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Kenworth unveils Legend 900 at Brisbane Truck Show Owner/Driver / May 26, 2017 The Legend 900 combines modern technology with limited edition features and a uniquely Kenworth heritage feel, leaving fans of the brand in awe. Modelled on the legendary W-model and introduced in 1991, the T900 with its classic look and style was designed with the versatility to operate in almost any application, and tough enough to stand up to the harsh Australian conditions. "Not only does the Legend 900 symbolise the Kenworth spirit, it celebrates the long history of manufacturing in Australia and some of the legends that have been along for the ride," Director of Sales and Marketing at PACCAR Australia Brad May said. "Aside from the significance of the 900 in Australian history, the truck represents not only our heritage in this country, but also recognises the people behind the trucks, the owners, drivers, dealers and suppliers, and many others who have helped make Australian-made Kenworths an integral part of Australia’s road transport landscape." Allan "Steady" Stead, one of Kenworth’s longest-serving employees who dedicated his working life to improving the range of trucks has had the first Legend 900 named "Steady" in his honour. Video - https://www.ownerdriver.com.au/product-news/1705/video-kenworth-unveils-legend-900-at-brisbane-truck-show

Brisbane Truck Show 2017 Owner//Driver / May 26, 2017 Owner//Driver techncial editor Steve Brooks takes a tour around the truck stands at this year's Brisbane Truck Show. With all the latest models and a few sensational surprises, the 2017 show is shaping as being the most successful in the event's 50 year history. Video - https://www.ownerdriver.com.au/events-news/1705/brisbane-truck-show-2017

Scania introduces new S-series truck Prime Mover Magazine / May 26, 2017 Scania Australia has given visitors at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show an up close look of its new generation S-series range. Introduced on day one of the Show by Scania Australia CEO, Roger McCarthy (pictured), the S-500 on display is a right-hand drive UK-specification vehicle, shown in 6x2/2 configuration with a pusher axle (with single wheels) and rear drive axle with dual wheels. According to Scania, the S 500 model provides additional headroom inside, allowing drivers up to 207cm tall to stand upright. Inside the cab includes a completely flat cab floor with the Scania 13-litre SCR-only Euro VI situated underneath. The engine is said to produce 500hp (373kW) at 1,900rpm, and 2,550Nm (1880 ft lb) of torque between 1,000 and 1,300rpm. The truck’s 500hp engine is controlled by Scania Opticruise GRS905R direct drive gearbox that includes a new layshaft brake, bringing the gear-changing interval down to around 0.4 of a second, around 45 per cent quicker than the current box. It is also fitted with the latest R 4100D Scania Retarder, plus an exhaust brake. Scania’s S-500 truck, along with models from its G and R-series range, are located at Stand 51. .

Mercedes-Benz stars on day one of Brisbane Truck Show Prime Mover Magazine / May 26, 2017 Mercedes-Benz has launched its new range of Actros rigid truck models at the 2017 edition of the Brisbane Truck Show. Revealed in October last year, the new generation Actros trucks will now boast new rigid versions from 4x2 through to 8x4 models. Standard engine options will also include 8-litre and 11-litre units, with up to 350hp and 460hp respectively, while 13-litre and 16-litre engines are available for individual builds. The launch of the Actros rigid range – as well as a new smart telematics system – rounded out an eventful first day for the Daimler brand, with the Actros also voted the ‘Best Heavy Duty Truck’ at the Brisbane Truck Show Awards, which took place overnight. The new Mercedes-Benz model beat out other finalists, the Kenworth T610 and T610SAR and Iveco Eurocargo Euro 6, which was judged on a range of criterias from technical innovation, service/maintenance support to safety. “It is a great honour for the Mercedes-Benz truck to be voted the Best Heavy Duty Truck by some of Australia’s most respected commercial vehicle journalists,” said Daniel Whitehead, Daimler Truck and Bus Managing Director. “The feedback from our customers around our new generation range has been exceptional, better than even we expected.” The Mercedes-Benz Actros range is currently on display at Stand 88. The Brisbane Truck Show runs through until this Sunday at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. .

UD Quon premieres in Australia Prime Mover Magazine / May 26, 2017 UD Trucks has lifted the cover on its all-new UD Quon heavy-duty truck on the first day of the 2017 Brisbane Truck Show. According to UD Trucks, the Quon will be offered in prime mover and rigid configurations locally,with its 11-litre engine to be available with 460hp. UD has also confirmed that the Quon will address five key areas of improvement, including drivability, fuel efficiency, safety, productive and uptime. “The new Quon is a huge step for UD Trucks, but also for Japanese heavy-duty trucks in general. The world-class technology available in [across] the range has never been seen before on Japanese trucks in Australia,” commented Mark Strambi, Acting Vice President of Sales for UD Trucks Australia. “The new Quon gives us access to models not previously offered in Australia, which will significantly enhance our ability to offer our customers a comprehensive offering, backed up by the largest dealer network in Australia and New Zealand.” The UD Quon is currently on display at Stand 72 at the Brisbane Exhibition & Convention Centre. . .

Global reveal for Hino at Brisbane Truck Show Prime Mover Magazine / May 25, 2017 Hino Australia has used the opening day of the Brisbane Truck Show to celebrate the world premiere of the new 300 Series 4x4 model. While Hino dealers have had a chance to examine the new model earlier this year, today’s unveiling marks the first time that the 300 4x4 has been publicly displayed anywhere in the world. According to Hino, the new addition to the 300 Series line up has been specifically developed for the Australian market and prototypes have been undergoing extensive local testing since 2014. In designing it, Hino has reportedly drawn upon the success of the FT and GT 4x4 models in its larger 500 Series as well as competition versions that have had success in off-road events such as the gruelling Dakar Rally. “The 300 Series 4x4 test vehicles have operated flawlessly across various types of terrain from the deserts of Australia’s interior to the rainforests of far northern Queensland’s Cape York,” said Daniel Petrovsky, Hino Australia’s Manager for Product Strategy. “It’s a model customers and dealers have been asking us for and it is particularly significant as it will allow Hino to enter into new segments of the market that we have not had access to before.” As with the rest of the Hino 300 Series that was launched in Australia back in 2014, the 4x4 will feature Vehicle Stability Control and a reversing camera as standard. Petrovsky said the mining, utilities and fire-fighting categories will be a natural fit for the lighter version of Hino’s 4x4, as will the rapidly expanding recreational vehicle market. Designated the 817 4x4, the new model is set to become available from Hino dealers later this year, the company announced. Final specifications will be announced closer to the launch date. .

Volvo Group Australia launches new service offensive Prime Mover Magazine / May 25, 2017 Volvo Group Australia has set the pace for the 2017 Brisbane Truck Show with the launch of an ambitious new uptime promise for both Volvo and Mack, a new UD model and a group-wide Driver Academy. According to Peter Voorhoeve, President and CEO of Volvo Group Australia, both Volvo and Mack will be introducing a new ‘uptime guarantee’ tomorrow whereby the brands pledge to get a truck back on the road within eight hours in case of an unscheduled workshop visit – otherwise they will pay a $500 ‘fine’ to the transport business for every day the truck is out of action. “We’re so confident in our product that we promise to have you back on the road within eight hours anywhere in Australia,” he said. “It’s the next step in service for the Australian market.” Voorhoeve also launched a group-wide Driver Academy as a follow-up to Volvo Group Australia’s in-depth research into driver development and recruitment, which it conducted in early 2016. “Our research program showed that something had to be done, so we’ve developed the Driver Academy in response to it,” he explained. The Academy will see Volvo Group Australia continue supporting Heather Jones’ Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls, launch an all-new safety standards training initiative in collaboration with Tafe NSW, and set up a driver trainer training program. As a fourth pillar, the project will also see the launch of a new campaign aiming at providing a new pathway into the industry for young and inexperienced drivers, which Jones said are the industry's best bet to tackle a looming driver shortage. “As an industry, we should focus on taking on new-to-the-industry talent rather than retraining drivers with bad habits,” she explained. By taking the training process seriously from day one, she said industry will be able to tackle a wealth of issues that go beyond the mere driving task, most notably service attitude and professionalism. Mark Stambi, Acting Vice President of UD Trucks, also used the opportunity to give industry a sneak peek at the all new Quon product, which is expected to be launched in Australia in November 2017. After lifting the UD brand’s market share from 1.6 per cent at the end of April 2016 to 3.4 per cent in the same month 2017, all based on the current product line-up, Stambi said he was confident the Quon’s first full re-design in 13 years could bring even more momentum to the up-and-coming brand. As part of the pre-Show presentation, Voorhoeve also shared a personal analysis of the Australian truck market, stating 2017 may finally see the industry bounce back, with sales reaching the 10,000-unit mark again. “Australia is a strong market, and it’s arguably in a much better state now than it’s been in a long time,” he said. “The two-speed economy is gone, we’re back in a normal economy now, and that is good for trucking. “It’s not for no reason that there’s 17 OEMs in this country, and I think 2017 has the potential to show just how strong the market really is.” .

Hino Trucks Press Release / May 25, 2017 Dakar Rally organizers, A.S.O, have announced an overview of the 2018 event. This upcoming race will be a commemorative milestone in the rally's history―the 40th event since its inauguration and the 10th to be held in South America. For the first time in five years since 2013, Peru will be hosting Dakar Rally 2018, A.S.O announced. The event will take contestants through three countries: Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Kicking off in Lima, the capital city of Peru, the race will take the teams southward in the Andes towards Bolivia, and skirt the shores of Lake Titicaca before the rest day at La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia at an elevation of 3600m. Contestants will then traverse Bolivia from north to south, eventually reaching the finish line at Cordoba, the second largest city in Argentina. The entire rally will be made up of a total of 14 stages. What stands out for this race is that it will involve two loop course stages (where the start and finish lines are set up at the same bivouac), and a marathon stage (where crews race two stages back to back with no support from assistance vehicles at the intervening bivouac). The entire course will feature the diverse terrains of these three countries, meeting teams with high altitudes and dunes, and is expected to be another extremely grueling rally. Dakar Rally 2018 overview Host countries ：Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina Distance covered：TBA Schedule　　 ：Start on Jan. 6, 2018 (Lima, Peru) Rest day on Jan. 12, 2018 (La Paz, Bolivia) Finish on Jan. 20, 2018 (Cordoba, Argentina) Route　　　 　　 Dates Stages Starts Finishes Sat. Jan. 6 Stage 1 Lima, Peru Pisco Sun. Jan. 7 Stage 2 Pisco Pisco Mon. Jan. 8 Stage 3 Pisco San Juan de Marcona Tue. Jan. 9 Stage 4 San Juan de Marcona San Juan de Marcona Wed. Jan. 10 Stage 5 San Juan de Marcona Arequipa Thur. Jan. 11 Stage 6 Arequipa La Paz, Bolivia Fri. Jan. 12 Rest day La Paz Sat. Jan. 13 Stage 7 La Paz Uyuni Sun. Jan. 14 Stage 8 Uyuni Tupiza Mon. Jan. 15 Stage 9 Tupiza Salta, Argentina Tue. Jan. 16 Stage 10 Salta Belen Wed. Jan. 17 Stage 11 Belen Chilecito Thur. Jan. 18 Stage 12 Chilecito San Juan Fri. Jan. 19 Stage 13 San Juan Cordoba Sat. Jan. 20 Stage 14 Cordoba Cordoba After touring Spain, Holland, Italy, and China, the “Dakar Rally World Tour” arrived in Tokyo on Saturday, April 22, where A.S.O representatives were present to give an overview of Dakar Rally 2018. A talk show was held at the event that featured appearances by Japanese individuals with deep ties with the Dakar Rally―father and son driver team Yoshimasa Sugawara (director of HINO TEAM SUGAWARA) and Teruhito Sugawara, as well as Shinji Kazama, who was the first Japanese to enter the Dakar Rally. Shinnosuke, son of Kazama, who entered the Dakar Rally for the first time this year also joined the talk show via a video call and exchanged comments with his father. Yoshimasa Sugawara commented on the magnetism of the Dakar Rally saying, “I go into every race committed to do better than the last one, but things have a way of not turning out the way I plan. So the appeal of this rally is that there is no end to it.” Commenting on entering this rally with his father, Teruhito Sugawara remarked, “I started out in this race as the navigator of a car that my father was driving. Although it escaped me at the time, once our team started entering two trucks in the race and I began driving one of them, I realized the great responsibility that I had and the great work that my father was doing.” .

UD Trucks [Nissan Diesel] Press Release / May 26, 2017 .

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Transport Engineer / May 24, 2017 Storage and distribution business Farrall’s Group has taken delivery of 10 curtainsider trailers and three rigid bodies from Tiger Trailers, after a trial unit “performed outstandingly”. The trailers are specified with features such as a reinforced headboard, Tiger’s new front aerofoil, flush rear doors, galvanised chassis, and additional hook points to help with multiple loading configurations. The Cheshire-based operator often transports newspaper and paper rolls, so Tiger added a specially engineered ‘over chassis beam’ floor design which sits above the I-beam to guarantee a completely flat floor running the full width and length of the trailer. This ensures that no imprints are left on paper products during transport, plus improves weatherproofing. Jim Perry, managing director of Farrall’s Group, says: “We chose Tiger due to the proven service and quality we experienced from them. The trial trailer performed outstandingly since entering service, so putting in an order for a further 10 trailers and three bodies was an easy decision.” He adds: “It’s crucial that we’re able to order equipment to a specification that is going to work for us. Tiger was able to look carefully at each of our requirements and ensure they were met; delivering all of the new assets within our specified timeframe.” .

Transport Engineer / May 24, 2017 Trailer manufacturer Krone has provided a special Profi Liner curtainsider to Volvo Trucks for a test run from Gothenburg to Scotland. The trailer was liveried to mark the 50th anniversary of Volvo’s UK and Irish operation and was hitched to a limited edition FH16-750, one of 50 manufactured for the anniversary celebrations. The Profi Liner was loaded with concrete blocks to the maximum load of 24 tonnes for the continent and 28 tonnes for the UK. Martin Tomlinson, Volvo’s head of product demonstration, says: “Fifty of the special Ailsa FH16s have been produced and it seemed fitting to make Ailsa Craig, in north west Scotland, a destination point during the trial.” The test was successful and the trailer “ran smoothly and, as usual, without any problems”, he reports. “We specify Krone trailers for our demonstration fleet because, apart from anything else, the equipment is well-built and the service is always first class.” Pictured (L-R) are: Andreas Arns, Krone’s international sales manager; Martin Tomlinson, Volvo’s head of product demonstration; and Fran Pickering, managing director of Krone UK. .

Scania Group Press Release / May 25, 2017 The Finnish city of Turku, the country’s third largest, will start operating a liquified biogas (LBG) truck for its waste management. Turku participates in the EU initiative Civitas, a network of cities dedicated to cleaner and better transport in Europe. A Civitas project is presently examining the benefits of increased utilisation of biogas. In Turku, the Finnish gas provider Gasum will operate a LBG-powered Scania G 340 tractor unit on behalf of Turku to establish the advantages of using biogas in heavy transport. Five to six times daily, the truck will transport sewage sludge from a water treatment plant to the Topinoja biogas plant, a distance of 16 kilometres. The LBG-powered Scania truck will replace a diesel truck on the same route. Turku has set the target of becoming fossil-free by 2040. “We have committed ourselves to promoting low-emission transport,” says Turku Mayor Aleksi Randell. .

Scania Group Press Release / May 24, 2017 Pakistan, with a population of approximately 200 million, has for years been a white spot on Scania’s map. But not any longer. Recently, Scania appointed Yousuf Dewan Truck and Bus Company as its distributor to sell trucks and buses in this populous country. Japanese, Korean and Chinese manufacturers today dominate the market for heavy vehicles although several of Scania’s European competitors are also present. However, the total market is modest for a country of Pakistan’s size. “We are especially hopeful in selling high-end coaches,” says Tobias Ekstedt, who is managing the establishment in Pakistan. “We know that there are sufficiently many customers that are willing to pay to travel in comfort between the major cities.” Initially, Scania will sell complete buses with bodies from its production in Europe and Brazil. “There is certainly a potential for both local assembly and bus bodybuilding, which we might consider in the future.” A market for more efficient trucks In the truck business, the country is particularly interesting in view of the new links from central China to the Pakistani port of Gwadar that are now under construction. A new 1,100-kilometre motorway is being built between the country’s two largest cities, Karachi and Lahore, while the roads leading to and from the Chinese border are being substantially upgraded. With the new route, sea transport from China can be reduced by three weeks and shipments from the oil producing countries in the Middle East substantially shortened. “This opens a market for more efficient trucks. We will have a modern infrastructure with higher average speeds. Fuel now constitutes half of transport company expenditure and, as we know, Scania is leading in this area. Initially, we are focusing on high-value goods transport. Fuel and gas transportation is a high-volume segment where European competitors have had success lately.” Scania also hopes to deliver trucks to the Pakistani mining sector. It is perhaps less known that the country, for example, has the world’s fifth largest gold deposits. Scania’s distributor, Yousuf Dewan Truck and Bus Company, belongs to the Dewan Mushtag Group, a conglomerate with businesses in the textile, cement and sugar production industries. It also imports BMW passenger cars to Pakistan as well as assembles Korean cars. Following the establishment of a service and sales organization, Scania annually expects to sell some 100 trucks and buses. .

Scania Group Press Release / May 24, 2017 Underneath the hot sun and haze, a team from Scania Mining and the customer, VPR Mining Infrastructure Pvt Ltd., are working with an ongoing Scania Site Optimisation Project – a framework of tools, methods, and information to improve mining transport operations – at the coal mine Jayant in Singrauli in the Indian state of Madhya Predesh, five hours drive from Varanasi. Scania’s task in Singrauli is to increase the customer’s productivity and reduce costs by measuring and analysing the waiting time and the queue to load, as well as the loading methods and the condition of the roads. VPR Mining uses 160 Scania trucks to transport the 5-20 metres thick layer of overburden from the open pit. A large number of excavators are used to load the trucks and the annual production amounts to about 60 million tonnes. Lean principles, tools, and methods Jon Fangel from Scania Mining is the Project Manager on site. The project in Singrauli is showing promising results. VPR and Scania are working together to make sure that the implementation is embedded in the ways of working with continuous improvements. “The core of Scania Site Optimisation framework is to holistically view the mine as a factory, and implement the lean principles, tools, and methods,” says Jon Fangel. He also stresses that the most important aspects of the project are the collaboration with the customer, as they work together to find improvements, prioritise what needs to be done and implement the solution. “We see many opportunities for further improvements of the business in the future. VPR Mining and we are very pleased with our cooperation so far.” .

MAN Truck & Bus Press Release / May 24, 2017 .

International team uncovers mechanisms of VW, Fiat Chrysler software defeat device code Green Car Congress / May 24, 2017 An international team of researchers has uncovered the mechanisms of two families of software defeat devices for diesel engines: one used by the Volkswagen Group to pass emissions tests in the US and Europe, and a second found in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. To carry out the analysis, the team developed new static analysis firmware forensics techniques necessary automatically to identify defeat devices and confirm their function. After testing some 900 firmware images, the researchers were able to detect a potential defeat device in more than 400 firmware images spanning eight years. Both the Volkswagen and Fiat vehicles use the EDC17 diesel ECU manufactured by Bosch, the researchers noted. Using a combination of manual reverse engineering of binary firmware images and insights obtained from manufacturer technical documentation traded in the performance tuner community, the researchers identified the defeat devices used, how the devices inferred when the vehicle was under test, and how that inference was used to change engine behavior. “Notably,” the team wrote in a paper presented at the 38th IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy this week, “we find strong evidence that both defeat devices were created by Bosch and then enabled by Volkswagen and Fiat for their respective vehicles.” During current emissions standards tests, cars are placed on a chassis equipped with a dynamometer. The vehicle follows a precisely defined speed profile that tries to mimic real driving on an urban route with frequent stops. The conditions of the test are both standardized and public. This essentially makes it possible for manufacturers to intentionally alter the behavior of their vehicles during the test cycle. The code found in Volkswagen vehicles checks for a number of conditions associated with a driving test, such as distance, speed and even the position of the wheel. If the conditions are met, the code directs the onboard computer to activate emissions curbing mechanism when those conditions were met. Electronic engine control has also made it easier to circumvent emissions testing by implementing a defeat device in software. The black box nature of emissions testing makes it nearly impossible to discover such a software-based defeat device during a test, forcing regulators to rely on heavy fines to discourage cheating. Unfortunately, as the Volkswagen case illustrates, it can take many years to discover such a defeat device. Given the ultimate limitations of testing, we are led to consider whether we can detect defeat devices using software verification techniques. Unfortunately, verifying complex software systems is a difficult problem in its own right, more so for a cyber-physical system like a modern automobile. In our case, the setting is also adversarial—rather than trying to find bugs, we are looking for intentional attempts to alter a system’s behavior under test conditions. This paper aims to be a first step in cyber-physical system verification in an adversarial setting with two case studies of automobile defeat devices and binary analysis techniques to identify verification- critical code elements across multiple software revisions. —Contag et al. Computer scientist Kirill Levchenko led the research effort at UC San Diego. The work, supported by the European Research Council and by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), started when computer scientists at Ruhr University, working with independent researcher Felix Domke, teamed up with Levchenko and the research group of computer science professor Stefan Savage at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego. Savage, Levchenko and their team have extensive experience analyzing embedded systems, such as cars’ onboard Engine Control Units for vulnerabilities. The team examined 900 versions of the code and found that 400 of those included information to circumvent emissions tests. A specific piece of code was labeled as the “acoustic condition”—ostensibly, a way to control the sound the engine makes. But in reality, the label became a euphemism for conditions occurring during an emissions test. The code allowed for as many as 10 different profiles for potential tests. When the computer determined the car was undergoing a test, it activated emissions-curbing systems, which reduced the amount of nitrogen oxide emitted. The Volkswagen defeat device is arguably the most complex in automotive history. —Kirill Levchenko Researchers found a less sophisticated circumventing ploy for the Fiat 500X. That car’s onboard computer simply allows its emissions-curbing system to run for the first 26 minutes and 40 seconds after the engine starts—roughly the duration of many emissions tests. We implemented our approach in a tool called CURVEDIFF. Given that we perform an intra-procedural analysis, we might miss certain ways how a defeat device can be implemented and an inter-procedural analysis could enhance the soundness of our implementation. Furthermore, our analysis can be extended to take more primitive building blocks such as timers and multiplexers into account to deepen the knowledge about the relation of various components in the detection logic. —Contag et al. The study draws attention to the regulatory challenges of verifying software-controlled systems that may try to hide their behavior and calls for a new breed of techniques that work in an adversarial setting.

Software update can fix diesel emissions, FCA lawyer says Reuters / May 24, 2017 WASHINGTON -- Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV believes a software update can address U.S. regulators' contention that its diesel vehicles are producing excess emissions, a lawyer for the company said at a court hearing on Wednesday. The lawyer admitted no wrongdoing by the Italian-American automaker, however. The Justice Department filed a civil suit on Tuesday accusing Fiat Chrysler of illegally using software to bypass emission controls in 104,000 2014-16 diesel and labeled the software "defeat devices." Robert Giuffra, a lawyer representing Fiat Chrysler, said at a hearing in San Francisco that regulators' concerns could be resolved with new software without a need for any new hardware. Giuffra said the company does not concede that the 104,000 vehicles emitted excess emissions. He said there were very complicated regulations governing whether auxiliary emissions control devices should have been disclosed to regulators. Regulators could approve the company's proposed software update very quickly as part of certifying 2017 diesel models to allow them to go on sale, potentially in a few weeks, Giuffra said. He added that he expects the same fix will address concerns for the 104,000 2014-16 vehicles. A Justice Department lawyer, Joseph Warren, said a decision could take longer, but said the government wants to move quickly. The EPA and California Air Resources Board accused Fiat Chrysler in January of illegally using undisclosed software to allow excess diesel emissions in 104,000 U.S. 2014-16 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Ram 1500 trucks in a notice of violation. Fiat Chrysler said in a statement it does not believe the software update would impact performance or fuel efficiency. The notice was the result of a probe that arose out of regulators' investigation of rival Volkswagen AG's excess diesel emissions. U.S.-listed Fiat Chrysler shares, which fell 4.1 percent on Tuesday, closed up 2.3 percent in trading Wednesday to $10.56. Fiat Chrysler faces more than 20 lawsuits from dealers and owners over the alleged excess emissions. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen said at the hearing he would not delay numerous civil suits. He is also overseeing suits filed against Robert Bosch stemming from its role in developing the Fiat Chrysler diesel engines. "The public interest demands that we move forward quickly," Chen said. Chen has scheduled hearings in June to pick lead attorneys to represent owners and to name a settlement master.

GM accused in lawsuit of using VW-like defeat devices Bloomberg / May 25, 2017 GM says it will 'vigorously defend' itself General Motors was accused of putting defeat devices in its trucks to beat emissions tests, the sixth carmaker linked to diesel cheating scandal since 2015, when Volkswagen AG admitted to installing software to bypass pollution rules. People who own or lease more than 705,000 GM Duramax diesel trucks filed a lawsuit Thursday, claiming GM installed multiple such devices in two models of heavy-duty trucks from 2011 to 2016. The 190-page complaint is littered with 83 references to VW, and asserts that the environmental damage caused by each truck could surpass that of the German automaker’s vehicles. GM’s cheating allowed its trucks to pass U.S. inspections, even while they spewed emissions two to five times the legal limit under regular driving conditions, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit. "These claims are baseless and we will vigorously defend ourselves," GM said in a statement. "The Duramax Diesel Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra comply with all U.S. EPA and CARB emissions regulations." The company's shares fell 1.8 percent to close at $32.60. Plaintiffs' lawyers The lawsuit was filed by several plaintiffs' law firms including Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, which was involved in similar litigation against VW and helped reach multibillion-dollar settlements with that automaker. "GM claimed its engineers had accomplished a remarkable reduction of diesel emissions,” attorney Steve Berman, a managing partner at Hagens Berman, said in the complaint. Berman has also represented drivers and dealerships against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. “These GM trucks likely dumped as much excess poisonous emissions into our air as did the cheating Volkswagen passenger cars.” Excessive emissions from the GM vehicles exposed the general public to noxious levels of smog, according to the complaint. Diesel engines, while more fuel efficient, produce greater volumes of nitrogen oxide pollutants, or NOx. During on-road testing the diesel trucks polluted at levels beyond legal limits and higher than their gasoline counterparts, according to the complaint. The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, underscores questions about the credibility of clean-diesel technology. This week, the U.S. Justice Department sued Fiat Chrysler, alleging violations of clean-air rules. Daimler AG is the target of a German probe related to diesel emissions, and French carmakers Renault SA and PSA Group are both being investigated in their home country. Bosch implicated Technology provider Robert Bosch GmbH, which was named as a co-defendant by consumers who sued VW, is also defendant in the GM case, described in the complaint as “an active and knowing participant in the scheme to evade” emissions standards. A Bosch representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the GM suit. Representatives of the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Barclays Capital, in a report issued after the lawsuit became public, said the risk of GM having to issue a stop-sale order on the trucks appears to be low. "Given this is coming from a class action litigation firm, it could just be ‘fishing’ for a settlement around charges of deceptive advertising," the report said. "We’d only know that it’s more serious if the EPA steps in, as they did in the cases of FCA and VW." But the analysts authoring the report said they "have a tough time seeing this issue easily fading away, which could add an overhang to GM stock on top of cycle and secular disruption concerns." The case is Fenner v. General Motors LLC, 17-cv-11661, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit).

Trump said he would save jobs at Carrier. The layoffs start July 20. The Washington Post / May 24, 2017 Carrier, the company President Trump pledged to keep on American soil, informed the state of Indiana this week that it will soon begin cutting 632 workers from an Indianapolis factory. The manufacturing jobs will move to Monterrey, Mexico, where the minimum wage is $3.90 per day. That was never supposed to happen, according to Trump's campaign promises. He told Indiana residents at a rally last year there was a "100 percent chance” he would save the jobs at the heating and air-conditioning manufacturer. About 1,400 positions were on the chopping block, per company estimates. Over the past year, Trump has claimed he could maintain at least 1,100 of those jobs in the United States. But on Monday, the company gave official notice to Indiana officials that it would start laying off workers at the factory on July 20 and keep slashing staff until approximately 800 factory employees remain. “This action follows a thorough evaluation of our manufacturing operations,” wrote Steven Morris, a Carrier manager in Indianapolis, in a memo Indiana’s Department of Workforce Development received Monday,“and is intended to address the challenges the business faces in a rapidly changing industry.” The dismissals, he added, are “expected to be permanent.” Trump’s saga with Carrier began last spring, when he declared to an Indianapolis crowd that he would stop the company from uprooting in search of cheaper labor. “Here’s what’s going to happen,” Trump said at the rally. “They’re going to call me, and they are going to say, ‘Mr. President, Carrier has decided to stay in Indiana.’” He kept going. “One hundred percent,” Trump said. “It’s not like we have an 80 percent chance of keeping them or a 95 percent. 100 percent.” After the election, Trump took credit for rescuing the Carrier jobs, tweeting on Thanksgiving that he had called the company’s leadership to cut a deal. United Technologies, Carrier’s parent company, agreed to spare some of the positions in exchange for $ 7 million in state tax credits. (If the company outsourced any of those jobs over the next 10 years, it would have to pay back the money, according to the Indiana Economic Development Corp.) A celebratory Trump visited the factory in December and announced that, thanks to his negotiating, more than 1,100 of the jobs would stay in the heartland. “Carrier stepped it up, and now they’re keeping over 1,100 people,” Trump told an audience of cheering factory workers. He said those numbers could go even higher, noting that United Technologies had agreed to invest roughly $16 million into updating the plant. “And by the way, that number is going to go up substantially as they expand this area, this plant,” Trump said. “The 1,100 is going to be a minimum number.” But later that month, Greg Hayes, chief executive of United Technologies, admitted that the $16 million investment would go toward automation. “What that ultimately means is there will be fewer jobs,” he told CNBC's Jim Cramer. Chuck Jones, president of the United Steelworkers Local 1999, which represents Carrier employees in Indianapolis, provided further evidence that Trump had inflated the number of jobs that would remain in Indianapolis. Only 800 Carrier employees would be able to keep their jobs — 770 factory workers plus 30 or so more employees, counting supervisors, according to the union count. Jones told The Washington Post days later that Trump had “lied his a-- off.” He suspected the then-president-elect was including in his count design and engineering jobs that were never going to leave. Trump responded on Twitter by saying Jones had done a “terrible job” as union president. The full extent of the layoffs emerged Monday with Carrier's announcement of 632 job losses. The company told The Washington Post on Wednesday that “more than 1,000 jobs” will be preserved. However that figure included engineering and headquarters staff whose jobs were never scheduled to leave Indianapolis in the first place. “Carrier will continue to manufacture gas furnaces in Indianapolis, in addition to retaining engineering and headquarters staff, preserving more than 1,000 jobs,” the company said. “We have also designated our Indianapolis facility as a Center of Excellence for gas furnace production, with a commitment to making significant investments to continue to maintain a world-class furnace factory.” Holly Gillham, a spokesman for the Indiana Economic Development Corp., which was formerly led by Vice President Pence, said Monday's notice of jobs cuts was consistent with Carrier’s arrangement with the state and Trump. “As announced in December, Carrier is fully committed to retaining more than 1,000 jobs in Indiana over the next 10 years,” she said in an email. “By choosing to maintain these Hoosier jobs, Carrier is showing confidence in Indiana’s skilled manufacturing workforce.” According to Jones, 550 union members will be laid off, plus another 82 temporary factory staffers who were brought on to help with the transition. “Everyone knew it was coming, they just didn’t know when, exactly. It's closure to a bad situation,” Jones said. Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, said Trump’s deal with Carrier offered a partial solution to a broader problem. American manufacturing employment, he noted, has dwindled for decades, especially in Indiana, where a third of workers held those jobs 50 years ago; the share today is closer to 10 percent. “I wouldn’t even call it a deal,” Strain said. “It seemed to be that Carrier was responding to political pressure and did so in a way that allowed them to make it through a political moment.” Trump, he said, benefited from the optics. “The president,” Strain said, “took the opportunity to position himself as a champion of American workers.” The number of Carrier jobs that will be eliminated is twice the size of the imminent job loss at Rexnord, the ball bearing factory about a mile away from the Carrier facility. Trump has slammed that company on Twitter, too, for outsourcing work to Mexico — but the firm has stuck to its plan and is dismissing the last hundred of its 300 employees in Indianapolis this summer.

I always felt that the International Harvester-produced Cub Cadet's Kohler engine was one of its great attributes. With a Model 126/127 or 128/129, you had a 30-40 year tractor. I never had a Kohler fail to immediately start, or fail.