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Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT) / January 30, 2020 Mack Trucks is getting into the medium-duty business, announcing an all-new Mack MD series of medium-duty trucks on Jan. 30, with production to start in July in a new manufacturing facility in Roanoke Valley, Virginia. The Mack MD6, a Class 6 model, has a gross vehicle weight rating of 25,995 pounds, and the MD7, a Class 7 model, has a GVWR of 33,000 pounds. Mack said the trucks will meet the needs of trucking applications requiring dry van/refrigerated, stake/flatbed, dump and tank truck vocations. The Mack MD Series is an all-new model range built specifically for medium-duty applications. Available in 4x2 configurations, the MD6 and MD7 models feature a sharp wheel cut for enhanced maneuverability for tough urban settings. The new trucks will be supported by Mack’s dealer network. Mack also announced a $13 million investment to establish its Roanoke Valley Operations (RVO), a new manufacturing facility in Roanoke Valley, Virginia, for the production of the Mack MD Series. The project will result in the creation of 250 new jobs. “Mack Trucks is very proud to make this investment and to now offer a full lineup of Class 6 to Class 8 commercial vehicles, serving virtually every segment of the market,” said Martin Weissburg, Mack Trucks president. “With this investment, Mack is well-positioned for future success, and we’re taking orders for the new truck beginning today.” .

Exactly. It was my understanding that tightening emissions regulations brought about their demise in North America. But today, I still see many 7.8-litre powered Louisvilles with the "Ford Diesel" emblem and the operators I'm able to question are extremely loyal to them.

I can not. Within Mack, I was distanced from Ford. Bob is our best Ford expert from that era.

GMC's Hummer EV Pickup Is Real, Will Have 1000 HP Car & Driver / January 30, 2020 General Motors' new all-electric pickup truck will wear the hallowed Hummer name when it officially arrives in late 2021. Though it's technically badged as a GMC, this new model sounds like it will be unlike any truck we've seen before from GM. The company is making some wild claims about its capability as part of a Super Bowl ad campaign: 1000 horsepower, 11,500 lb-ft of torque, and a zero-to-60-mph sprint of 3.0 seconds. That torque figure sounds suspicious to us, so we're thinking that it's a measure of the amount of wheel torque, meaning it's multiplied through the truck's gear ratio. The amount of torque actually produced by the electric motors would probably be more like 1150 lb-ft. We asked GMC for clarification, and a spokesperson told C/D that the company is not getting more specific at this point. The first teaser photo of the GMC Hummer EV shows a futuristic-looking front end with LED headlights, a light bar across the grille, and a massive Hummer badge split up into six segments with a small EV badge at the end. A far less prominent GMC badge is mounted lower on the bumper. We assume the Hummer will be sized like a full-size, half-ton pickup truck given the huge power numbers GM is touting early in the game. It sounds like it will be the first electric vehicle built in GM's Detroit-Hamtramck plant in Michigan. The company recently announced a $2.2 million investment in this facility to build EVs. Before its official debut on May 20, 2020, the revived Hummer's first real introduction to the world will be a Super Bowl ad campaign set to air this Sunday, February 2. The full ads are rumored to feature basketball star LeBron James, and from the teasers GMC has released, they accentuate the truck's quietness and highlight the horsepower, torque, and acceleration claims. .

I felt the Brazilian New Holland 6.6-litre and particularly the 7.8-litre performed well in North America. Would you not agree Bob? https://www.dieselhub.com/specs/ford-new-holland-6.6-7.8-diesel.html

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The 12.7-liter Cursor 13 Ford purchased was found in agricultural machinery, while the 12.9-liter Cursor 13 is used in Iveco trucks.

It is not the Cursor13 you know from Iveco Trucks. I heard Ford acquired another Fiat Powertrain engine, previously used on New Holland agricultural machinery, and had AVL revise/update it.

Ford Bronco SUV, with Raptor-like tires, spotted Michael Martinez, Automotive News / January 28, 2020 Ford Motor Co.'s Bronco SUV is starting to come into focus more than three years after the automaker confirmed its existence. Spy photographers captured images of a heavily camouflaged four-door variant recently in Dearborn, Mich., although the model teases more features than previously spotted test mules. The latest off-road prototype features wider flared fenders, a raised suspension and Goodyear Wrangler tires similar to those used on F-150 Raptor variants. It's unclear whether Ford would offer a Bronco Raptor, but the test vehicle exemplifies its desire to seriously challenge Jeep in the off-road market. The Bronco's signature round headlights can be seen peeking out from the front cover. Dealers who have seen the vehicle said it features a retro design with round lights and the word "Bronco" stamped in the grille. The camo features black dots depicting off-road activities, with the Bronco horse logo and letters spelling out the name of the vehicle. Ford does not comment on future products. The automaker plans to build two- and four-door versions of the Bronco. It's designed to be customizable, with a removable hard top and removable doors that can be stored in the cargo area, according to those who have seen it. The side mirrors will be attached to the front pillars so they remain in place when the doors are taken off, unlike the Jeep Wrangler — one of the chief rivals Ford is targeting with the Bronco revival. Ford plans to unveil the 2021 Bronco in the spring. It's possible the reveal could come around the time of the Detroit auto show, which this year was moved to early June after years of taking place in January. .

BorgWarner to acquire Delphi in all-stock transaction Alexa St. John, Automotive News / January 28, 2020 BorgWarner Inc. said Tuesday it will acquire Delphi Technologies as the two suppliers navigate headwinds in power electronics products and propulsion technologies and an industry shift toward electrification. The all-stock transaction puts Delphi’s enterprise value at about $3.3 billion, including debt. Under the deal, which is expected to close in the second half of the year, Delphi shareholders will receive 0.4534 BorgWarner share for each Delphi share held, the companies said Tuesday. That would represent a premium of about 77 percent to Delphi's closing price Monday. Upon closing of the transaction, current BorgWarner stockholders are expected to own about 84 percent of the combined company, while current Delphi Technologies stockholders are expected to own about 16 percent. Bloomberg first reported on the deal earlier Tuesday. BorgWarner, a supplier of turbochargers, electric motors and electronic control units, is based in Auburn Hills, Mich. The combined company will be headquartered there. Shares of BorgWarner were down 7.5 percent to $35.50 in Tuesday afternoon trading on Wall Street. Delphi shares were up 61 percent to $15.81. “This is a positive for Delphi shareholders to gain scale, lower overhead costs, and speed time to market,” Robert W. Baird analyst David Leiker wrote in a research note Tuesday. “For BorgWarner shareholders, the EV opportunity is meaningfully expanded/accelerated. Incremental exposure to internal combustion engines is in the right places,” However, Leiker said it is important to ask whether the combined company will act as a “next-gen” automotive supplier or a “legacy” supplier. Frederic Lissalde, CEO of BorgWarner, said in a call with investors Tuesday that the two suppliers have been discussing the deal since early 2019, and conversations accelerated toward the end of the year. Delphi Technologies, a powertrain and aftermarket parts supplier headquartered in London, has been undergoing its own restructuring since its spinoff from Delphi Automotive in 2017. Over the past year especially, the supplier has been shifting away from diesels and expanding in gasoline-powered systems and navigating its own move toward electrification. The changes have largely been headed by Rick Dauch since he joined the company as CEO last January. Lissalde said the addition of Delphi will strengthen BorgWarner’s scale and expertise in electrification. “Our strategy is designed to foster growth regardless of how the market evolves,” he said. Lissalde said the acquisition also enhances BorgWarner’s combustion, commercial vehicle and aftermarket businesses. “We didn’t get to where we are overnight,” Lissalde said. “Over the last several years, BorgWarner has been on a journey to transition to advanced propulsion and electrification. ... We knew we needed increased electronics capability and scale, and today we’re doing just that.” “Technology was the driver for this transaction,” he added. Calum MacRae, director of automotive product development at GlobalData, said in a statement that the move will help the two companies wrestle with the new challenges presented by connected, autonomous, shared and electric vehicle megatrends . However, “this is just a short-term fix for the long-term issues that these businesses face,” MacRae said. “No doubt there will be other mergers of a similar ilk that will ratchet down costs but not lead to sustainable long-term competitive advantage.” As part of Tuesday’s announcement, BorgWarner also said its board of directors authorized a share repurchase program of up to $1 billion. This reflects BorgWarner’s “belief in the strong free cash flow of the combined company,” Lissalde said. Dauch told investors that the combined company is an opportunity to become more efficient amid Delphi’s own cost-reduction efforts, including the supplier’s goal to reduce annual costs by a total of $200 million through the end of 2022. Dauch said the deal is “expected to create a pioneering propulsion technologies leader” and that he expects the combined company to be “unmatched in the industry.” As for Dauch’s role in the combined company, Lissalde told investors, “we’ll keep you posted.” Lissalde will continue as CEO, and Kevin Nowlan, BorgWarner’s CFO, will also remain in his position. The companies were not clear about any job cuts to come as a result of the acquisition. BorgWarner ranks No. 22 on the Automotive News list of the top 100 global suppliers, with worldwide sales to automakers of $10.53 billion in 2018, while Delphi ranks No. 62, with global sales to automakers of an estimated $3.86 billion in the same period. Bloomberg contributed to this report.

The City of Longmont, Colorado Government switched from diesel to Renewable Natural Gas garbage haulers. They partnered w/ CGRS to build a #Biogas Treatment and #RNG Fueling Station at their Wastewater Treatment Plant. It will soon transform sewage gas from the wastewater treatment process into sustainable fuel for their 11 new #Autocar RNG trash trucks! More info here: www.hardlineequipment.com Photo courtesy of #CityofLongmontCO #AlwaysUp #AutocarSolutions

It appears a U.S. Bombardier/Northrop Grumman E-11A spy plane (military version of the Bombardier BD-700 Global Express) has been shot down in Afghanistan.. . .

"Those" are two big engines. .

Ford reaches new settlement over Focus, Fiesta transmissions Michael Martinez, Automotive News / January 27, 2020 DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. has agreed to an updated settlement affecting nearly 2 million customers in a years-old class-action lawsuit over faulty Focus and Fiesta transmissions. The automaker has agreed to a minimum $30 million in cash reimbursement and has simplified the compensation and vehicle-buyback process, according to a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Ford has spent more than $47 million buying back vehicles from thousands of customers. The amount each customer would receive depends on how many claims are submitted. The new deal includes $20 payments to customers who say a dealership refused to repair their car's transmission when they reported issues with it. The automaker in 2017 initially proposed a settlement that, in part, would have awarded $35 million in cash reimbursement, but it was challenged on the grounds that not enough owners would be compensated. The proposed settlement is up for final approval Feb. 28 by a district judge. "Ford believes the settlement is fair and reasonable, and we anticipate it will be approved by the court following the hearing next month," Ford spokesman T.R. Reid said in a statement. The DPS6 transmission used in the Focus and Fiesta has haunted Ford for years, with customers complaining the gearboxes would shudder, jerk and hesitate. No deaths or injuries have been attributed to the problem, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said it found "no evidence of an unreasonable risk to safety," after reviewing complaints. Ford in August extended the warranty on certain 2014-16 model year Focus and Fiesta cars with dual-clutch transmissions by two years and 40,000 miles. The company also said it would offer a software update for customers who continue to have issues with the problematic gearboxes. In 2012, the Los Angeles-based law firm Capstone Partners APC filed the first of multiple lawsuits on behalf of owners who claimed their vehicles suffered repeated breakdowns.

Not a bad price at all for a well-spec'd truck.

Commercial Motor / January 23, 2020 Moody International has sold a left-hand drive Ford F-MAX 4x2 tractor unit in the UK for £75,000 (US$98,035.50). Although the F-Max is currently available in most of Eastern Europe, Italy, Spain and Portugal, Ford has no plans to officially sell the Turkish-built trucks in the UK. The Grimsby-based truck dealership sources them from a Ford dealership in Poland. They are covered by a three-year unlimited mileage warranty, which includes breakdown and recovery. “Keeping these trucks maintained over here is not hard,” said owner Mick Moody. TIP UK has been licensed by Ford to use its maintenance software and to train mechanics to work on the F-Max. And TIP’s branches are around every corner.” The F-Max, which was crowned International Truck of the Year 2019, uses Ford’s own Euro-6 12.7-litre engine, producing 500hp and 2,500Nm of torque. Safety features include lane departure warning and emergency braking. The sleeper cabs have twin bunks, climate control, satellite navigation and, according to Moody, “a really good engine brake”. The F-Max’s height and width meet UK type approval. “It’s a lot of truck for the money. And it’s not far off a Volvo and Scania to drive either – it’s really smooth and definitely one to watch. I believe that if Ford was to offer a 6x2 and a 4x2 F-Max over here, they’d take off,” Moody said. http://www.moodyinternational.co.uk/truck/ford-t1850-f-max/ .

Commercial Motor / december 18, 2019 Easy pull curtains are just one of the highlights of the SDC Freespan. .

Scania Group Press Release / January 22, 2020 HAVI is using Scania biogas trucks for deliveries to McDonald’s in Finland. Despite a population of just 5.5 million, Finland has one of Europe’s most developed biogas networks, with 33 public stations. Sixteen of these offer biogas in its purest form (CBG100) and 17 stations provide biogas blended with fossil methane. With such an excellent infrastructure in place, it was unsurprising that HAVI Logistics recently switched half of its eight-strong Finnish fleet to Scania biogas trucks. After all, HAVI, which delivers food to McDonald’s and other restaurants, is committed to phasing out its fossil-fuel operations under a Europe-wide agreement it made in 2017 with Scania and McDonald’s. “Swift action for more sustainable transport” HAVI has worked closely with Finnish state-owned energy supplier Gasum in planning its new operations. Gasum’s gas refuelling network covers HAVI’s needs throughout Finland, and the nearest gas filling station is only 500 metres from HAVI’s Finnish Logistics Centre in Vantaa, near Helsinki. “It’s very important for us to meet the aspirations of our customers and staff,” says Mikael Tuompo, Managing Director of HAVI Logistics in Finland. “That requires taking swift action for more sustainable transport.” McDonald’s is reducing the carbon footprint of its restaurant operations, through biodegradable packaging materials, recycling and by expanding its plant-based menu options. But it relies on its partners to tackle transport-related issues, as Heli Ryhänen, Communications Director, McDonald’s Finland, explains: “We focus on making hamburgers and preparing meals in our restaurants. And we trust our partners to have the necessary expertise in reducing their carbon emissions from transport.” HAVI’s actions slash carbon emissions The other half of HAVI’s Finnish fleet may still be diesel, but these four trucks will now be run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), which will contribute to reducing the company’s annual carbon emissions from transport by 83 percent. Meanwhile, the HAVI Logistics Centre has undergone a major refurbishment to make it more energy efficient. In total, the measures will reduce HAVI Logistics’ carbon emissions in Finland by 1,388 tonnes a year; that’s equivalent to approximately 8.8 million passenger car kilometres. .

Scania Group Press Release / January 20, 2020 Electrification, automation and various hybrid and alternative fuel solutions are already attracting a lot of attention. However, one possibility that has been overshadowed in comparison is hydrogen fuel cell technology. The trucks, which are fully electric, are fitted with an electric powertrain, and energy is converted to electricity from hydrogen gas in fuel cells on board the vehicles. The fuel cell powered truck also has a battery for moments when extra power is needed, and when the vehicle needs to recuperate electric power from brake energy. Hedvig Paradis, Head of New Business Concepts with a PhD in fuel cell technology from Lund University, has been studying and working in this rapidly evolving area for several years. She is excited by its potential. “Different customers in different regions around the world will need different solutions, and hydrogen fuel cell technology can be one of those solutions. We can see for example in Japan, South Korea and California that they are pushing for hydrogen based solutions, and building hydrogen gas stations,” she says. Possibilities A major strength of hydrogen-based solutions is the fact that it is a zero emission technology; only water is actually emitted locally by the truck itself. This is based on the fact that the hydrogen is produced in a renewable way. Another real positive for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and a reason for the growing interest, is that they have attributes comparable to conventional vehicles, such as refuelling patterns and infrastructure build-up. That’s attractive to those who are wary of making the dramatic change some new technologies require. Challenges There’s the central issue of how and where the hydrogen fuel is produced. “Hydrogen gas stations are not that developed yet, although there is more infrastructure emerging. Some, like Asko, are actually building their own refuelling stations so they are in control of their own ecosystem. There’s a need for sustainable solutions that have less environmental impact.” Added to this is the need for a lot of space on the truck or bus for the hydrogen tanks. The solution available today takes up a lot of volume to maintain a good range that could otherwise be used for transporting goods or people How it works A fuel cell creates electricity by an electro chemical process using hydrogen and oxygen. The electricity generated by the fuel cells powers the electric powertrain. The system has an integrated battery buffer. The only emissions are pure water. .

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Ford Trucks Russia Press Release / January 24, 2020 The Ford Trucks 3233S is a rigid in 8x2 configuration with two auxiliary axles, a steerable pusher and a tag. This layout allows operators to carry more cargo compared to three axle trucks. In addition, the 8x2 configuration offers class-leading operating economy. A member of Ford Trucks "Cargo" heavy series, the 3233S utilizes a sleeper cab well suited for Russia's winters featuring two auxiliary heaters in addition to air conditioning. The 3233S truck is equipped with an economical 9-liter Ford "Ecotorq" engine and easy shifting Eaton manual transmission. A standard 2-year warranty with unlimited mileage is standard, and extended warranty options are available. .

Springfield News-Sun / January 25, 2020 Navistar laid off 26 workers in Springfield on Friday as part of continuation of layoffs resulting from the company’s decision to reduce the number of trunks built there per day. Last week, truck production on the Springfield plant’s main line, which also builds medium-duty commercial trucks for General Motors, was reduced from 97 to 70 per day. That decision led to 106 workers being laid off shortly after, not including the 26 that were laid off on Friday, said Chris Blizard, the president of UAW Local 402 . Those affected by the most recent round of layoffs at the plant are members of UAW Local 402. That union represents assembly production workers as well as those with skilled trades at the Springfield plant. “In order to realign production with the current demand for our products, we will be adjusting line rates at our Springfield Assembly plant. This action is normal due to the cyclical nature of our business,” said Navistar spokesperson Lyndi McMillan in an email to the News-Sun last week. The News-Sun reported in 2019 that the number of medium and heavy-duty trucks being built have surpassed demand nationally. Some companies are beginning to adjust their production rates as a result. A reduction from 117 trucks to 97 trucks built per day at the Springfield plant in September led to 126 workers being laid off that month, the News-Sun reported. The company announced in November that it would be further reducing truck production at the plant starting in January. At the time, local union officials argued that reducing the line to a production rate of 70 would be in direct violation of their contract with the company. They said that agreement called for a minimum of 90 trucks to be built per day on the main line of the Springfield plant. Another interpretation of the contract language is that Navistar is required to staff the main line with enough employees to accommodate at least 90 trucks per day and therefore the company can reduce production without violating the contract. However, the number of workers needed at the line to support that production is still a matter of debate between union officials and Navistar, Blizard said. Earlier this month, Navistar temporarily stopped production on line two, which makes cutaway vans for GM, at the Springfield plant due to a retooling at GM’s plant in Wentzville, Mo., that makes cabs for the GM vans assembled in Springfield. However, production has resumed on that line, according to Blizard.