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Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) / April 24, 2019 .

Kenworth Truck Co. Press Release / April 26, 2019 Kenworth at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Long Beach, California. .

C'mon guys, in the North American market, for over 90 percent of the operators, the 350-500hp X12 is all they need.

Tom Quimby, commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ) / May 3, 2019 Meritor CEO Jay Craig says his company and others in the commercial vehicle industry missed the mark when it came to determining just how big of a role powertrain electrification would come to play this past year. “I was wrong and many others in our industry were wrong with the pace of that change over the last 12 months,” Craig said recently during the general session at ACT Expo in Long Beach, Calif. “It’s been far more rapid than any of us anticipated and it’s been extremely challenging, particularly advances in electronic drivetrains.” “We at Meritor do believe that everything is about to fundamentally change in our industry,” Craig added. The exhibitor list at ACT posted the names of 171 companies including Meritor which is one of a growing number of manufacturers pursuing vehicle electrification. “Five years ago, ACT Expo had very few EV-related products,” Craig said. “Now it represents a third to almost 50 percent of what you’re going to see.” Earlier this year, Meritor announced 22 electrification programs with global OEMs which is expected to put at least 130 fully electric medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks on the road through 2020. Meritor’s display at ACT included a battery-powered Kalmar port terminal truck which it built with TransPower for the Ports of Long Beach and Oakland. The trucks are being funded by a $17.1 million grant from the California Air Resources Board’s Zero and Near Zero Emission Freight Facility (ZANZEFF) program. It’s one of the largest grants ever awarded for port tractors which will be used 16 hours a day in areas categorized as non-attainment air pollution zones in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Book. There are currently 37 states and 300 counties posted on the EPA’s non-attainment county list. California easily ranks tops for not only having the greatest number of polluted counties, 40, but also for having the worst air quality in the nation. Counties are labeled as either marginal, moderate, serious or extreme offenders. The Meritor-TransPower tractors will be operating in the non-attainment counties of Los Angeles and Alameda. Air pollution is considered extreme in Los Angeles county and moderate in Alameda. Emissions reductions have remained a top priority for California which has been active in pursuing legislation that calls for using near-zero or zero emissions vehicles in non-attainment areas. During his recent tenure, former California Governor Jerry Brown was so concerned about emissions that he suggested implementing a ban on internal combustion engines in the state. In going beyond simply offering fleets alt fuel incentives CARB announced in December a first-of-its-kind regulation in the U.S. that sets a statewide goal for public transit agencies to gradually transition to 100 percent zero-emission bus fleets by 2040. Buses aren’t the only vehicles coming under fire in the Golden State. At Los Angeles International Airport, fleets operating medium and heavy-duty vehicles have until April 30 to comply with the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Requirement Program. “Engine year cannot be greater than model years of the current reporting year and vehicles must be alternative fuel (non-petroleum derived), electric, or gasoline and diesel vehicles that are an optional low NOx vehicle or CARB Low Emission Vehicle (LEV III),” reads the program update for Los Angeles World Airports Alt Fuel Vehicle Requirement Program. Fleet funding is available from LAX’s Alternative Fuel Vehicle Incentive Program. Vehicles driven there less than five times a month are exempt from compliance. In keeping with program requirements, Hacor, a longtime in-flight airline catering services provider at LAX, announced with Roush CleanTech at ACT that they were acquiring Roush’s ultra-low NOx trucks powered by a propane autogas fuel system. Craig said pollution concerns in non-attainment zones will continue to steer fleets towards alt fuel. He said in China 18 of 30 major cities have green zones, some of which restrict the use of ICE vehicles from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Craig said increased green zones are not just limited to nations overseas. A global map he displayed showed new clean air standards for San Francisco; New York; Austin, Texas; and emission free zones in Pasadena, Calif. “This is another big, big driver of the change that’s coming to the industry,” he said. “People talk about this being mainly a Chinese issue or an issue in India. No, it’s an issue that’s across the globe.” Earlier this year, the Diesel Brothers were found guilty in a federal court of tampering with diesel emissions devices on several pickups in Utah in Davis County which made EPA’s list for moderate and serious non-attainment emissions levels. So much riding on batteries Besides pollution concerns, Craig said another driver towards vehicle electrification are lower battery costs which currently average around $250 per kilowatt hour. “I think it’s still the consensus thought that by 2025 there is a flight path to get to $150 per kilowatt hour fully packed. It’s not without challenges,” Craig said. “At that price, certain applications become economic: school buses, refuse trucks, transit buses, drayage vehicles. Those become economic against ICE driven vehicles.” Craig said certain analysts are projecting that battery costs could get as low as $100 per kilowatt hour by 2025. “I know many of us would say that it presents a very, very significant challenge, but I think very few of you would say it’s outright impossible. I don’t think we know all of the changes that can come to battery technology to move that. And at that price almost any application becomes economic. It really falls back to the restriction of what the power grid can handle, the infrastructure, to make that transition.” However, not everyone accepts the notion of falling battery prices. Nikola founder and CEO Trevor Milton, who spoke at ACT shortly after Craig, rejected the premise. Milton referred to rising lithium prices brought on by increased EV production in the U.S. and abroad, particularly in China, the largest consumer of lithium in the world. Nikola is developing both hydrogen fuel cell and battery-powered Class 8 trucks. “I just want people to speak the truth. You can’t solve problems when you don’t talk about it. Material costs have gone up. Battery costs have gone up 25 to 30 percent the last 12 to 18 months. They’re not coming down. The more people that jump in, the more expensive it gets,” he said. This week, Tesla warned of a global shortage of metals used in EV battery production. According to Reuters, the California-based EV manufacturer—which also produces batteries in neighboring Nevada—believes that mining investments have not kept pace with growing demands of metals used in the nascent zero-emission industry such as lithium, copper and nickel. Cobalt, another key metal used in battery production, has come under fire given its controversial origins in Africa where children have been used to mine the highly sought-after metal. As a result, Tesla reported that it will be transitioning from cobalt to nickel. But the switch can’t come fast enough for Milton. “Right now they’re digging up mines with child labor to pull these batteries out? I’m tired of it,” he said. “People are not telling the truth about it and it drives me nuts because I don’t want to support child labor. The only thing you can use indefinitely forever is water and hydrogen. It’s the only resource that will not go away.” Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who will fall short of reaching his goal of producing a Class 8 electric semi in 2019, has denounced fuel-cell technology as ‘stupid’ and that ‘success is simply not possible.’ Milton, who recently unveiled his Nikola II prototype in Arizona and later displayed it at ACT, said his fuel cell tractors will have a range of 750 miles. He added that hydrogen produced through solar power will undercut the price of diesel. Milton sees fleets using his fuel cell and all-electric trucks—the former for long haul, given its longer range, and the later with an expected range of 300 to 400 miles, for regional and metro applications. “There are a lot of advantages to both,” Milton said. “They’re the exact same platform. Remember that. There’s nothing different. They’re both driven by electric motors. They both have power electronics, inverters, everything else. The only difference is how you charge it. Do you pull it from the grid? Or do you store it in hydrogen?”

Truck News / May 6, 2019 TREMBLANT, Quebec – Quebec is planning key changes to its weights and dimensions regulations that will allow automatic lift axles on semi-trailers, and the use of Long Combination Vehicles (LCVs) on Sundays and during winter. Special permits issued since 2011 have allowed LCVs to run from December to February as part of a pilot project. And the updated rules regarding automatic lift axles would align with regulations in Ontario. Both commitments were announced by Claude Reid, parliamentary assistant to Quebec Transport Minister Francois Bonnardel, during the annual meeting of the Quebec Trucking Association. “The use of automatic lift axles and the circulation of LCVs on Sunday and winter were longstanding claims for the industry that the former government had left behind. Once again, our government announces its intentions quickly, less than seven months after its election. I am pleased that my parliamentary assistant, Claude Reid, made the announcement,” said Bonnardel said in a press release. “The ACQ [Quebec Trucking Association] has made representations to the government for several years on both the issues of automatic lift axles and circulation of LCVs on Sunday and during winter. We are pleased to see that the government is taking action to enable these technologies, which are important for the industry and which allow for fuel savings and GHG reduction. The ACQ will monitor the cases closely to ensure that these regulations come into force in the near future.” The rollout dates for the amendments have yet to be announced. .

I believe you are right. It seems that Xpeditor cab production moved to CVG some time between 2011 and the present.

Yes, Bendix is using the old White cab tooling (which has been updated of course). Bendix never made cabs before, but was willing. https://www.bendix.com/media/documents/press_releases/2008/Autocar_Module_Rounds_Out_Bendix_Business_100208.pdf

People are disgusted with a lack of options (X12) and availability (build slots up to 12 months out). "If" Autocar can deliver this vocational chassis in a timely manner, they can really clean up. It all will depend on how skillfully they can ramp up production. Yet another truck that will, alike the T880, take more Mack brand market share in the vocational segment.

Bob, CVG was producing Navistar cabs up to 2009. Then Navistar wisely brought production in-house. CVG (Commercial Vehicle Group), the firm that produces Mack brand cabs, is a mess. http://ir.cvgrp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/commercial-vehicle-group-announces-planned-closure-norwalk-oh https://www.morningjournal.com/news/losing-jobs-in-norwalk/article_79b65e1e-acbf-5d17-aed3-00dfe8039021.html I can't see enough from that picture to compare with the Navistar cab. Obviously the doors are different, with horizontal door handles alike a T880. The sunvisor hides the roof line. Cabs are not that expensive to design anymore. They might have thrown out their criteria to several design firms, and Bendix* is producing it. We'll soon know. * https://www.truckinginfo.com/101092/bendix-expands-module-business-with-autocar-cab-deal

Extremely impressed with the appearance of that truck.

There was a plan. The X12 is known as the ISG in China - same engine. https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/40094-cummins-starts-field-testing-heavy-truck-engine-in-australia/?tab=comments#comment-290546 The North American market doesn't get the 10.5 litre variant, which I feel is a mistake.

It's anyone's guess. Venture capital firm GVW Capital's niche with it's Autocar, LLC project has been principally refuse, so hence we can expect a vocational conventional (bonneted) truck which can inherently be sold to tipper and ready-mix fleets as well. Obviously times have changed.......it will have to be substantially lighter than the Autocars of old in order to compete in the modern world. Interestingly, it will likely feature the superb X12. My point? Paccar foolishly didn't sign a purchase agreement with Cummins for the X12. So all those Paccar fleets which bought ISX12s are now being forced to buy the Paccar MX13, or switch brands. Absolutely stupid on Paccar's part.....give the customer an engine choice. Aside from Autocar, only Daimler's gaudy/tacky Western Star 4700 and (cheap) 114SD are available with the outstanding X12. Navistar and Mack don't offer it. So I say the X12, a high-performing low weight package, will give the new Autocar conventional a nice sales advantage right out of the gate.

Scania Group Press Release / April 30, 2019 Husband and wife Alberto Fontanari and Eva Del Marco have a shared passion for driving. So much so, they have both qualified for the Italian Scania Driver Competition finals, with Eva becoming the only woman in Italy to reach the deciding stages. Perhaps it’s unsurprising that Alberto and Eva have both qualified because their relationship is based on mutual support and a shared passion for driving. The couple grew up together, have had a relationship for more than 20 years, and finally got married six months ago. They live with their young daughters Silvia and Giorgia in the village of Pergine Valsugana in northern Italy’s Trento Province, where the couple operate a haulage company that bears Eva’s name. It was actually Eva who had the idea of taking part in the Scania Driver Competition. “I was confident of Alberto’s skills but he never wanted to enter previous editions. This year I decided to register him at any cost but he only agreed if I also enrolled. We never thought we would both qualify but here we are.” Thirty-eight-year-old Eva says that her passion for driving was kindled when she was still a child. “Thanks to our relationship, that passion developed and it became our profession,” she says. Alberto, 42, has always encouraged Eva to devote herself to her driving. “He encouraged me to obtain all the necessary licenses and then obtain the certificate that allowed us to start our business in 2005,” Eva explains. Alberto on the other hand was born into the business. His father owned a transport company but closed the business before his son was in a position to take over. Initially, Alberto worked as a driver before founding Delmarco Trasporti with Eva. They started with an old small pick-up truck before buying their first Scania. The next three trucks were also Scania and the fleet has since grown to seven vehicles. “We almost exclusively operate in Italy, including the islands. At the moment, we don’t operate abroad because there’s such intense competition,” says Eva. These days, Alberto is often still out on the road, but Eva mainly focuses on managing the company in order to care for their daughters. “Before our girls were born, we travelled together as a couple and on longer journeys we took turns driving,” she says. “Later, when one of our drivers quit, I started driving myself for two years. I would take assignments during the day to carry out administrative work during the evenings.” As the only woman to qualify for the Italian finals, Eva Del Marco is happy to say that her gender has never been an issue for her in the world of haulage. “I’ve never encountered any problems being a female driver; no prejudice. This profession offers you the opportunity to meet new people, see new places and broaden your horizons.” “The chance to practise a job you like is the most beautiful thing in the world. As tiring and demanding as it is, it is welcome, since every day and every journey brings great satisfaction.” And what if Giorgia (9) and Silvia (7) wanted to become long-haulage drivers? “If our girls also develop a passion for driving and one day wish to pursue this career, we will happily encourage them,” says Eva, smiling. .

https://d3w5dxa1iffln.cloudfront.net/media/1394/2019-real-steel-john-noons-fleet-wot-jf19.pdf

Go aftermarket. Assuming that RVI number is correct, call a large aftermarket distributor in Europe. Google 5000447543. eg. https://www.eurorecambio.com/industrial/Disco-de-freno-Renault-5000447543_7916053_gp

Ford Trucks International / April 29, 2019 The Ford Trucks International corporate website has received a Gold Award in the Web Elements category. In addition, the Ford Trucks F-MAX microsite has been honored with a platinum award in the Mobile and Web Based Technologies category. .

A mild recession in 3rd qtr 2019 A more significant recession by 2023.

I think the R-800 qualifies as a steel-nosed R-700. https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/36705-aussie-r-800/

https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/3725-steel-nose-r-model/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Merlin

Ford plans several initiatives to boost customer experience Michael Martinez, Automotive News / April 2, 2019 DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. credits a deep understanding of truck customers for the sales success of its F-series line of pickups. Now the automaker wants to apply that same buyer-centric approach to the overall vehicle purchase process. Ford on Thursday announced a series of initiatives designed to improve the customer experience. They include a new loyalty rewards program; redesigned call centers; and pilot programs for a mobile service network, easier lease renewal and new types of showrooms. Although officials wouldn't disclose details, they said Ford is doubling the amount of money it spends on customer experience in an effort to improve its standing among rivals such as Toyota. "We're sort of middle of the pack," said Elena Ford, the automaker's chief customer experience officer and great-great-granddaughter of founder Henry Ford. "We want to grow to be best in class. If we truly want to be serious about customer experience, we have to resource it like we do F-150." The automaker late last year announced intentions to focus more on customer loyalty and retention instead of conquesting buyers from other brands, which they say is harder. Customer experience is at the heart of retention, Ford said, and the company looked to non-automotive companies such as Apple, Google, Marriott and JetBlue for best practices they could emulate. "When experiences are good, we're rewarded with higher loyalty," Ford said. FordPass Rewards The automaker last month launched a new loyalty rewards program, called FordPass Rewards, to try to boost dealers' service business and stop customers from defecting to their local Jiffy Lube or third-party repair shop. Nearly every U.S. dealer has signed up to offer the program, which runs through the company's FordPass smartphone app. Customers who buy or lease a new vehicle and enroll in the free program automatically earn 42,000 points, which is enough to cover their first three oil and air filter changes. Customers will earn points for any service visit and can bank points toward service costs or the purchase of a new vehicle. The points can be redeemed at any dealership. Ford modeled the program on Delta's popular SkyMiles rewards program. The program does not cost dealers. Ford pays for all of the points. Officials said they are looking at ways to expand opportunities for customers to earn points with more than just vehicle maintenance, which might occur only once every handful of months. Mobile Service Vans Ford has begun piloting a mobile service van concept at five dealerships across five states to better serve customers. The vans contain equipment for oil changes, brake pad installation and parts to fix recalls. Dealers must purchase and outfit the vans, and it's up to individual retailers how much they would charge for the service, Ford said. The pilot currently runs in California and will expand this month to Texas, Illinois, New Jersey and Florida. It is unclear how long the pilot will last or whether Ford will expand it. The automaker currently operates 100 mobile service vans for fleet vehicles in the U.K. New showroom concepts Ford is also experimenting with a series of new showroom concepts. The first involves upgrades to the traditional showroom with what's called the Ford Signature look. It involves a more customer-centric experience modeled off Apple stores. The stores call for replacing traditional deal desks with purchase rooms that have shared screens; monitors with service prices and video feeds of the service garage; and "celebration areas" for new-vehicle delivery that includes pulling a silk off a customer's new car, like at an auto show. Ford said it has 70 Ford Signature stores around the world with plans to grow to 300 globally by year's end. The automaker is also piloting a concept called Ford Smart Labs, an open floorplan look that's dropped into high-traffic retail areas, such as shopping malls. The first is opening in Brussels, Belgium, and Ford plans to add five more labs by the end of 2019, including one in Germany and another in Canada. Lease pilots Ford Credit is offering customers a couple of new experiences to make the leasing process smoother. One is a "personal lease assistant" who can walk customers through any questions as early as four months before a lease is up. The pilot is currently running in New York and Philadelphia. Another pilot called "Drive New. Now" provides lease customers with a one-click option to renew their lease by offering them a similar vehicle that's available now at their individual dealership. For example, someone in a 2016 Ford Edge would be offered a 2019 Edge with the same trim package. Call centers Ford this month will open a new 500-person call center in Houston with agents that specialize in pickup issues. The call center will be a prototype for a new style globally, Ford said, that places greater emphasis on customer needs. Instead of being transferred, a customer will now stay with the first person reached when the call is made. That first person will remain with the customer through the experience -- an idea Ford took from call centers at its Lincoln luxury brand. "Everything we're doing is to empower customers and make their complicated lives simpler and worry-free," Elena Ford said.

Ford to scale back V-8 engine output at Ontario plant Automotive News / May 2, 2019 WINDSOR, Ontario — Ford Motor Co. is dropping one of three production shifts at its Essex engine plant in Windsor, Ontario, in October because of waning demand for 5.0-liter V-8 engines in the automaker’s F-series trucks. The move was made “to better align with consumer demand,” a Ford Canada spokesman said. John D'Agnolo, president of Unifor Local 200, which represents workers at the plant, said elimination of the third shift is the result of Ford offering a growing number of engine sizes. F-series truck buyers can choose among 2.7-, 3.3-, 3.5- and 5.0-liter engines — as well as a diesel variant — and many are opting for smaller engines, D’Agnolo said. Ford Canada said “there will be no [job] cuts” as a result of the changes. “All employees affected by the shift reduction will have the opportunity to move to Windsor Engine Plant Annex to support 7.3-litre engine production,” Ford Canada spokesman Matthew Drennan-Scace wrote in an email. The annex building is part of the Windsor engine plant, which is a 15-minute drive from the Essex engine plant. Two new production shifts are to begin at the annex in November, D’Agnolo said. D’Agnolo said he wasn’t surprised by the news and workers were prepared. “We’ve had down shifts every week since January, and we have two down weeks in the summer, and two more down weeks scheduled in September,” D’Agnolo said. “We could see that sales of the 5.0-liter were dropping.”

Peterbilt tests Allison e-axle in Class 8 truck Transport Engineer / April 30, 2019 US truck manufacturer Peterbilt is testing a new axle for electric vehicles, supplied by Allison Transmission. The AXE Series electric powertrain is being fitted to Peterbilt’s Model 579EV electric Class 8 truck, which delivers 1,455bhp (1,100kW). “Allison is pleased to be building upon its legacy of innovation and believes this product will be a significant step in taking the industry to the next level of electrification,” said David S Graziosi, president and CEO of Allison Transmission. “We value this opportunity to work with an industry leader.” A fully integrated electric powertrain system designed to fit inside a standard frame along the axles of commercial trucks, the AXE Series features electric motors, a two-speed gearbox, oil coolers and pumps. The offering also includes power electronics for a complete powertrain solution.