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Renault Trucks Press Release / November 14, 2018 Renault Trucks is expanding its range of used trucks and bringing out a new model from the "Used Trucks Factory" incorporated into the Bourg-en-Bresse manufacturing site. The T P-Road is the result of converting Renault Trucks T Tractors into Rigids to meet customer demand. Renault Trucks is bringing out a customized used rigid - the T P-Road - to meet the specific requirements of customers looking for high-quality, certified, used rigids. This new model (a Renault Trucks T X-Road worksite supply truck) is the latest addition to the manufacturer's existing "Used Trucks Factory" range of customized used vehicles. In the Used Trucks Factory workshop at the Bourg-en-Bresse manufacturing site, rigorously-selected, recent, used tractors are first checked against a more than 200-point checklist before being converted in accordance with the truck builder's manufacturing standards. Prior to any conversion, Renault Trucks design office and quality engineers carry out a specific study of each conversion project. The industrial manufacturing process and quality control meet the same demanding standards as those applied when manufacturing a new vehicle. To carry out the conversion, the cab, drive chain and suspension are first removed so that the existing rails can be replaced by new rails with a customized wheelbase. This guarantees the vehicle's robustness and suitability for any type of body and purpose. The T P-Road undergoes the same strict quality control and systematic road test as new vehicles before delivery to Renault Trucks dealerships. The T P-Road is currently available in the 4x2 frame version, with a choice of three different wheelbase lengths (5600, 6000 and 6500 mm) as required. Vehicles can also be customized for driving schools and removal companies. The T P-Road is guaranteed for one year or 120,000 km. This manufacturer's guarantee (Selection Label) covers all drive chain components (engine, gearbox and bridges). .

DAF Trucks Press Release / November 14, 2018 .

How America is preparing for a third world war Katrina Manson, The Financial Times / November 16, 2018 Robot-soldiers, stealth jets and drone armies: the future of war Couscous might not be the most obvious harbinger of World War III. But in the corner of a spartan army warehouse on the coast of Maryland, I find myself eyeballing a pallet of 48 boxes of the foodstuff more usually associated with peacenik vegans. Jason Pusey, a mechanical engineer, thinks these dry particles, when shot through with air, will fluff up enough to approximate the conditions of water without electrocuting him in the process. That will help him in his quest to develop the perfect set of gaits for his military robot. “I’m trying to develop the fundamental technologies, transitioning between walking to trotting to galloping to maybe bounding or to jumping,” he says. “What if I want to run through water? When a lifeguard runs out into the water, he high-steps.” The autonomous military vehicles of the future — whether tanks, robots or drones — may have legs rather than tracks or wheels. Besides humans on the beach, Pusey avidly watches nature documentaries to help translate the speed of a cheetah, the energetic burst of a greyhound or the dexterity of a jumping lemur to one single, extraordinarily capable robot. “Our legs are very intelligent things,” he tells me. I am in the depths of Aberdeen Proving Ground, which is home to a sprawling high-security army research base dedicated to reshaping the military 50 years into the future. “Making today’s army and the next army obsolete,” goes its tagline. Created as a bomb-testing site in the first world war, it became a hub for biochemical weapons in the 1990s. Today it hosts the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL), the sole US location for emerging tactical offensive warfare in cyber and electronics. This is ground zero for the weaponry of World War III, a war that — if it happens — many believe will be fought by robots. At research centres such as this one, the US military machine is developing futuristic weapons to rival even the most adventurous inventions of sci-fi writers. The advance of artificial intelligence brings with it the prospect of robot-soldiers battling alongside humans — and one day eclipsing them altogether. Other weapons under development in the US include hypersonics — missiles that travel at five times the speed of sound. Then there are electronic weapons such as the railgun, which will fire bullets with an electromagnetic force that far exceeds conventional firepower, and directed energy weapons such as lasers that travel at the speed of light and could one day zap missiles, drones, aircraft and satellites silently from a distance. “You [could] kill multiple inbound missiles with a single laser,” says Trey Obering, former head of the Missile Defense Agency, who as a boy watched films about aliens with lasers for eyes. “The speed of warfare would be blinding.” The war of the future will look completely different to conventional ideas of battle. Jammers could block satellites that militaries depend on for intelligence and navigation. Cyber warfare could target electricity grids, water networks, financial systems, hospitals and the families of military commanders. As attacks on infrastructure become more likely, scientists hope that quantum computing will offer the best chance of defence; in the nearer term, quantum navigation could relieve militaries of reliance on GPS satellites and space. More than 20,000 people are based at the Aberdeen Proving Ground’s 72,000-acre complex. It is an incongruous spot for warfare, with children’s playgrounds, leisure boats and tree-lined boulevards beside the Chesapeake Bay. But with names such as Tank Street , Radar Road and Combat Drive, it is also unmistakably the martial face of research. One team is testing precisely how a bullet bursts through material. “It’s a cat-and-mouse game: each time the enemy makes a better bullet, we have to make better protection,” says physicist Michael Zellner. Another is immersed in developing a mechanical frame to give soldiers a “third arm” — the world’s only known exoskeleton research project aimed at the upper body. Zachary Wingard, the mechanical engineer who co-conceived the contraption, tells me the aim is to offset the recoil and weight of tomorrow’s higher-performance weapons. Meanwhile, in a bomb cave never before entered by journalists, scientists are testing the next generation of explosive materials. Reminiscent of an air-raid shelter, the cave has thick metal walls pitted with the marks of repeated attacks as researchers painstakingly record and assess data on potential compounds. Back in Pusey’s warehouse, a baby robot known as the Minitaur scuttles across the floor, bending its mechanised knees with a determined stamp that evokes insect, dog and horror movie all at once. The Minitaur’s offspring may one day scout out dangerous combat zones, deploy bombs or fire weapons. Researchers here are working to deliver an autonomous system that relies on artificial intelligence so that dextrous and capable robots can execute orders based on commands from soldiers in the field. “When we really have legged, intelligent machines operating on the battlefield, that will be a serious step . . . You can use your imagination as to what a pack of these things can do to an enemy tank,” says Alexander Kott, chief scientist at ARL. Kott, who has studied artificial intelligence for more than 30 years, says we are watching a new generation of intelligence unfold. “Robots probably will fight robots, absolutely, there’s no question about it.” Couscous, it turns out, is playing a role in a rapidly accelerating technological arms race that will change the way wars are fought for ever. And it is a prospect that is bringing China and the US head to head. Predictions of a third world war have been around since the conclusion of the second. In today’s imaginings, the chief enemy is China, and the US is on the back foot. Peter Singer’s 2015 novel Ghost Fleet, co-written with August Cole, envisages a war in which China strikes early, disabling sophisticated US communications in space and forcing America to rely on a near-defunct fleet of ships, while China relies on a “central nerve cell” of hackers. Defence officials seized on the book’s central message. The authors have briefed military chiefs, the White House and special operations. Singer has seen many of his predictions come true. “August and I often have a ‘Ghost Fleet’ moment of the day — when something in the real world happens from the novel,” he says. “They’re coming pretty fast and furious now from the technological aspect.” Over whisky at a bar near the Pentagon, a senior national security official tells me that the US has wasted years on wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan. “We’ve been occupied by fighting low-tech conflict against people who lob rockets out the back of trucks, and all along China has got savvy and crept up on us. That’s now our focus.” Defence officials say China deliberately studied the US approach to conflict as far back as the Gulf war in the 1990s. They say Beijing determined that while it could never match American air power, it could boost its own missile capabilities and invest in technologies of the future that specifically target American vulnerabilities. An edgy US defence establishment is now responding. Today, China has top billing in the Trump administration’s national security and defence strategies. Increasingly, the US is realising it is no longer the world’s only superpower — a humiliating climbdown that military planners have been slow to embrace. Many believe the days of great power competition — and the prospect of full-blown war between technologically advanced and nuclear-armed states — are back. “[China] is building the most capable and well-funded military in the world, after our own,” says the US national security strategy, issued in December. The document accuses China of spreading “features of its authoritarian system” and rejects Beijing’s protestations that it has sought only a “peaceful rise”. US defence secretary Jim Mattis warned at the launch of the national defence strategy in January that the US was losing its military edge “in every domain of warfare”, citing air, land, sea, space and cyberspace. That was in part aimed at an ultimately successful push for Congress to vote through more military spending, which at $700bn this year eclipses China’s growing defence budget by more than three to one. But Donald Trump has also plunged his administration into an explicit and all-consuming rivalry with China. He is determined to ensure that the country of 1.4 billion people with a $14tn economy can never “be bigger than us” — pushing back on trade, intellectual property, industrial espionage and soft power as well as US reliance on Chinese chips and chemicals for its defence-industrial base. The US is also worried that China is more effective at co-opting commercial know-how for military purposes as part of its “military-civil fusion” and for its extensive new scientific endeavours. “Twenty years ago [the state of Chinese research was] a joke,” Kevin McNesby, an army research chemist, tells me. “But all their students have been training with our professors . . . They’re no joke now.” By 2035, some in the US assess that it may be unable to stop Beijing if it launches military operations off the Chinese mainland. China has already developed a barrage of precision-guided missiles of a range and sophistication the US has never fought before. An incoming hypersonic missile could destroy a ship or give American missile defences at home only six minutes to respond to an attack, say experts. The US has no way to defend against them yet. Worse, a hypersonic missile could theoretically carry a nuclear warhead. “The US has never had to fight against an adversary that has been able to throw as deep and as dense as the US,” says Bob Work, former deputy defence secretary. He argues that the use of guided munitions in any future war will be so “widespread and profound” that it will make “a lot of sense to be the one to shoot first”. The prospect of a pre-emptive attack represents a huge shift for the US war-fighting machine, which he says maintains clear superiority today only with its submarine fleet. Even then China’s fleet may overtake America’s by 2030. The US, for its part, has never shied away from wielding its military might. Some worry that it is America’s focus on weapons development and fear of China’s rise that could goad the world towards war rather than Beijing’s ambition. The US already has troops in 177 countries. It drops more than 20,000 bombs a year on the Middle East and has 14,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, its longest-running conflict. Rather than accommodate China’s rise, Washington still largely believes in domination. The US remains far and away the most powerfully equipped fighting force in the world, and public martial spirit is strong. It is the only country to have detonated a nuclear bomb in wartime. “We’ve been in an arms race for 10 years,” Dr Frank Hoffman tells me over lunch at the National Defense University in Washington DC. A retired marine officer and military strategist, he researches the future of war and helps train the next generation of generals. “There are a lot of reasons why the next 20 years are going to be a lot more unstable than the last 20 were on balance. It doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily have a war, but the likelihood is far higher than it has been in the past.” While strategists do not expect China or the US to launch a direct attack on each other, they fear that a battle for regional hegemony — over Taiwan or the South China Sea — could trigger a wider conflict. The US is selling arms to Taiwan, a self-governing island democracy that China regards as a rogue province and a potential flashpoint between the two countries. James Fanell, a retired US navy captain and China hawk, told Congress he believes China is actively thinking about invading Taiwan by 2030 as part of a bid for regional and global supremacy. China has taken an increasingly assertive line in public. In October last year, President Xi Jinping called for China to embrace a “ new era” and move “closer to centre stage”. He wants to build a world-class military by 2049, the centenary of Communist party rule. Last month, clad in camouflage, he told military commanders to prepare “for fighting a war”, part of his bid to build a combat mindset. China has boosted military spending, expanded air and maritime training and increased Chinese participation in UN peacekeeping operations, exposing its soldiers to combat for the first time since the 1970s. Last year it established its first overseas military base, in Djibouti. (The Chinese Ministry of National Defence did not respond to the FT’s request to comment on its military ambitions.) Pentagon officials say in private how alarmed they are at Xi’s overhaul of the constitution in March, when he scrapped term limits, giving the president, they say, a mantle of power approaching that of “emperor”. China has developed its own stealth fighter jets and put missiles and bombers on a string of disputed artificial islands in the South China Sea, despite a promise from Xi to Barack Obama in 2015 that China did not intend to “pursue militarisation”. Those reinforcements make it harder for US military bases in the Pacific, from Guam to Japan to Hawaii, to be confident they could mount a successful attack on the Chinese mainland so far away from home. While America has 11 aircraft carriers to China’s two, US defence officials worry that China could use its militarised island bases as vast floating aircraft carriers, and would quickly seize the upper hand in any fight off the Chinese mainland. Perhaps most importantly for America’s military planners, China has vowed to draw equal with the US in artificial intelligence within two years, overtake it by 2025 and become the dominant world force by 2030. This is no small ambition. “Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world,” predicted Russian president Vladimir Putin last year. For Jim Mattis, the question is what such technological advances will do to the very nature of war. He wonders whether, one day, AI, machine learning and robots might remove that most human of qualities from battle — fear. Mattis has studied the early 19th-century military theorist Carl von Clausewitz, who argues that the best victories come from wars fought deep inside enemy territory, and that surprise in combat is often elusive. Like Clausewitz, Mattis sees uncertainty and fear as essential ingredients of war. But he has spent long enough contemplating the coming shift in warfare to know he cannot yet comprehend it. “I’m not there yet in my own thinking about it,” he tells me, in his first one-on-one interview with a national newspaper since he took office. We are aboard his “doomsday” plane — so advanced it doubles as a flying nuclear bunker, so old-school it has defunct ashtrays and the 1980s upholstery to match. A retired four-star marine general who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mattis takes a thoughtful yet unforgiving approach to warfare. Known for his pithy bons mots — “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet” — he still revels in a call sign his colleagues once gave him: Colonel Has An Outstanding Solution, aka “Chaos”. Nowadays he is often hailed as a warrior monk. The day we speak, in early September, he is on a 22-hour flight to India to sign new military cooperation agreements that will bed down a US hope of Delhi becoming a high-tech military counterweight to Beijing. But he does not think the US is headed for war with China. “I’m not one of those who think there is automatically a conflict in the future,” he tells me, referring to former Pentagon official Graham Allison’s notion of a Thucydides trap — in which a rising power displaces an incumbent through war. Earlier in the year, Mattis attended a banquet, topped with a late-night serenade, among military dignitaries in Beijing. “They throw me a party like you won’t believe,” he recalls. Amid the niceties, however, China declared it would not yield “even one inch” of the South China Sea. Mattis had earlier accused China of “intimidation and coercion”, days after he abruptly cancelled Beijing’s participation in large-scale naval exercises in the Pacific. A senior security official told me that Mattis privately warned his counterparts they would be at a disadvantage against an adversary so experienced as the US, playing on Chinese fears of combat inadequacy. Things deteriorated fast. In October, Mattis cancelled a second trip to Beijing amid rising military tensions after a US destroyer narrowly avoided collision with a Chinese warship in the South China Sea. Last week the two sides tried again — defence minister General Wei Fenghe, who last month trotted out standard warnings of Chinese military action “at all costs” to preserve Taiwan, flew to Washington to meet Mattis. “It just seems to me there is an anti-domination tension for both of us,” Mattis says. But he points to China’s aggressive authoritarian streak, framing the tension as a face-off between two systems with vastly different values. “[As] they come of age and they find you can’t just go in and take over other people’s harbours, collateral and stuff, there’s going to be a discipline.” Ultimately, he says, it is critical for the two countries to “look at what kind of relationship we can develop” and — without saying explicitly that he expects China and the US to trade places — points to the fact that, when the US finally overtook the UK as global power in the early part of the 20th century, the pair managed to avoid a military showdown because they largely shared the same values. However, none of this has stopped Mattis from preparing the US for war. He tells me of extensive efforts to determine which futuristic technologies show “the most promise or could be the biggest game-changer . . . We have truly got a rocket scientist to do the further-out stuff,” he says with pride. Mattis means Michael Griffin, chief technical officer at the Pentagon. The former head of Nasa is tasked with bringing the US war machine into the next age. He is rushing to deliver the military hardware of the future, and wants to avoid “a man-on-man fight” with China. “That’s not the kind of fight we wish to have, and we probably can’t win that fight,” says Griffin. Instead, he is charged with delivering breakthroughs in mind-boggling new technologies — not only artificial intelligence but also hypersonics, quantum science, lasers, nuclear weapons and electronic warfare. Outpacing China will require speeding up development cycles. At the moment, says Griffin, it takes the US on average 16 years to deliver an idea to operational capability, versus fewer than seven for China. “This is not behaviour of which we should be proud,” Griffin tells me when we meet at the Pentagon. “The Chinese have tested several dozen hypersonic attack vehicles over the last 10 years, and most have been successful. There’s no doubt in our mind that such a capability . . . is designed to, and will, keep our carriers out of the fight.” But all that is about to change. “We have no choice but to respond in kind,” he says. “We will be weaponising from a position of catch-up. But we will catch up, OK?” In an anonymous colossus of reflective glass in Arlington, Virginia, scientists at a US government agency are working on the next breakthrough for military technologies. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), part of the Department of Defense’s innovation arm, was brought to life in a hurry after the Russians came up with Sputnik, the world’s first satellite, in 1957. Dedicated to preventing and initiating strategic surprise, this “genius factory” went on to invent the precursor to the internet. “They’re focused on what is the best and most innovative thing that can be done with the physics and technology that we have,” says Griffin. Some at Darpa work on quantum science in a bid to secure the cryptography breakthroughs of the future; others worry over new types of command and control. Jean-Charles Ledé, an engineer, is entrenched in autonomous flying systems. US-based ground controllers of drones already drop bombs and collect intelligence in Afghanistan, Somalia and beyond. But swarms of drones, coordinated via artificial intelligence at lightning-fast speeds, could offer the prospect of mass attacks of hundreds of combat robots that can make targeting decisions as a team on the fly. Together they could theoretically overwhelm much larger fighter jets or even aircraft carriers. In his otherwise nondescript office, Ledé is flanked by a mini-parachute and a broken propeller. “We don’t have a monopoly [on drone-swarm technology], other people will eventually get it,” he tells me. “What then? How am I going to protect myself against people who might try to use it against me?” His idea is that drones carrying nets could effectively “catch” rival drones. (Beyond the homeland, where preventing civilian casualties is paramount, lasers might be a more appropriate means of attack.) The broken propeller serves as a reminder of quite how many failures it takes to succeed. Ledé and his team have spent years trying to develop a fast-flying autonomous reconnaissance drone that can find its way around a building without a human operator, a map or any connection to navigation systems such as GPS, which he says has now become a “major vulnerability” because of how easy it is to jam. The availability of drones on the commercial market means he can afford to go through many cheap parts. “[We] basically don’t leave the test until all the airplanes are broken. If it works, then I say ‘Go faster; find out when it doesn’t work!’ ” The aim is for the drone to learn its environment and transmit a map back to base without human or navigational help. “The project itself was about developing the algorithms,” he says. His team’s research, a world first, is another step on the ladder to the sort of machine learning that can underpin wars of the future. It will soon transfer to the US Army Research Lab for further testing. In August, US satellites came under attack. Senior airmen at a base in Colorado speedily repositioned them, without moving them so far that they had to abandon their function. This time around, the attack was a simulation, played out from behind computer screens. Such exercises are common across the military, but these were the first focused on space.

Nikola claims US$12 billion in hydrogen truck pre-orders Truck News / November 15, 2018 PHOENIX, Arizona – Hydrogen truck maker Nikola says it has raised another US$210 million and now boasts US$12 billion in pre-orders. About $380 million of those were for the recently announced Nikola Tre European cabover. “Once the Nikola Tre arrives in Europe, diesel will finally be on its way out,” said CEO Trevor Milton. “Now that we are funded and oversubscribed, we are kicking it into high gear and preparing for Nikola World 2019. At Nikola World, you will see the USA Nikola Two prototype in action and be able to step foot in our European Nikola Tre. We also have a few surprises for the show from our powersports division and other new product announcements.” The company says it will have hydrogen coverage in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia by 2028.

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / November 15, 2018 The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has adopted a new emissions tracking program that would help regulators identify vehicles with excess smog-related and greenhouse gas emissions. As part of new amendments to the On-Board Diagnostic Regulations that were recently approved by CARB, Real Emissions Assessment Logging (REAL) would require an On-Board Diagnostic system to collect and store emissions data from NOx on medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks while in-use. The REAL amendment would also require OBD systems to collect and store fuel consumption data that would be used to track CO2 emission on all heavy-duty vehicles in use. Currently OBD systems notify drivers when emissions components of malfunctioning, but by having access to a log of a vehicle’s emissions output in everyday use, CARB believes it would be able to spot widespread issues more easily. Currently, the only way to get a snapshot of a vehicle’s emissions performance, CARB has to either bring it into a laboratory of testing or equip a handful of vehicles with Portable Emissions Measurement Systems equipment. “REAL will provide the ability to monitor all vehicles for emissions performance, and allow us to spot trouble faster. Had this program been available sooner, we would likely have recognized widespread, serious problems with manufacturers such as Volkswagen and Cummins much earlier,” said Richard Corey, CARB executive officer. “California’s vehicle fleet is getting cleaner every year but we still have a lot of work to do to reach our air quality and climate change goals. The REAL program is yet another way to utilize the OBD system and help ensure that engines and vehicles maintain low emissions throughout their full lives.” Storage of similar emissions data is already required for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles starting in model year 2019. The REAL data can be retrieved from a vehicle by plugging in a scan tool or data reader into the vehicle. No new technology will be required for the REAL program since it will take advantage of existing sensors to track the necessary data. Older vehicles will not be a part of the REAL program and will not require any new equipment, according to CARB.

http://fmax.fordtrucks.com.tr/en

Reuters / November 15, 2018 WASHINGTON - American Airlines said on Wednesday it was "unaware" of some functions of an anti-stall system on Boeing Co's 737 MAX until last week. Boeing and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued guidance on the system last week after a Lion Air jet crashed in Indonesia on Oct. 29, killing all 189 people on board. The FAA warned airlines last week that erroneous inputs from the system's sensors could lead the jet to automatically pitch its nose down even when autopilot is turned off, making it difficult for pilots to control. The system was designed to prevent the jet from stalling, according to information provided by Boeing to airlines. "We value our partnership with Boeing, but were unaware of some of the functionality of the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) installed on the MAX 8," an American Airlines spokesman said. [Boeing never told American Airlines this rather important nugget of information] "We must ensure that our pilots are fully trained on procedures and understand key systems on the aircraft they fly." Indonesian investigators said on Monday the situation the crew of a doomed Lion Air jet was believed to have faced was not contained in the aircraft's flight manual. U.S. pilot unions were also not aware of potential risks, pilot unions told Reuters.

Ford's blueprint to turn self-driving tech into profits Pete Bigelow, Automotive News / November 15, 2018 With Waymo declaring it will launch a ride-hailing service with self-driving vehicles next month and General Motors indicating it will follow sometime in 2019, it is perhaps not surprising that some industry experts believe Ford Motor Co. trails the competition. But Ford is punching back. Just because the company doesn't have plans to launch a commercial business with autonomous vehicles until 2021 does not necessarily mean the company is behind, argues Sherif Marakby, CEO of Ford Autonomous Vehicles, the subsidiary the company started to handle businesses underpinned by self-driving technology. "If we wanted to launch 100 vehicles and call it a launch next year, we could do that," Marakby said Wednesday. "I don't think that's what we want to do when we get to the complexity of getting to profitability. We think it requires considering the entire value chain, and understanding customers, to call it a launch. We're talking launch at scale." For Ford, that amounts to launching thousands of self-driving vehicles and quickly turning profits. In outlining a comprehensive blueprint of its market strategy during an event at its Miami test hub Wednesday, Marakby and other Ford executives focused on the business and operations under its program as much as the automated-driving technology. "We are laser-focused on utilization and revenue, and that's what we call launch at scale," Marakby said. "Which I believe is different than what others are thinking." Waymo will likely commence service with perhaps dozens or hundreds of customers culled from its Early Rider Program in the Phoenix area, according to a Bloomberg report this week. Through its Cruise Automation subsidiary, General Motors has been testing its autonomous mettle in San Francisco. Details of its 2019 planned launch remain unclear. Ford intends to use purpose-built autonomous vehicles to carry both passengers and consumer goods. $332 billion market The company says it foresees a market worth $332 billion developing by 2026, in which ride-hailing revenues will account for $202 billion and delivery services valued at $130 billion. Along those lines, Ford hatched a partnership with Walmart on Wednesday in which the two companies will explore ways to collaborate on grocery delivery. It's not Ford's first foray into delivery. It started testing pizza-delivery services using an autonomous vehicle with Domino's Pizza in Ann Arbor, Mich., last year. More recently, it added a partnership with Postmates, a delivery platform, in Miami, through which Ford works with approximately 80 companies to provide autonomous delivery options. Those range from national companies such as Domino's to local dry cleaners and florists. Delivery is a major service Ford intends to approach the market. On Wednesday, the company described the steps it has taken so far -- and others that remain ahead -- to set up a business based upon autonomous vehicles. Marakby said the company needs a scalable vehicle platform, which is slated to arrive sometime before 2021. It needs a capable automated-driving system, which is being built and honed by Argo AI, a Pittsburgh tech company in which Ford has invested more than $1 billion. Fleet strategy Beyond those requirements, Ford is developing a fleet-management strategy using its Miami hub as a test bed to determine the best ways to keep its vehicles in frequent use and maintenance operations concentrated. It has developed the Transportation Mobility Cloud with Autonomic, a company Ford acquired 11 months ago, which will provide optimized dispatch, routing and payment services. And it will seek to use vehicles for passenger and delivery purposes, which helps keep the cars rolling throughout the day. Those are the necessary business components to evolve from a company testing technology to offering commercial service, Ford says. The company also has a city-solutions division, which is forging connections and partnerships with transportation officials in cities where it plans to launch service. So far, the locations include Miami and Washington, D.C. Markaby said a third city will be added to its launch strategy sometime next year. The current business model of selling cars to customers via dealerships generates a profit margin of anywhere from 6 to 10 percent, according to Ford. If there's skepticism on why traditional auto companies are chasing autonomous technology, Ford estimates the potential profit margin in an autonomous-vehicle business is "a level much higher than that," according to Marakby. "We're going to work on building the future by building an autonomous-vehicle business," Ford CEO Jim Hackett said Wednesday. "That's the center." .

Ford and Walmart start autonomous-vehicle partnership Pete Bigelow, Automotive News / November 14, 2018 Ford Motor Co. and Walmart Inc. have started a joint pilot to explore how they can use self-driving vehicles to deliver groceries and other consumer goods. The automaker made the announcement Wednesday. The project has begun in the Miami area, where Ford has set up operations for a business revolving around autonomous vehicles that executives expect to launch commercially in 2021. Over the next several months, Ford and Walmart will join forces to understand each other's operations and identify which goods are best for automated delivery. They'll examine vehicle configurations or modifications needed to meet customer demands. "Like us, Walmart believes that self-driving vehicles have an important role to play in the future of delivery, and that true success comes from first learning how individuals want to use them in their daily lives," said Brian Wolf, business lead in Ford Autonomous Vehicles, a subsidiary set up to handle the automaker's self-driving business ventures. "Together, we'll be gathering crucial data about consumer preferences and learning the best way we can conveniently connect people with the goods they need." Ford has conducted ride-hailing and delivery test operations since February in Miami, completing more than 1,000 deliveries while working with partners that range from national pizza companies to local dry-cleaning businesses. One of those partners, delivery platform Postmates, will play a crucial role in the Ford-Walmart collaboration. Walmart has used Postmates and other networks to deliver groceries. Separately, Ford has worked with Postmates on vehicle dispatch and routing systems in its Miami pilot. Because Ford and Walmart have worked with Postmates, the companies intend to use that infrastructure to get their pilot "up and running quickly," according to Ford. Walmart deliveries Delivery figures to play a key role in Walmart's future. As the retail behemoth competes with Amazon, which already offers fast home delivery to consumers, Walmart must figure out a way to match that convenience. The company has grocery delivery options available in 800 stores across 100 urban areas nationwide. The number of stores that offer delivery is expected to double next year. This isn't Walmart's first automated-vehicle partnership. This year, the company began working with Waymo on a pilot from a store in the Phoenix area. Customers are brought to the store to retrieve their groceries in one of Waymo's autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivans. "For retailers like Walmart, it will be crucial to figure out how they'll be able to offer a better customer experience for automated deliveries, to basically find a way to survive and succeed in 21st century retail," said Sam Abuelsamid, senior transportation analyst for research firm Navigant. "Developing these partnerships with Ford and Waymo and others is crucial, and they need to do it now to understand what's going to work and what's not going to work." More modifications? Together, Ford and Walmart will examine what vehicle modifications would be necessary for grocery delivery, in which orders tend to be larger and more varied. They'll also see how many individual orders can be supported on a single trip, and what compartments are needed onboard to ensure orders are secured. Ford has been developing a vehicle, expected to be unveiled soon, with its self-driving services in mind. While there are no plans in place, it is conceivable that if Ford, Walmart and Postmates find success in Miami, they could replicate operations in other markets, such as Washington, which Ford has announced will be the second city where it will set up commercial operations involving autonomous vehicles. .

Mulally: Ford 'will figure it out' Amy Wilson, Automotive News / November 14, 2018 PHOENIX -- Despite the headwinds it faces today, Ford Motor Co. "will figure it out," the automaker's retired CEO, Alan Mulally, said Wednesday at an industry conference here. "Ford, like everybody, is trying to figure out what's going on, and it's going to be messy," Mulally, 73, said at the National Auto Auction Association's annual convention, where he was the keynote speaker. "It's going to look messy because it is messy." Mulally, who helped turn the company around a decade ago and then retired from Ford in 2014, homed in on efforts by Ford and other industry players with regard to new mobility services. "You see everybody working the last-mile issue right now," Mulally said. "These bicycles are all over the place. I don't know if we're going to make money on that." It's not just Ford, he said. "The point is, everybody is working on this, about what transportation is going to look like," Mulally said. "And it's not going to be clear for a while. I think partnerships are going to be a really important part." However, he expressed confidence that the answers will come. "What I do know is, at Ford, it has the most talented people in the world, and they care," Mulally said. "They know they're working on something really important. And we're going to be there at the end, and we're going to figure it out." Mulally did not weigh in on Ford's leadership changes since his departure nor the automaker's current restructuring efforts. Ford ousted Mulally's successor, Mark Fields, in May 2017 and replaced him with current CEO Jim Hackett. In July, Hackett launched an $11 billion global restructuring of the company. .

In Taiwan, the first generation Ford Escape carried the Maverick nameplate.

Jon Harris, The Morning Call / November 13, 2018 [Volvo Group subsidiary] Mack Trucks is idling its second-shift production employees this week — and possibly beyond — due to a supply chain issue. Mack spokesman Christopher Heffner said the temporary layoff, which began Tuesday and runs through Friday, affects a majority of second-shift employees at the company’s assembly plant in Lower Macungie Township. He did not say exactly how many second-shift employees, who typically work from 3:15 to 11:15 p.m., are affected. “Our colleagues are dedicating significant resources to solve the supply chain interruption and keep this temporary layoff to only this week,” Heffner said. “However, the situation is fluid, and we won’t know more about shift impacts beyond this week until Friday.” For this week, Mack is treating it as a “shift curtailment” and plans to compensate all of the affected employees 80 percent of their pay, according to a document circulated among employees Friday and later reviewed by The Morning Call. Asked whether that will continue if the layoff extends beyond Friday, Heffner responded: “We have not made any decisions beyond this week, as our hope is to be back up and running as soon as possible.” Mack’s assembly plant, which employs a total of about 2,400 across two shifts and was closed Monday for Veterans Day, has been hampered by supply chain constraints throughout the year, especially since transitioning to its new truck range in the spring. In its third-quarter report, parent company Volvo Group mentioned supply chain issues as the reason for Mack’s heavy-duty market share dropping to 6.6 percent in North America. In addition to supply chain issues, Heffner has previously pointed to Mack ramping up its new highway truck, Anthem, during a hot highway market as another reason why the company’s market share has declined. “Now that we’ve worked through the ramp, our teams are fully focused on managing supply chain issues and we expect our market share will grow,” Heffner said in an Oct. 19 email to The Morning Call following the third-quarter report’s release. The most recent issue stems from a “supplier quality issue” that is causing the company’s Hagerstown, Md., powertrain production plant to run short on axle housings, according to the document provided to employees Friday. That shortage is related to a “porosity issue occurring in the supplier’s casting process,” the document stated. In the notice, Mack said it is working with the United Auto Workers Local 677, which represents Mack workers, to minimize the impact of the temporary layoff and to consider ways to “avoid incidents of this nature in the future.” Union officials did not return calls seeking comment Monday and Tuesday. As for when the affected second-shift employees could return to work, they will need to call the plant’s Production Interruption Line on Friday to determine whether to report to work Monday, Nov. 19. Even if they return then, the document makes it sounds like the supply chain issue could linger for a while. “The entire Volvo Group is focused on supporting the supplier to get them back on track with resources from around the world,” the notice says. “Unfortunately, [Lehigh Valley Operations] will continue to see production disturbances over the next couple of weeks until the supplier issue can be corrected and the flow of good material can be restored.”

EPA Aims to Cut NOx Emissions from Heavy-Duty Trucks David Cullen, Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / November 13, 2018 Seemingly acting out of character, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Nov. 13 announced it will launch a rulemaking to further cut the emission of nitrogen oxide from diesel-powered heavy-duty trucks. EPA said it intends to publish a proposed NOx rule in early 2020. While the EPA under President Trump has been heavily engaged in rolling back dozens of environmental rules, the agency could now be said to be aiming to promulgate a single federal rule to forestall a patchwork of federal and state rules on NOx emissions from commercial vehicles. Indeed, even as California moves toward writing new state emissions rules, trucking and truck-manufacturing lobbying groups along with state environmental officials have been pushing EPA to set a new nationwide rule on allowable NOx emissions for diesel trucks. California would actually prefer a national rule, if it is tight enough, as more than half the trucks delivering goods there are registered in other states. EPA has tagged its new effort as the “Cleaner Trucks Initiative,” which Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said will include a “future” rulemaking that will update the existing (federal) NOx standard, which was last set in 2001. In addition, he said the new rule would “streamline” compliance and certification requirements. “The Cleaner Trucks Initiative will help modernize heavy-duty truck engines, improving their efficiency, and providing cleaner air for all Americans,” said Wheeler, speaking at a public announcement in Washington that was shown live online. “The U.S. has made major reductions in NOx emissions, but it’s been nearly 20 years since EPA updated these standards. Through rulemaking and a comprehensive review of existing requirements, we will capitalize on these gains and incentivize new technologies to ensure our heavy-duty trucks are clean and remain a competitive method of transportation.” “Today’s announcement makes clear that reducing NOx emissions from heavy-duty vehicles is a clean air priority for this administration,” said EPA Office of Air and Radiation Assistant Administrator Bill Wehrum. “EPA’s Cleaner Trucks Initiative is an important signal to all interested stakeholders that we will work hard on reducing emissions while producing a more effective and efficient program.” EPA is not required by statue to update the NOx standard. However, in a news release, the agency asserted that although U.S. NOx emissions fell by more than 40% from 2007 to 2017, “there is more work to be done.” EPA estimates that heavy-duty trucks will be responsible for one-third of NOx emissions from the transportation sector in 2025. The agency said “any update to the standards will result in significant mobile source NOx reductions, which will aid communities across the country in the attainment of ozone and particulate matter standards.” Referencing the agency’s rollback already of over two dozen regulations since Trump took office, EPA said that in addition to NOx emissions standards, the “CTI will cut unnecessary red tape while simplifying certification of compliance requirements for heavy-duty trucks and engines.” The agency said that “areas of deregulatory focus will include onboard diagnostic requirements, cost-effective means of reassuring real world compliance by using modern and advanced technologies, the deterioration factor testing process, and concerns regarding annual recertification of engine families.” Commenting on the EPA initiative, John Mies, manager of corporate communications for Volvo Group North America (parent of Volvo Trucks North America and Mack Trucks) told HDT that the OEM “supports the agency’s decision to investigate whether additional NOx reductions are needed to address any of the nation’s last remaining air quality challenges. “This is a great opportunity to update and streamline the certification and compliance processes, ensuring a focus on real-world emissions control with minimal impediment to market vitality,” he continued. Mies added that, historically speaking, trucking has “delivered dramatic emissions reductions in response to EPA’s leadership in developing challenging but practical national emissions regulations.” The American Trucking Associations also applauded EPA for “taking the first step” toward issuing new NOx standards. “As an industry engaged in interstate commerce, ATA strongly favors a single national emission pathway as opposed to a patchwork of state standards,” ATA Executive Vice President of Advocacy Bill Sullivan said in a statement. He pointed out that trucking has “repeatedly demonstrated that it can work proactively and in partnership with the federal government in achieving these aims. We look forward to working with the EPA in developing a standard that achieves nationwide air quality improvements across the country while maintaining a strong and robust economy.” Global diesel engine maker Cummins Inc. also announced support for the EPA effort. “Cummins has a long history of working with regulators to help develop tough, clear and enforceable standards that lead to a cleaner, healthier and safer environment,” said Jennifer Rumsey, vice president and CTO. “We can and should do more to reduce NOx. This is an important step forward because a streamlined, national regulatory program brings consistency across the country allowing manufacturers to develop cleaner, more cost-effective solutions for our customers.” The Diesel Technology Forum advocacy group said that EPA’s action “follows petitions for rulemaking from a number of state and local air agencies, as well as support for a new low NOx standard from truck and engine makers. The EPA last revised these standards in January 2001. The CTI proposal [rulemaking] is slated to be released in 2020.” DTF added that it expects the planned low-NOX rulemaking for trucks will “help bring today's generation of diesel even nearer to zero emissions than ever before.” Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association President Jed Mandel called the Cleaner Trucks Initiative “a tremendous opportunity. We – EPA and the manufacturers – have done this before, and we’re ready to step forward to do it again. We ask the agency to follow that same successful roadmap by leading a collaborative, open regulatory process involving all stakeholders.” Mandel also stated that adopting a national low-NOX truck program with sufficient regulatory lead time, stability and certainty will be essential to provide a clear path for [truck and engine] manufacturers to succeed. “By working together,” he said, “we believe we can reduce emissions and improve and streamline the compliance program while at the same time preserve the necessary diversity of the commercial vehicle marketplace and protect the needs of our customers for durable, reliable products.” EPA has set up a website devoted to its new Cleaner Trucks Initiative. .

Ford's 2020 baby Bronco off-roader emerges in photos from dealer meeting Michael Martinez, Automotive News / November 13, 2018 Photos leaked from Ford Motor Co.'s annual dealer meeting last month in Las Vegas provide the first public look at the so-called baby Bronco, an upcoming off-road compact crossover. The vehicle, expected to slot between the EcoSport and Escape in Ford's crossover-heavy lineup, will debut in 2020 as a smaller companion to the Bronco SUV also due out that year. A name has not been announced, but one possibility is the Maverick, reviving a name that Ford used in the 1970s and trademarked this year. The images were first reported Tuesday morning by Off-Road.com, which believed them to be of the Bronco. They show front, side and three-quarter views. The vehicle has round LED headlights and "FORD" stamped on the grille without the company's blue oval logo, consistent with a teaser image of the Bronco companion that Ford showed this year. In the side view, the vehicle sits in front of a more boxy silhouette that is consistent with teasers of the Bronco that Ford has shown. Ford, in a statement Tuesday, said it doesn't comment on speculation. Jim Farley, Ford's president of global markets, told reporters last month that dealers were not shown any images of the Bronco at the Las Vegas meeting, although he did tease them with a shot of his own 1973 classic. .

Contact your axle's manufacturer. Call customer support at 1-800-826-HELP (4357) and ask them.

Smithsonian Channel / November 10, 2018 Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8MM1CavmO8

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Transport Engineer / November 6, 2018 Welton Aggregates has added two new Range C430 8x4 tippers to its line-up – the latest of six new Renault vehicles to join the fleet in the past year. Supplied by Thompson Commercials of Grimsby, the Lincolnshire-based operator’s new additions are equipped with aggregate tipping bodies by Broughtons of Barnetby. The Range Cs are powered by the DTi 11-litre Euro VI engine, which produces 2550Nm of torque, coupled to an Optidriver 12-speed automated manual transmission system. The spacious cab is a hit with drivers, says Guy Tomlinson, Welton’s transport manager: “8x4 rigid tippers are not usually known for their comfort, but the Range C’s level of refinement is leagues ahead.” The vehicles also deliver on the road, he adds: “We’ve found them to be extremely sturdy, powerful and reliable, ideal for our application in off-road heavy construction and quarry work. “In fact we are so pleased that we’ve just placed an order for another vehicle, an 11-litre 6x4 C380 demountable mixer-tipper.” Other recent additions to the fleet, for use in the concrete operation, include three Range C 8x4 tridems with rear steer and 8m3 McPhee mixer bodies. .

Commercial Motor / November 9, 2018 We head to Northern Ireland to meet Kevin Mackin and to take a look at his impressive collection of vintage Scania trucks. .

Daimler Press Release / November 12, 2018 Successful production of transmissions for Daimler Trucks & Buses since 1955 Transmissions made in Gaggenau are used in seven vehicle brands of Daimler Trucks & Buses worldwide Frank Reintjes, Head of Global Powertrain, E-Mobility & Manufacturing Engineering Daimler Trucks: "Five million transmissions 'Made in Gaggenau' are an impressive milestone for both Gaggenau and our global production network: they stand for reliably high quality, for 63 years of competence and experience in the Daimler Trucks manufacturing network and not least for millions of satisfied customers worldwide." Matthias Jurytko, Head of Operations at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Gaggenau: "The only way to successfully produce this magnitude of transmissions and with this quality, is to have a highly-qualified and motivated team work hand-in-hand and with the greatest commitment. We can all be very proud of this at the plant." Gaggenau – The Mercedes-Benz plant at Gaggenau has set another milestone in its long history. On 12 November 2018 the five millionth commercial vehicle transmission left the production line at Rastatt's Gaggenau plant. The proud production team watched the 12-speed automated transmission (G330) ceremoniously leaving the production line – which is going to be exhibited, on show at the Rastatt plant. Dr. Frank Reintjes, Head of Global Powertrain, E-Mobility & Manufacturing Engineering Daimler Trucks acknowledged this very special achievement: "Five million transmissions 'Made in Gaggenau' are an impressive milestone for both Gaggenau and our global production network: they stand for reliably high quality, for 63 years of competence and experience in the Daimler Trucks manufacturing network and not least for millions of satisfied customers worldwide." The plant located in the northern Black Forest region boasts a long tradition of producing transmissions and can fall back on a great deal of experience: the production of the first special transmissions for the Mercedes-Benz Unimog began there in 1951. Production of medium-duty and heavy-duty transmissions for trucks and buses followed in 1955. Now part of a global production network, the Gaggenau plant delivers its drive assemblies and components the world over: to the truck assembly plant in Wörth in Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate region; to the Turkish plant in Aksaray; to Brazil, Japan, India, Mexico and the USA, for example. The medium and heavy-duty transmissions from Gaggenau are fitted in seven Daimler Truck and Bus brands: Mercedes-Benz, Setra, Fuso, Western Star, Freightliner, Thomas Built Buses and BharatBenz. Dr. Matthias Jurytko, Head of Operations at the plant thanked employees for their commitment during the ceremony: "Five million heavy-duty transmissions in 63 years once more underscores our excellent competence as a transmissions plant as well as the huge capacity of our factory. The only way to successfully produce this magnitude of transmissions and with this quality, is to have a highly-qualified and motivated team work hand-in-hand with the greatest commitment. We can all be very proud of this at the plant." Michael Brecht, Head of the Works Council also praised his colleagues: This is a fantastic achievement of the whole team, and each and every one should be very proud of that. Especially in the last few months the workload was extremely high due to an ever increasing output. We have already made a lot of investments in order to increase capacity and we will continue with those in the next two years. Therefore, I would like to give my special thanks to all colleagues – you do a brilliant job!” About the powerful manual transmissions for Daimler commercial vehicles The medium and heavy-duty transmissions are fitted in vehicles with the greatest output. These include the Mercedes-Benz Actros, the long-distance haulage truck and the Mercedes-Benz Arocs for construction site operations, the Mercedes-Benz Atego for short-radius distribution as well as the touring coaches, intercity and urban buses from Setra and Mercedes-Benz. Global Daimler truck brands fitted with transmissions from Gaggenau include the Freightliner Cascadia and Fuso Super Great. Over the years and during numerous development cycles, the manual transmissions have become increasingly fuel-efficient and consequently more economic for customers. This is mostly thanks to the aluminium housing whose weight has been continually optimised. A further important innovation was the move from manual transmissions to fully-automated manual transmissions that provide for further fuel savings, particularly in long-distance haulage thanks to finely tuned gearshift processes. The automated transmissions have been produced at the plant since the 1990s. Truck and bus transmissions of the current generation weigh between 200 and 300 kilograms, are over a metre in length and house 15 individual cogs and ripples. The fully-automated manual transmissions impress with easy operation, a high degree of shifting and driving comfort as well as low fuel consumption. About the production of heavy-duty transmissions at the Gaggenau plant Highly complex manual transmissions have been produced in the northern Black Forest region since 1955 – initially directly in Gaggenau and later in the Rastatt plant. Until 1965 when the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth was opened, cab-over-engine trucks like the "millipede" or the round-nosed trucks were produced in Gaggenau. After that, production focused on transmissions, axles and components for commercial vehicles and the Unimog. Whilst production of the first million manual transmissions took just over 20 years, only six years were needed for the fifth million. An overview of all production milestones since 1955: one million by 1976, two million by 1986, three million by 1993, four million by 2012 and five million by 2018. About the global platform strategy at Daimler Trucks For more than ten years now, Daimler Trucks has been relying on one uniform platform for the drivetrain for heavy-duty trucks. This comprises for the most part the engine, axles and transmission. The transmission generation in which production and the major components are standardised, is designed such that it can be adapted flexibly and individually to customer and market demands in the USA, Europe and Japan using the same technology. Detroit Diesel began series production of the automated DT12 transmission for the NAFTA market in 2015. In a close cooperation, staff from Gaggenau helped their colleagues with the run-up at the site in Detroit and trained them in modern production processes. About Global Powertrain at Daimler Trucks Global Powertrain doesn't just stand for integrated powertrains, but also for the integration of all global locations and the relevant functional areas along the value-added chain. The division produces innovative and reliable drive components with internationally uniform quality standards. The components are fitted in all of Daimler's commercial vehicle divisions and brands as well as in those of external customers. The drivetrain makes up approximately 50 percent of the added value of a truck – the largest share in fact – and thus makes an important contribution to the economic success and growth of Daimler Trucks. About the Mercedes-Benz Gaggenau plant The Mercedes-Benz Gaggenau plant was founded in 1894 as "Bergmann-Industriewerke GmbH" and is the oldest automotive manufacturing plant in the world. With around 6300 employees, it is not only the biggest employer in the town but also the region's most active company for apprenticeships. In addition to transmissions for all Daimler vehicle divisions, planetary and portal axles as well as torque converters for passenger cars are also produced at this plant. The Mercedes-Benz plant at Gaggenau is the Centre of Competence for commercial vehicle transmissions in the international Daimler AG manufacturing network. The staff support quality management worldwide, help with run-ups on site and train international teams at the Gaggenau plant. .

Renault Trucks International Press Release / November 6, 2018 Renault's international technician START competition is over. Thanks to all participants, who were able to demonstrate their many skills! And congrats to our great winners .

DAF Trucks Press Release / November 13, 2018 Our DAF Engine Plant in Eindhoven enters a new era in engine manufacturing. An area of almost 7,500 square meters is freed up to make room for more than 43 ultra-modern machines and 10 state-of-the-art robots. We’re now able to manufacture cylinder blocks and cylinder heads for our popular PACCAR MX-11 engines. .