for distribution applications in urban areas with single or double-axle trailers and GVWs up to 37 tonnes. The truck is based on the DAF CF - 'International Truck of the Year 2018' - and operates fully electric, thanks to VDL's E-Power Technology. The core of the intelligent powertrain is a 210 kilowatt electric motor, which receives its energy from a lithium-ion battery pack with a total capacity of 170 kilowatt-hours. The CF electric has a range of approximately 100 kilometres, making it suitable for transporting high volumes within urban distribution. DAF CF Electric — Technical specifications Weight tractor: 9,700 kg Electric motor: 210 kW Torque: 2,000 Nm Battery capacity: 170 kWh Range completely charged vehicle approximately: 100 km Fast-charging batteries 35 minutes (bij 300kW) .

Cummins Press Release / January 8, 2019 Add life to ISX engines with tiered CLASSIC, PRO, or ELITE overhaul kits. These overhaul kits are currently available for ISX15 and ISX12 EPA 2010 (CM2250) | EPA 2013 (CM2350) engines. .

2020 Ford Super Duty plow package boasts best-in-class rating Trailer-Body Builders / January 10, 2020 The 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty will tackle winter’s worst weather with the heaviest snow plow rating in the segment, Ford says. With the available Snow Plow Prep Package, Super Duty features a maximum 1,400-pound snow plow rating accounting for mounting hardware, which is best-in-class for gasoline-powered trucks in the segment1, and maximum 1,290 pounds which is also best-in-class for the diesel segment2. “Super Duty is a real workhorse in the snow removal industry,” said Mike Pruitt, Ford F-Series Super Duty chief engineer. “With our new Snow Plow Prep Package, we’re really delivering for folks who clear the way after a big storm. Being able to safely hook up bigger plows means roads, driveways and parking lots are cleared quickly and drivers can move on to the next job.” The new Snow Plow Prep Package, available for 4x4 pickups, includes heavy-duty springs specific to each configuration and an up-rated alternator to deal with heavy electrical loads. According to a study conducted by the Snow and Ice Management Association and Wolfworx/Singer Consulting, clearing the white stuff is an $18 billion industry in the US, one growing at a rate of about 3% annually. It’s comprised of more than 22,000 commercial contractors and more than 75,000 sole proprietors. The 2019 SIMA survey data indicates F-Series is the overwhelming choice, with nearly 50% of market share in an industry that values reliability, service network and, of course, rated plow weight, according to Ford. Owners will also appreciate other new features such as a windshield wiper de-icer, which pre-heats the windshield under the wipers to keep blades free of ice, as well as available heated steering wheel and heated front and rear seats. Optional white or amber LED strobe lights on XL, XLT or Lariat series trucks take a step out of the upfitting process. Deep Snow/Sand drive mode is available on models equipped with the all-new 10-speed heavy-duty TorqShift automatic transmission. The special drive mode changes throttle mapping and traction control settings to allow for added control and greater confidence in snowy or slick conditions. Plow operators can rely on the quality and craftsmanship of a high-strength steel boxed frame and high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body that provide a sturdy backbone, Ford adds. Customers have a choice of engines, including a standard 6.2-liter gas V8, an available all-new 7.3-liter gas V8 with best-in-class 430 horsepower and 475 lb.-ft. of torque and an available third-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8 with best-in-class2 475 horsepower and 1,050 lb.-ft. of torque. Ford F-Series Super Duty is built at Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, and Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake, OH. Trucks are shipping to dealers now.

CNN / January 11, 2020 Twenty-one Saudi servicemen training at US military installations will be expelled from the United States after a review that followed the deadly shooting last month at a Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. The Saudis are not accused of aiding the 21-year-old Saudi Air Force second lieutenant who killed three American sailors in the December shooting, but some have connections to extremist movements. Seventeen of the expelled cadets were found to have possessed online terrorist material. Fifteen, including some of the 17 who possessed online terrorist material, had images of child pornography.

https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/50389-truck-to-boat-engine-swap/?tab=comments#comment-374249 https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/34624-mack-–-scania-cooperation/?tab=comments#comment-231636

Sharing this post from Curbtender celebrating and acknowledging our mutual customer, West Tex Disposal in Odessa. Great chassis/body combo! We appreciate the business and look forward to continuing to support West Tex Disposal throughout the ownership experience. #Autocar #AutocarTruck #AutocarTrucks #AutocarSolutions #AlwaysUp #uptime #itsallabouttheuptime #Curbtender #TrashTrucks #TrashHauling #WasteCollection #GarbageTruck #FEL #FrontLoader #disposal #westtexdisposal This Curbtender Titan was mounted on an Autocar Trucks chassis and sold by Jer and the great team at Harrison Truck Centers. West Texas Disposal will be driving this green giant for years to come. #Curbtender #GarbageTruck #FrontLoader #AutocarTrucks #AlwaysUp

Scania Group Press Release / January 9, 2020 In Hull, United Kingdom, the Humberside Fire & Rescue Service has taken a Scania L-series low-entry fire truck into operation. The vehicle carries an aerial ladder platform, which at 45 metres is the joint highest in the country. To achieve Humberside’s overall on-road height requirement of 3.55 metres and provide maximum manoeuvrability and a high level of visibility for the driver, the vehicle has been specified with a low-height Scania L 360. The compact and lightweight Bronto Skylift aerial ladder platform stows to less than 12 metres overall length for transport. Its cage can raise 500 kilos vertically with the load monitored automatically. There is an integrated, space-saving 3,800-litre per minute capacity water nozzle. “We operate a 65-strong all-Scania fleet of heavy fire appliances and continue to specify Scania for their build quality and longevity,” says Andy Day, Fleet and Operational Equipment Manager for Humberside Fire & Rescue Service. “Our experience is that we see up to five extra years of service from Scania chassis compared to others we have operated in the past.” The L-series fire truck is based in Hull, where its height means it will be capable of reaching the top of every residential building in the city. .

Scania Group Press Release / January 7, 2020 The Upper Austrian Provincial Fire Brigade, Landes-Feuerwehrverband Oberösterreich, has recently begun using a Scania Interlink HD coach for logistical and tactical operations. The coach serves as a mobile command post and staff unit as well as a transport vehicle. “For over three decades, we have used a coach for transporting passengers and for accident and disaster relief operations,” says Fire Inspector Markus Mayr, Head of the Civil Protection Department of Landes-Feuerwehrverband Oberösterreich. In addition to standard features, the coach is equipped with blue light bars, blue flashing lights and a siren. However, the vehicle’s speed has been limited to 110 km/h. The Interlink coach has 35 seats and four tables, which if needed can easily be removed via a quick release mechanism. It also has a kitchenette, toilet and luggage room. “Replacing the bus with five to six smaller vehicles was out of the question,” says Mayr. “An important consideration was to obtain a spacious layout. This is definitely the case with the Scania coach.” .

Scania Group Press Release / January 2, 2020 All too often, an unhappy driver finds the cap broken and the fuel tank dry. Scania therefore introduces the Fuel Theft Alarm, with an installed sensor that monitors the fuel level, initially for single tanks and very soon also for the more common double tanks. “Although the loss of valuable fuel is bad enough, it is perhaps worse that the truck cannot carry out the day’s scheduled deliveries as planned and may be liable to penalties,” says Product Manager Eric Ljunggren, Scania. The fuel alarm monitors for up to 65 hours If the fuel level drops significantly, the alarm is activated and emits a high-pitched sound, which it shares with the normal theft alarm system. When activated, the alarm system monitors the fuel level for up to 65 hours, provided that the truck’s master battery switch is activated. The customer will also receive an e-mail, text message and a warning notification in their Scania Fleet Management Portal if they have the Control Package. One French fleet owner says that stolen diesel and ancillary costs annual set him back 12,000 euro. Although his depot yard is fenced and equipped with CCTV, thieves continue to plague him. “A large sum of money goes up in smoke each year but additionally the thieves break and pierce fuel tanks,” he says. “This requires repairs and the truck is immobilised. It’s all very, very annoying and now we’ve decided never to refuel on Fridays so that tanks are empty when we park for weekend.” Deterring presumptive thieves Perhaps the greatest advantage of the Fuel Theft Alarm is in deterring presumptive thieves. A sticker on the tank warns miscreants that the fuel is protected. Even if the fuel in the tank is saved, attempts may still cause grief since a broken cap might require time-consuming and costly repairs. “The owner and driver will be alerted if the vehicle is being tampered with and the consequences of having fuel stolen can be avoided or at least mitigated,” says Ljunggren. .

Japan throws stones at Ghosn from a glass house Commentary – Philip Nussel, Automotive News / January 11, 2020 As the Carlos Ghosn scandal unfolds with Hollywood-level kinds of drama and intrigue, it's refreshing to see the Japanese government launch its resources to rein in this fugitive from justice with all the righteous indignation of a nation that truly values international business ethics. It's quite an about-face for a business culture that allowed the Takata exploding-airbag scandal that has claimed at least 24 lives, injured some 300 people and generated the largest safety recall in the history of the global auto industry. Another 10 million airbags were recalled in the U.S. last week, in fact. But even more enlightening is how the prosecution and post-escape pursuit of Ghosn runs contrary to the Japanese practice of protecting its own business fugitives from justice, particularly when they stand accused by other countries of crimes that might not be considered serious in Japan. Supply chain corruption In the Takata scandal, the company in January 2017 agreed to pay a $1 billion U.S. criminal fine for its fraudulent conduct stemming from the lethal airbag defect. Three of its executives were charged with crimes in the U.S., but they stayed in Japan and never faced justice here. "Warrants were issued at the time of the indictment and are still active," a U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman said in an email to Automotive News, declining further comment when asked about extradition efforts. Perhaps more troubling is that for many years, dozens of Japanese auto suppliers systematically ripped off their customers — including their own affiliated Japanese automakers — in the U.S. and other countries. These suppliers allowed their sales executives to collude with competitors on the price of everything from ball bearings to wire harnesses. This institutional corruption resulted in countless billions of dollars in costs built into the price of light vehicles. The antitrust arm of the Justice Department spent much of the past decade, during the Obama and Trump administrations, prosecuting these crimes. As of 2018, U.S. antitrust regulators said their work yielded $2.9 billion in fines and convictions of 46 suppliers and 32 executives. The vast majority of them are Japanese. And while the companies themselves pleaded guilty and ponied up massive U.S. fines, as many as 20 individuals charged with crimes stayed in Japan, where they were protected from extradition. Some even kept their jobs. It's unclear whether the U.S. even attempted extradition — and very unlikely that it did. Japanese officials would have to cooperate in such a process. To this day, these Japanese executives carry the same international fugitive status as Carlos Ghosn. Ultimate irony The ultimate irony here is that Ghosn was blamed, in part, for creating this culture of corruption in the Japanese supply chain when he saved Nissan in 1999. Back then, Ghosn helped cut Nissan's costs by dismantling the automaker's insular supplier "keiretsu". He had the audacity to demand competitive bidding. As my former Automotive News colleague Dave Guilford suggested during an interview with Ghosn in 2014, suppliers responded to Ghosn's demands by fixing prices. "So it's my fault?" Ghosn responded, laughing. "That's a most original explanation." "I had nothing against keiretsu," Ghosn added. "It was working for our competitors. But it wasn't working for us." For the past year, Ghosn has been accused of a variety of economic crimes that, if true, might have cost Nissan tens of millions of dollars. If true. Yet Japan harbors fugitives who cost the entire auto industry far more, not to mention the loss of 24 lives, most of them in Hondas. Japanese authorities may have very good reasons for their bitter, relentless pursuit of Ghosn and his family, but they might be wise to take a look in the mirror and stop protecting their own business fugitives from justice.

Navistar MaxxForce engine class-action settlement finalized at $135 million Matt Cole, Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / January 8, 2020 A federal judge has approved Navistar’s proposed $135 million settlement that will be paid out to owners of certain International trucks equipped with defective model year 2011-2014 MaxxForce 11- or 13-liter engines. Judge Joan Gottschall of a U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted the final approval on Jan. 3. The judge concluded that the class action settlement is a “fair, reasonable and adequate resolution” of the truck owners’ claims. The approval follows an objection filed in October by four large fleets. As part of the settlement, those who purchased or leased International trucks with the defective engines can choose from three forms of relief for each affected truck they owned or leased. They can choose to receive up to $2,500 in cash, up to a $10,000 rebate on a new Navistar truck with proof of ownership/lease, or up to $15,000 in repayment for repair costs. The order states that Navistar will contribute $85 million to fund claims for the cash payout and repair repayment options. The remaining $50 million will be used for rebates. Owners and lessees of affected trucks have until May 11 to file their claims for any of the three options, according to the law firm Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann and Bernstein, which represented the class in the settlement. More information on the settlement and filing a claim can be found here.

Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune / January 9, 2020 A Chicago federal judge has given initial approval to Navistar’s agreement to pay truck owners and lessees $135 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over allegedly defective engine emission systems. The settlement, pending final court approval, ends a lengthy court battle for the Lisle-based manufacturer, which built thousands of 2011 to 2014 model year commercial trucks with an alleged emissions design flaw that resulted in breakdowns and engine damage. More than 66,500 International trucks equipped with certain MaxxForce 11- or 13-liter diesel engines are included in the class. Truck owners and lessees can choose from three payout options, either up to $2,500 cash per truck, a rebate of up to $10,000 toward a new truck or up to $15,000 in covered damages per truck. “We’re very happy with the result we reached for the class of Navistar truck owners and lessees,” Adam Levitt, a Chicago attorney representing the plaintiffs, said Thursday. “We believe the settlement provides true and meaningful relief and we look forward to the ongoing claims process and being able to distribute money to class members.” All owners and lessees of affected vehicles must file their claims by May 11, with payouts expected to begin in the summer, Levitt said. Navistar has been grappling with the fallout of the allegedly defective emissions systems for years. Built to comply with U.S. emissions rules that took effect in 2010, the company chose exhaust gas recirculation over selective catalytic reduction, a decision that led to alleged engine problems. In 2016, Navistar paid investors $9.1 million to settle a class-action lawsuit and a $7.5 million penalty to settle Security and Exchange Commission charges it misled investors about developing an advanced technology truck engine that could be certified to meet U.S. emission standards. Navistar spent more than $700 million developing the engine before abandoning the project. The emissions failure led to the resignation of CEO Daniel Ustian in August 2012. The lawsuit on behalf of truck owners and lessees was initially filed in 2014. The proposed settlement was reached in May. Navistar took a charge of $159 million in the second quarter of 2019 to cover costs associated with the settlement. On Thursday, Navistar spokeswoman Lyndi McMillan emailed a statement issued last year saying the proposed settlement accelerated the company’s efforts to “move past” the emissions issue, but had no comment on the court’s approval.

Scania Group Press Release / January 10, 2020 Safety has always been a part of Scania’s DNA. The current generation of trucks underwent five years of advanced crash testing, with technologies and equipment never before used for heavy vehicles. .

The #Autocar #ACX features the tightest turning radius in its class--that means fewer backing incidents & a safer experience for McPherson Area Solid Waste Utility drivers & customers throughout #McPherson County. #AlwaysUp #MASWU #uptime #itsallabouttheuptime #safety .

"The Customer Is Our Boss." It is the #1 operating principle at #Autocar & it is this commitment that drives us to engineer severe-duty trucks that meet the unique needs of each #customer in every vocation. #AlwaysUp #uptime #itsallabouttheuptime #AutocarSolutions .

You all should e-mail Roy Horton, Mack’s director of product strategy, at roy.horton@volvo.com and ask him what his Mack brand "product strategy" is. Some discussion topics might include "Super-Liner", "big engine" and "ranks 6th".

Volvo shows off electric Mack garbage truck, due to hit New York City streets later this year Jon Harris, The Morning Call / January 9, 2020 Born and raised in Queens, Rocky DiRico is a self-described old-timer, someone with a thick growl of a New York accent who started turning wrenches as a truck mechanic with the New York City Department of Sanitation in 1978. He became a procurement supervisor shortly after, rising through the ranks to deputy commissioner in 2001, a post he still holds today. DiRico found himself 90 miles west on Thursday, laying his eyes on what he considers “the most exciting” product development he’s seen during his career with the department. Then he got to drive it, taking the first lap in a fully electric version of Mack’s LR refuse model at the test track at the Mack Customer Center in Allentown. While the truck was first unveiled last May, Thursday was the first public demonstration of the electric vehicle, which is quiet like a Tesla but still features two motors that deliver a combined 496 horsepower — all while spitting out zero emissions. “It’s unbelievable,” DiRico said as he exited the vehicle, repeating the word, “unbelievable” one more time. “It’s so quiet.” While DiRico said the electric truck should make its way to the city by Monday, the long-anticipated vehicle will begin testing in the second quarter. There, DiRico said, his workers plan on “beating the hell” out of it, a tough proving ground in a department that — each day — collects 10,500 tons of residential and institutional garbage along with 1,700 tons of recyclables. The truck also will help the department, which has a fleet of 6,000 trucks, many of them Macks, as it aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2035. “To have a pure electric truck like this, I never thought it would ever happen in my career,” DiRico said. For Mack Trucks, which employs more than 2,000 in the Lehigh Valley, its first electric truck shows how the manufacturer is trying to remain ahead of the curve, staying on top of advances in technology as the transportation industry changes, said Jonathan Randall, Mack’s senior vice president of North American sales and marketing. “I can’t even tell you in 10 or 15 years what the business model may look like,” Randall said. “All we know is people are going to need equipment to get the daily work done. We believe strongly that electric is one of those solutions that’s going to have longevity and is going to stick, and so we need to be prepared for that.” The first electric truck, Randall said, was put together at the Mack Customer Center in conjunction with the company’s engineers in North Carolina. The New York City Department of Sanitation will be Mack’s first customer to test the electric truck. Randall said a second truck will go into service later this year with waste giant Republic Services. Once Mack and its customers are comfortable with the product, following some likely adjustments and tweaks, that’s when the company would look at producing the truck at the assembly plant in Lower Macungie Township, he said. “At some point, a portion of what we build is going to be combustion-diesel and a portion is going to be electric,” Randall said. “That grows over time as the technology becomes more and more commercially viable.” Steve Tam, vice president of Americas Commercial Transportation Research Co., said about 60% of the vehicles in the refuse industry are powered by natural gas, though electric could make sense, too. Roy Horton, Mack’s director of product strategy, went over several of those reasons Thursday. For one, Horton said, garbage trucks are constantly starting and stopping during their run. The Mack electric truck has two-stage regenerative braking, in which the operator lifts their foot off the gas pedal to stop the vehicle while the kinetic energy lost during deceleration is converted to stored energy in the battery. That also leads to less wear and tear on the brakes, which could help reduce operating costs for customers, Horton said. In the refuse industry, he added, the trucks also return to the garage every night, making it easy to recharge. Tam said virtually all truck manufacturers in the domestic market are developing at least one electric model, cutting their teeth on the technology and learning the existing capabilities. A larger challenge, Tam said, will be in long-haul trucks, which could be one of the last segments to see battery electric vehicles because of the battery requirements for lengthy journeys. Based on current technology, Tam said, a battery would weigh around 20,000 pounds to be capable of long-haul application, which would sacrifice payload. As for DiRico, he said he can’t wait to get the Mack electric truck — with a copper-colored Bulldog hood ornament on the front — back to the city to show it off, already envisioning an event featuring the truck on Earth Day in April. The department plans to base the Mack LR Electric at its Brooklyn North 1 garage and test it on a local collection route, evaluating operating range, payload capacity and braking performance. While DiRico has long since left his first job in the department turning wrenches, his two sons now work there — one as a warehouse manager, the other as a mechanic. Who knows what technology Mack and others will be rolling out by the time they become old-timers. .

Volvo Demonstrates Mack LR Electric for New York City Jim Park, Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / January 9, 2020 Mack Trucks pulled back the curtain Jan. 9 on the first working Mack LR Electric, a fully electric version of the LR refuse model first revealed in May 2019. The truck will be delivered to the New York City Department of Sanitation's Brooklyn North 1 garage before the end of January, where it will undergo real-world testing and evaluation on several selected collection routes. Validation testing is scheduled to begin in in the second quarter. "The Mack LR Electric demonstrates Mack’s leadership in powertrain innovation, bringing clean, quiet propulsion to the refuse application, which is one of the toughest in heavy-duty trucking due to the harsh operating environments and number of starts and stops during a shift," said Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senior vice president, North American sales and marketing. DSNY is the world’s largest sanitation department, collecting more than 12,000 tons of refuse and recyclables each day throughout five boroughs with 6,300 miles of streets and a population of about 8.6 million people. Roughly 99% of DSNY's heavy-duty collection fleet is Mack equipment. “New York City has a goal to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions 80% by the year 2035," said Rocky DiRico, DSNY deputy commissioner. "DSNY along with our more than 6,000 vehicles will play a major role as we push toward that goal." The department is looking at a variety of technologies and will be the first Mack customer to test the LR Electric model. DSNY will evaluate several vehicle performance metrics, including operating range, payload capacity, regenerative braking performance, and the overall functionality of a fully electric refuse vehicle in its operation. Randall told reporters a second Mack LR Electric vehicle is in development and will be delivered to Republic Systems in North Carolina later this year. During the demonstration at the Mack Customer Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the Mack LR Electric was piloted around a test course set up on Mack’s test track and skid-pad, which simulated the real-world stop-and-go driving found in refuse applications. The test course also featured tight turns and an area to reverse the vehicle, highlighting the truck’s maneuverability. Powered by Mack’s integrated electric powertrain, the Mack LR Electric features two 130-kW motors that deliver a combined 496 peak horsepower and 4,051 lb.-ft. of torque available from zero rpm. A two-speed Mack Powershift transmission harnesses that power and puts it to the ground through Mack’s proprietary S522R 52,000-lb. rear axles. The truck features four NMC lithium-ion batteries (Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide) that are charged via a 50-kW, SAE J1772-compliant charging system. All accessories on the Mack LR Electric model are electrically driven through 12-, 24- and 600-volt circuits. .

Now, who wants to visit........Japan?

Ghosn details 'plot' to oust him, condemns Nissan executives, Japan Hans Greimel, Automotive News / January 8, 2019 BEIRUT -- Indicted former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, now an international fugitive on the loose in Lebanon after bolting bail in Japan, lashed out at the carmaker and the Japanese justice system in his first press conference since his wild legal odyssey began in 2018. Facing some 100 reporters at Wednesday’s invitation-only event, an animated Ghosn – looking businesslike in a dark suit and red tie – spoke for nearly two-and-a-half hours, unleashing a point-by-point attack on the validity of the investigation that culminated in his shocking arrest in Japan. Ghosn named names of those behind what he alleged was a plot to oust him, singling out former CEO Hiroto Saikawa, and said he had evidence backing his claims of innocence. “I am here to clear my name," Ghosn said at the conference, held here in the Lebanese capital. "These allegations are untrue, and I should never have been arrested in the first place." Ghosn also said he would be willing to stand trial in any country, except Japan, where he spent nearly 130 days in solitary confinement as prosecutors repeatedly arrested him on different counts. He blasted Japanese justice, with its 99 percent conviction rate, as a rigged system in which guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant and basic human rights are denied. The former head of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, now sporting thinner, grayer hair than before his Nov. 19, 2018, arrest, also said he was interrogated for as long as eight hours a day without a clear explanation of the charges against him. Prosecutors, the 65-year-old father of four grown children said, pressured him to confess, partly by threatening to go after his family. “I was brutally taken from my world as I knew it,” Ghosn said. “I was ripped from my family, my friends, from my communities, and from Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi.” Jumping bail and fleeing to his childhood home of Lebanon just before New Year, he said, was the only way he could escape what he called the injustice of the Japanese system. “You’re going to die in Japan or you’re going to have to get out,” he said. “I felt that I was a hostage in a country that I had served for 17 years... All of a sudden a few prosecutors and a bunch of executives at Nissan said you know what, this guy is a cold, greedy dictator.” The Tokyo prosecutor, in a statement released after Ghosn's press conference, said the indicted former executive’s comments “failed to justify his acts.” “Defendant Ghosn has only himself to blame for being arrested and detained,” it said. During his press conference, Ghosn said he was ready to retire before June 2018 but was asked to continue. “I, unfortunately, accepted this offer.” He said he was working to integrate Renault and Nissan while respecting the autonomy of both. But he said there was mistrust. “Some of my Japanese friends thought that the only way to get rid of the influence of Renault on Nissan was to get rid of me,” he said. “Which, unfortunately, they were right.” He also said he was in the process of negotiating a merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles before his arrest, but said he was unable to complete it after prosecutors took him in. Today, FCA is merging with France’s PSA Group instead, and Ghosn blasted the alliance for botching a deal. “The alliance missed the unmissable, which is Fiat Chrysler,” Ghosn said. "That is unbelievable, they go with PSA. How can you miss that huge opportunity to become the dominant player in the industry?” Ghosn also acknowledged that he was asked in 2009 by Steve Rattner, President Barack Obama's car czar, to run General Motors during the automaker's reorganization amid the Great Recession. He said he turned down the offer out of allegiance to Renault and Nissan -- even though Rattner offered to double his pay. “I made a mistake. I should have accepted the offer,” Ghosn said in response to criticisms in Japan that he was greedy. He declined to say how he would address Nissan’s current ills, which include falling revenue and plunging profits. Nissan has countered with aggressive cost control and job cuts. “What I would do is completely different from what is being done,” Ghosn said. Regarding his audacious escape from the clutches of Japanese prosecutors, Ghosn said refused to disclose details saying he needed to protect those who assisted his escape. Japan's humiliation The vanishing act humiliated Japan, which has indicted Ghosn, 65, on four counts of financial misconduct during his time at Nissan. Ghosn’s trial was to begin as early as this spring. Accounts of his escape come straight from a Hollywood thriller. Japanese media, citing security camera footage pieced together by local authorities, say Ghosn left his court-approved home in central Tokyo around 2:30 p.m. Dec. 29 wearing a hat and face mask commonly worn in Japan as protection from germs, pollen and pollution. He then met two American private security experts, including a former Green Beret, at a nearby five-star hotel before absconding to Osaka on Japan’s ultrafast bullet train. Once 300 miles away in that western Japanese metropolis, Ghosn was reportedly loaded into an oversized shipping case for audio equipment and spirited onto a private jet at Osaka’s Kansai International Airport. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report that holes were drilled in the bottom of the box so Ghosn could breathe and that airport security didn’t screen it because the box was too big to fit through the X-ray machine. The plane then reportedly flew to Turkey, where Ghosn transferred to another jet bound for Beirut. Unmuzzled In Lebanon, where Ghosn is a citizen, he is unmuzzled to tell his side of the story without the threat of Japanese authorities rearresting him and sending him back to jail. Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan, and officials here have said they have no plans to send him back. From his base in Beirut, Ghosn is free to fully weave his own narrative. Ahead of his news conference, Nissan went on the offensive, issuing a statement saying it found “incontrovertible evidence” of misconduct by Ghosn, including misstatement of his compensation and misappropriation of the company’s assets for his personal benefit. “The company will continue to take appropriate legal action to hold Ghosn accountable for the harm that his misconduct has caused to Nissan,” the automaker said. In September, Ghosn agreed to pay $1 million to settle, without admitting guilt, a separate U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission complaint that he hid some $140 million in future payouts. Yet, Japanese prosecutors have yet to disclose any evidence backing their indictments. And without an open trial to air it, the dispute risks becoming a he-said-she-said battle. Indeed, Ghosn’s defense team immediately punched back with its own statement, calling Nissan’s claim of having conducted a robust, thorough investigation a “gross perversion of the truth." “It was initiated and carried out for the specific, predetermined purpose of taking down Carlos Ghosn to prevent him from further integrating Nissan and Renault, which threatened the independence of Nissan, one of Japan’s iconic, flagship companies,” the statement said. Conflicts of interest The investigation was rife with conflicts of interest that undercut its legitimacy, Ghosn’s team said. Hari Nada, the Nissan executive running the internal investigation, is himself a plea bargainer who had a hand in the alleged crimes Ghosn is accused of, the team said. Nada, once expected to serve as a key witness against Ghosn at trial, was only relieved of his duties as head of Nissan legal affairs this past October, nearly a year after Ghosn’s arrest. Furthermore, Ghosn’s defense maintains Nissan’s audit was not truly independent because it was conducted with the law firm Latham & Watkins, one of Nissan’s longtime outside legal counsels. Latham & Watkins gave legal advice on the very matters subject to investigation, it said. Ghosn’s team also claims that the Nissan probe also never asked to interview Ghosn or share its full results with Ghosn or the public. Central to Ghosn’s defense is the argument that [Japanese] prosecutors illegally conspired with certain Nissan executives and government officials to frame Ghosn in a coup aimed at removing him from power and preventing further integration of Nissan with its French alliance partner Renault. Ghosn’s lawyers also say that prosecutors illegally handed prosecutorial and investigative powers to Nissan employees, who then assembled evidence against Ghosn at their behest. Ghosn's attorneys say Nissan unlawfully dispatched employees to invade Ghosn's residences and illegally seize personal property and attorney-client privileged files, while prosecutors did the same with attorney-client privileged notes and legal documents from Ghosn's wife, Carole Ghosn. Moreover, prosecutors engaged in unfair bias by charging Ghosn, who is non-Japanese, while ignoring admitted wrongdoing by other Nissan executives who are Japanese, the filings allege. Ghosn’s defense team has accused Nissan of not sharing some 6,000 pieces of digital evidence. Additionally, Ghosn's counsel had argued, his right to a speedy trial was violated because even more than a year after his arrest, he still has no confirmed start date for a trial. Indeed, Ghosn’s lawyers have said, the prospect of spending another year or two under strict bail conditions in Japan during a protracted trial is one reason he decided to flee. The bail restrictions not only prohibited him from leaving Japan but restricted his Internet and phone access, subjected him to video surveillance and forbade him contact with his wife. Japan's defense Japanese authorities have defended the country’s legal system as fair [??????] and said Ghosn bolted from Japan to escape punishment. “Prosecutors indict defendants only when prosecutors conclude that they can establish their case in courts beyond any reasonable doubt,” the Tokyo Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a release. “As a result, Japan has had a history of high conviction rates.” Ghosn faces four indictments in Japan. The first two are charges of failing to disclose more than $80 million in deferred compensation. The two other counts are breach-of-trust charges that accuse Ghosn of diverting company money for personal gain. Ghosn, who denies the entire slate of charges, faced up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to 150 million yen ($1.4 million) if convicted on all four counts. On the first two charges of millions of dollars in unreported compensation, Ghosn’s lawyers have said Nissan's securities filings accurately disclosed Ghosn's actual compensation. They say Nissan never committed to paying deferred pay and Ghosn never received it. Regarding the first breach-of-trust allegation, they argue that the financial transactions in question never caused financial loss to Nissan and that Ghosn paid the money back per contract. Meanwhile, Ghosn’s team has tried to undermine the other accusation, that he siphoned money from Nissan and fed it through business associates in the Middle East in a scheme that allegedly circulated millions of dollars back into the pockets of Ghosn or family members. Ghosn's defense counters that Nissan paid the parties in question because they were legitimate payments for business services, such as reimbursement for expenses. Additionally, the disbursements were fully vetted and approved by multiple senior Nissan executives, including former CEO Hiroto Saikawa, in one case, they say. Finally, defense filings say, none of those Nissan funds were transferred for the benefit of Ghosn or his family. .

The original kit number was 57GC294.