IAA 2014 launches could soon reach the Middle East
Mercedes-Benz, MAN introduce new technologies in Germany
While European vehicle manufacturers have spend signficant amount of R&D dollars on producing new Euro 6 engines, this year the excitement at the International Commercial Vehicle Show (IAA) was around alternate powertrains, new transmission developments, self-drive and efficiency gainers, and a few new vehicles that should get traction in the Middle East markets.
In a display of dominance, and claiming for itself the crown of largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in the world, Daimler took up two whole halls, with 63 trucks, vans and buses reflecting its commercial vehicle range, across Mercedes-Benz, Setra and Fuso brands, with the vehicles having total combined power of more than 18,000 horsepower.
While Mercedes-Benz Truck’s self-driving long-hauler received plenty of attention with its futuristic predictions (see page 24), parked outside the Daimler stand were two vehicles which might be of more interest to fleet managers in the Middle East.
Through their Indian BharatBenz brand, Daimler displayed the 3143, a quarry hauler protoype, built as a 8×4 with two rear driven axles, and a 48 tonne gross vehicle weight, a concept vehicle designed to appeal to India’s large mining sector, and – one would guess – in quarries and mines further afield, such as in the Middle East.
The 3143 is built with the well-known Mercedes-Benz OM 457 six-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of 12 litres. According to a report in the Times of India, the concept vehicle will enter production next year.
But confirmed, and launching in the Middle East next year, is the new Fuso HDT-2528R model from the FJ series. This Fuso variant, developed and manufactured in India initially for the left hand drive markets, has now been engineered for right hand drive markets. The truck’s cab is reminscent of the Mercedes-Benz Axor, and the Fuso 6S20 engine is based on the Mercedes-Benz OM 906 LA with 6.4-litre displacement.
Built with a manual six-speed manual transmission, the built-in-India Fuso is part of Daimler’s Asian strategy, to use India as a production hub for markets in the region. Fuso’s Japan-built vehicles will continue to arrive, but expect to see the new FJ variant in dealer showrooms next year.
Announced on the first day of the show was news that MAN will begin gearbox cooperation with Scania, one of the evident synergies of the two brands being housed with Volkswagen Group. From 2016, Scania’s gearbox hardware will be gradually implemented in TGS and TGX series MAN vehicles, and MAN will develop the gearbox software for the optimal gear changing strategy. ZF Friedrichshafen, who currently supplies transmissions to MAN, will remains a supplier for MAN’s trucks and buses.
MAN also had a host of other launches up its sleeve, including a its new flagship TGX D38 truck, which, with power output options of 520, 560 and 640 hp, rounds off the high end of its family of vehicles. Its newly developed D38 six-cylinder inline engine has a displacement of 15.2 liters, for excellent vehicle traction during demanding applications.
There was also a long-haul TGX hybrid concept, which uses a normal diesel engine with electric parallel. Designed to optimise total cost of ownership (TCO), it features an electric motor with 130 kW drive power. It acts as an alternator when coasting and braking, and the recovered energy is stored in a battery with a capacity of around two kilowatt hours.
The TGX hybrid uses this energy to increase torque for the diesel engine on gradients, allowing it to be driven in the most economical engine speed range, saving gearshifts and fuel. Tests show a potential fuel reduction at around 8%; the smaller engine means that it is lightweight compared with traditional hybrid options.
Heinz-Jürgen Löw, sales and marketing chair at MAN Truck & Bus, said the company was presenting the TGX hybrid concept to show the advantages of the hybrid drive in long-distance transport for operators and the environment. “We are looking forward to discussions with our international customers.”
A second concept vehicle was the TGM CNC, an 8-tonner driven by a six-cylinder CNG engine with 280 hp from 6.9 l displacement.
On the stand model, 140 kg of natural gas is able to be stored in eight aluminium tanks with carbon coating, with cheaper steel tanks also an option. This tank capacity allows 18-tonners to cover roughly 400 km in distributor urban transport and around 700 km on secondary roads.
While it remains at a prototype stage, the dynamics of pricing and supply means that CNG is a fuel source of the future, and a Middle East representative from MAN suggested that CNG could prove a popular option here, due to low total runnning costs, established CNG distribution through some service centre networks such as ADNOC, as well as easy transportation to remote work sites and multi-applicability.
Given Volvo Truck’s busy launch calendar at the beginning of the year, there was never any chance of a completely new vehicle being unveiled. But taking pole position at its stand was its new dual clutch i-Shift, which utilises a double clutch system for much faster shifting up gears, and without the loss of power or accelleration which occurs in a traditional box when the clutch is disengaged.
Speaking with Truck & Fleet ME at the show, Astrid Drewsen, product manager powertrain at Volvo Trucks said that feeling of driving a truck with dual clutch is excellent, and drivers are able to accellerate up at the same speed as ordinary traffic.
“The heavier the transport, the tougher the driving and the more gear changes you make, the more you gain from driving with I-Shift Dual Clutch. It also becomes easier to follow the flow of traffic and provides more relaxed and safer driving,” said Drewsen.
Volvo Trucks also staged the global launch of its latest video to promote the new technology, The Casino, an elaborate practical joke with a valet on his first day at work at the Casino San Remo in Italy, who first parks a number of exotic race cars, before a new FH pulls into the hotel and the driver hands him the keys. The tagline? ‘Built with the technology of a racecar, a nod to the genesis of dual clutch transmissions.’
Meanwhile, Volvo Bus did pull the covers off a completely new model, an all-electric city bus, the Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid. Calling it part of “a new generation of public transportation solutions”, the company said it has already signed contracts with several European cities for the first deliveries.
The 7900 runs as a hybrid, with a small diesel motor, but can be switched to all electric depending on the route requirements, including being able to drive inside. The charge time for the bus is approximately six minutes, at charging stations via an overhead power connection, which takes place at end stations, and the bus can be driven about seven kilometres on electricity alone, silently and with no exhaust emissions.
Hyundai Motors were busy with the launch of their new H350 van, designed to foot it with Euro-style vans such as the Sprinter or Transit. Options include a 3.5-tonne (GVW) cargo van with two/three seats, or as a 4.0 tonne passenger bus with 14/15 seats, while the vehicle platform also supports a flatbed truck option. It was displayed at their stand as three different configurations, with mini bus, transporter, and as a trade vehicle with shelves.
In other news in the segment, Iveco received the covetted International Van of the Year 2015 award for its New Daily, given out by a jury of European motor journalists. The New Daily won by a margin of 17 points over the finalists from Fiat, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Renault/Opel. The third generation of Daily, Iveco had completely redesigned 80% of the new model’s components, presenting a vehicle with a load volume efficiency at the top of its category, and best-in-class for volume and capacity. Fuel savings equate to an average of 5.5%, depending on the vehicle version, reaching up to 14% with EcoPack in urban utilisation.
