Truck&Fleet ME August 2019

VEHICLES/ TECH / TRANSPORTATION/LOGISTICS

O67/AUGUST 2O19

MIDDLE EAST

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D U O R THE P

N I R U T OF he t e k a t E M F Fiat lets T& spin a r o f o t a c new Du ch n u a l 0 2 0 2 ahead of its

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS FEATURE

14 / VANS SPECIAL: DUCATO

T&FME travels to Turin to test drive Fiat’s upcoming van.

ALSO THIS ISSUE …

NETWORK

06 / NEWS FROM THE MONTH Plans to involve public and private transport for Expo 2020 Dubai revealed.

06

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24

32

38

LAUNCHES

10 / PERFECT PARTNER? Peugeot’s Partner launch kicks off our special look at the vans you need for your fleet.

INTERVIEW

18 / VANS SPECIAL: IN TRANSIT Why the Ford Transit is gaining momentum in the Middle East region.

INTERVIEW

22 / VANS SPECIAL: SPRINTER Mercedes-Benz Vans MENA takes T&FME through its revised Sprinter.

FEATURE

24 / HISTORY IN THE MAKING T&FME travels backwards and forwards through the making of Renault Trucks.

MARKET ANALYSIS

28 / MEA MARKET REVIEW Could light commercial vehicles be the way ahead for the Middle East and Africa market?

FEATURE

36 / CONNECTED FUTURE Continental on how it is shaping the direction of the automotive industry.

AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 01

WELCOME

GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR RAZ ISLAM raz.islam@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5483 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR VIJAYA CHERIAN vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5472 EDITORIAL EDITOR STEPHEN WHITE stephen.white@cpitrademedia.com +44 7541 244 377

YOU ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR FIRST LOVE – MINE’S A VAN Early into my life as a driver and still a teenager, I picked up a job as a driver for a construction company. Switching between a Luton van and a transit for a couple of days a week – and away from what had been all-consuming studying – not only dosed me with a healthy shot of reality, it also helped me to be a better driver.

Not only was I carrying whatever we needed from one site to another, but I was also having to do it under the scrutiny of men many years my senior.

Every single missed gear change or hard brake would be greeted with a brutish sigh or a laugh – if I was lucky. After one particularly risky manoeuvre skipping through oncoming traffic, one even asked me to get in the passenger seat using the sort of colourful language you might reserve for remembering you forgot the parachute when you’ve just jumped out of a plane.

Now, many years later, I’m lucky to have a job that lets me revisit those early journeys out on the road.

Consequently, we feature several models this month that are either out in the market or imminent and, call it sentimentality, but it really cheers me to see them finding a role in the Middle East. I’ve been out on the road in Italy in the new Fiat Professional Ducato, looked at Ford and Mercedes-Benz Vans’ latest offering the new Sprinters and even managed to squeeze in a Peugeot Partner.

Of course, I am a very different driver now, less obsessed with speed and more with getting from point A to point B safely. However, the appreciation for the van as a utility vehicle has never deserted me.

In many ways, we’re only beginning to spot the advantages of the van.

Afterall, we’ve been a pick-up packed to overspill market for many decades, but as the market changes and new opportunities emerge, the van could really come into its own. They also offer huge versatility and can be a mobile workspace as much as a workhorse for your businesses. So for your consideration, T&FME presents my first love – the van.

STEPHEN WHITE EDITOR, TRUCK&FLEET ME STEPHEN.WHITE@CPITRADEMEDIA.COM 02 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

SUB EDITOR AELRED DOYLE aelred.doyle@cpitrademedia.com ADVERTISING SENIOR SALES MANAGER BIPIN SONEJI bipin.soneji@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 433 2856 DESIGN ART DIRECTOR SIMON COBON simon.cobon@cpitrademedia.com DESIGNER PERCIVAL MANALAYSAY percival.manalaysay@cpitrademedia.com PHOTOGRAPHY MAKSYM PORIECHKIN maksym.poriechkin@cpitrademedia.com MARKETING MARKETING MANAGER SHEENA SAPSFORD sheena.sapsford@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5498 CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER VIPIN V. VIJAY vipin.vijay@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5713 DISTRIBUTION MANAGER PHINSON MATHEW GEORGE phinson.george@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5476 WEB DEVELOPMENT MOHAMMAD AWAIS SADIQ SIDDIQUI FINANCE ACCOUNTS NAHEED HOOD naheed.hood@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5474 CREDIT CONTROL EXECUTIVE CAMERON CARDOZO cameron.cardozo@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5499 FOUNDER DOMINIC DE SOUSA (1959-2015)

The publisher of this magazine has made every effort to ensure the content is accurate on the date of publication. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the publisher and editor. The published material, adverts, editorials and all other content are published in good faith. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher in writing. Publication licensed by Dubai Development Authority to CPI Trade Publishing FZ LLC. Printed by Printwell Printing Press LLC. CPI Trade Media. PO Box 13700, Dubai, UAE. +971 4 375 5470 cpitrademedia.com © Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.

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FEATURED

CONSTRUCTION

EXPO 2020 DUBAI MARKS UK BECOMING AN INDEPENDENT TRADING NATION, SAYS MINISTER

‘We have the firepower to build Saudi’s future,’ Red Sea Project chief tells MECN

CONSTRUCTION

Aldar Properties wins multiple AUH contracts

Feature: How the Coca-Cola Arena was delivered ahead of schedule

CONSULTANT

EllisDon wins Canada Pavilion contract for Expo 2020 Dubai

CONSTRUCTION

Al Bawani wins $89m commercial tower project from Asharqia Chamber

CONSULTANT

Saipem wins $3.5bn worth of contracts in Saudi Arabia 04 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

Opinion: It’s time to change AI’s bad rep

I truly hope I am not the only person to read this story (Expo 2020 Dubai marks UK becoming an independent trading nation, says minister) and pick up on the intrinsic ludicrousness of this soundbite from Dr Liam Fox. The UK has been an independent nation since its formation in 1707 (thank you, Google) and even managed to survive its assimilation (ahem) into the EEC and later the European Union. Whether the UK leaves later this year or not, its independent nation status is assured.

What is not a given is whether construction companies – and those on the supply chain – are helped to compete on the world stage. For years, we’ve seen them on the sidelines at trade events in the Middle East while other nations such as France, Italy and Germany have had the full backing of their governments. Expo 2020 Dubai is an opportunity to celebrate UK industry – I hope their government gets behind them with clout rather than churning out a few choice words.

Name withheld by request

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NETWORK

TRANSPORT PLANS DRAFTED FOR EXPO 2020 / NOON TRIALS DRIVERLESS DELIVERIES / SAUDI CEMENT TRENDS / SAAR STREET BOOST / OPTARE MAJOR DEAL

NETWORK

Expo 2020 Dubai will have world class mass transport

PLANS DRAFTED TO PROVIDE VISITORS ACCESS TO THE DUBAI METRO, BUSES AND TAXIS TRANSPORT Dubai is currently in the midst of building an advanced transport system through several vital projects that will serve an expected 25 million visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai, senior officials have said.

According to a report by WAM, Ahmed Al Khateeb, CEO of Real Estate Development at Expo 2020 Dubai, said that the plans have been drafted according to the highest international standards, so as to provide visitors with a leading mass transportation system, including the Dubai Metro, buses and taxis, as

well as private cars.

“Expo 2020 Dubai is cooperating with government institutions to provide a unique transportation experience to all visitors,” he added.

Al Khateeb also explained that the expo’s three main entrances and the Dubai Metro entrance, as well as the availability of 30,000 parking lots, will ensure smooth entry and departure to and from the expo site. He noted that Expo 2020 is expecting 25 million visitors to the sixmonth event, and that the site was designed to accommodate 300,000 at the same time.

Furthermore, Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of Public Transport Agency and Chairman of Readiness Committee for hosting Expo 2020 Dubai, explained that the RTA has drafted a comprehensive plan to host the international event and provide safe and easy transportation to visitors.

The plan includes the implementation of “Route 2020”, a 15-km extension of the Red Line of Dubai Metro to Expo 2020, to transport 44,000 people in both directions every hour. In

addition, the RTA has completed the airport road project to increase its capacity to handle an expected 95 million passengers through Dubai International Airport in 2020.

Another project he highlighted was the development of the nine-kmlong Al Yalayis road, which has a capacity of four tracks in each direction. Work is also under way to develop the roads leading to Expo 2020, which cost more than $816 million, he added.

THE RTA WILL HAVE 724 BUSES AVAILABLE DURING EXPO 2020 DUBAI, AT THE RATE OF ONE BUS EVERY 15 MINUTES

06 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

NETWORK

NOON TO TRIAL DRIVERLESS DELIVERIES IN UAE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

noon.com says it is partnering with China’s Neolix to trial last mile driverless delivery vehicles in the UAE. Mohamed Alabbar said noon.com has signed a memorandum of understand (MoU) with the Beijing-based technology developer with the indention of introducin autonomous delivery vehicles into the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The trials will be conducted in Abu Dhabi and Dubai ‘over the next few weeks’, the company announced in a statement.

This will be the first time such technology has been used in the region.

“Introducing new technology to the region that will improve the e-commerce experience for customers is something we’re incredibly excited about. noon is very proud to bring driverless delivery vans to streets in our cities,” said Alabbar.

“We look forward to bringing many such innovations over the next few months. We are a hungry, talented and ambitious nation.

I hope it will inspire our tech-driven youth to dream big and to achieve those dreams because everything is possible here.”

The driverless vehicles will be built by Neoflix are have been customised to suit the region’s weather conditions, “and are being seamlessly integrated with noon’s logistics platform”.

“Having already created a hyper-efficient homegrown logistics and supply chain setup in the KSA, the UAE and Egypt, noon. com is now looking to make the last mile of deliveries even smoother to give customers in the region a higher quality experience.

“As well as being reliable and speedy, driverless vehicle technology can remove up to 90% of the cost associated with the last mile of delivery. This partnership between Neolix and noon furthers noon’s commitment to bring the best technology and solutions to serve our region’s ecommerce customers,” said noon.com.

TRENDS IN KSA CEMENT SHIFTING TRANSPORTATION Volker Hellberg, CEO of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions - KSA, says that the company is shifting its focus away from cement in the Kingdom towards mining, a strong pillar of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia had announced its initiative to invest $3.8 billion to enhance business opportunities in mining of gold, zinc, rare earth metals and other minerals.

The Kingdom’s objective to jump-start its mining sector was part of a broader industrial strategy which is aimed at diversifying the economy and attracting

private-sector investments worth $426 billion over the next decade.

Hellberg said: “According to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, mining will be the third pillar of the Kingdom’s economy. In the past, one of our biggest business was cement, but due to Vision 2030 and the capacities in the cement market, we have changed our focus to CPT and mining.”

“We have standard (small) machines to huge machines that we use for phosphate mining, as well as high pressure grinding rolls, with the lowest energy consumption per ton, which helps us focus on the Kingdom’s vision.”

SAAR STREET BOOST TO TRAFFIC ROAD NETWORKS Bahraini officials have said that work is progressing at a steady pace on the $7.5 million Saar Street Development Project, which is due to be completed by the end of this year.

Current average traffic movement is about 30,000 vehicles per day going both ways, as for morning and afternoon peak hours, the traffic density is about 2,000 vehicles per hour for both ways. The street capacity will reach 58,000 vehicles per day, the ministry concluded In a statement, the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs

and Urban Planning said that the development project with the junction on Street 35 is 46% completed.

“The initial layers of asphalt are being implemented in addition to creating rain drainage networks,” said Sayed Bader Alawi, the head of project management and road maintenance at the ministry.

He explained that the works ministry aims to improve traffic movement. Once the project is completed, the street will be able to cater to about 4,000 vehicles at a time and traffic jam incidences are expected to decrease by 60%.

AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 07

NETWORK

OPTARE SCORES MAJOR DUBAI DEAL

BUSES

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the launch of 94 fuel-efficient and low-carbon emission medium-sized buses of from the UK’s Optare brand, the first-ofits-kind in the UAE. Compatible with the European Emission Standards (Euro 5), the buses will be deployed

to 17 routes including residential areas and low-demand routes.

RTA said in a statement that the step is aligned with its efforts to make public transport the ideal choice of mobility in Dubai and raise the percentage of public transport journeys to 26 per cent by 2030. The requires providing public transport options

characterised by high performance, affordable cost, and wide geographical coverage, it added.

“The delivery of the new batch of buses is part of RTA’s masterplan. Our objective is to deliver best-in-class services to public transport commuters and match the sustained growth in the number of riders,” said Al HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, during its launch.

Al Tayer also said that the new buses will be deployed in 17 routes; eight existing routes and nine new ones, especially metro link buses routes, low-demand routes, and residential areas which do not require large buses.

BARARI NATURAL RESOURCES UPGRADES FLEET WITH NEW RENAULT TRUCKS TRUCKS Three new Renault trucks from the French company’s K range will be involved in conservation efforts in the UAE after Barari Natural Resources took delivery of the vehicles.

A UAE-based conservation and forest and wildlife management company, Barari expanded its fleet with the addition of two latest Renault

Trucks K440 P6x6 and one K460 T6x4 models, said a statement from the Volvo-owned French heavy vehicles maker.

Among the reasons that the robust models were chosen was their high ground clearances with an approach angle of 32-degrees, perfect for their work in forest management, the statement said, adding that Barari purchased its first

Renault Trucks model - the K440 T6x4 - in 2017.

Ghassan Fares, head of procurement at Barari Natural Resources, said: “We have been extremely impressed not only with the performance of our first K440 T6x4 truck, but also with the great aftersales service of (Renault Trucks’ dealer) Al Masaood and the company’s excellent long-term warranty.”

NAIR NAMED AS PSA’S NEW GCC MD OEMS

Groupe PSA, the French automotive manufacturer of Peugeot, Citroen, DS and Opel brands, has appointed Rakesh Nair as its new managing director for the GCC region.

Bringing 14 years’ experience of motoring expertise, skills in strategic planning, marketing, sales and operations combined with his deep knowledge of the Middle East automotive landscape, Nair will focus on the implementation of the ‘Push to Pass’ strategy in the GCC. He will report directly to Samir Cherfan, Senior Vice President for Sales, Marketing and After Sales in Africa and Middle East at Groupe PSA. Speaking about Nair’s appointment, Cherfan said: “I am pleased to welcome Rakesh to the Groupe PSA family. I am confident he will help the company achieving robust and healthy business foundations for the four Brands in the GCC.” Commenting on his new position, Nair said: “I am proud to join Groupe PSA at such an exciting time for the company as it makes its comeback in the Middle East. The market is full of untapped opportunities to a car maker with such a cutting-edge technology and efficiency like Groupe PSA.” Nair previously served as a General Manager in Nissan group for Africa, Middle East and India. In his long automotive industry experience in the Middle East and Europe, Nair has served in several positions across multiple departments from operations and product planning to sales, marketing and strategy.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: VANS SPECIAL – A TEST DRIVE OF THE NEW DUCATO AND SPECIAL OVERVIEWS OF DAIMLER, FORD AND PEUGEOT’S BEST

08 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

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NETWORK

EMC TESTS DRIVERS AT FIRST FLEETBOARD CHAMPS DRIVERS

NEW HEAD FOR FORD DIRECT MARKETS OEMS

Ford Motor Company has appointed Randy Krieger as its new president, Direct Markets. This is a new position which will focus on Ford’s distributor markets, said the company.

Krieger is expected to drive a Distributor Centre of Excellence, which brings together more than 80 distributor markets across Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia Pacific Emerging Markets.

Krieger joins the Dubai office from Shanghai where he was executive director, marketing and sales, Ford Asia Pacific Operations (APO). Prior to his APO posting, Krieger was Ford ASEAN Marketing and Sales Director.

He also served as President of Ford Japan and Ford Philippines, where he successfully restructured the business operations to return to profits.

Krieger also played a central role in Ford’s strong presence in China during the early days of Changan Ford operations. His achievement included aggressive expansion of Changan Ford dealers from 26 to 150 and six-fold vehicle sales growth over a 30-month period.

“Randy brings a wealth of experience and insight, in monumentally diverse markets, to Ford’s Direct Markets operations,” said Mark Ovenden, president, Ford International Markets Group. “With a new structure, we will be able to better meet the needs of our distributor partners and our shared business.”

Krieger joined Ford in 1986 and has held a range of positions at Ford’s North America and European operations in marketing, finance, and dealer operations.

10 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

Emirates Motor Company Commercial Vehicles (EMC CV) has held the UAE’s first Mercedes-Benz Fleetboard Driving Championship in Abu Dhabi.

The authorised general distributor of Daimler Commercial Vehicles in the Emirate announced the the final winners during a ceremony at EMC CV’s Mussafah facility this week.

Featuring skilled drivers and vehicles from Western Bainoona Group (WBG), Tristar Engineering and Construction, Al Falah Holdings and Transgulf Readymix, only 18 drivers remained ahead of the final qualification round, the distributor explained in a statement.

Fleets and drivers were clustered into different operational segments, namely Actros Classic and the new

Actros - both tractor/trailer operation (medium to long distance); and Actros Classic and new Arocs - both tipper/mixer operation, it added.

Officials from EMC CV awarded top winning ‘Drivers Per Fleet’ awarded prizes to Sugraj Singh Parshotan from Al Falah Holding, Wajid Ali from Tristar Engineering and Construction, Adam Khel, from

Wester Bainoona Group and Abdul Hameed from Transgulf Readymix for wins in their respective categories.

“We are delighted to have organised this championship for the first time in the UAE as it honours truck drivers and the entire industry with deserved attention and exposure,” said Bilal Al Ribi, general manager, EMC CV.

NME HOLDS REGIONAL SKILLS CONTEST DISTRIBUTORS Nissan Middle East’s managing director Thierry Sabbagh has thanked the company’s regional dealers after the firm held its annual Skills Contest and Awards Ceremony. The event recognises the company’s top sales and customer service employees from its National Sales Companies (NSC) from across the Middle East.

The awards spanned every aspect of the business – from knowledge of Nissan genuine parts to service advice to

sales acumen to technical expertise. The oldest and most coveted category is Nissan Service Technical Excellence Competency Award (NISTEC), which was awarded to Hareesh C. from Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, Oman this year.

The first place under the Nissan Service Advisor Excellency Competency Award (NISAC) category was won

by Shubhakar Konkutla from Suhail Bahwan Automobiles in Oman, and the winner of the Nissan Sales Executive

Excellence Competency Award (NISEC) category went to David Ghanameh from Arabian Automobiles Co. in Dubai.

In addition, Shameer Sha Shahabudeen from Arabian Automobiles Co. in Dubai was presented with the first place for the Nissan Parts Executive Excellence Competency Award (NIPEC). Taking place over three days in Dubai, members from Nissan’s NSCs participated in a contest of knowledge, negotiation, vehicle servicing, and customer service.

Free attendance for industry professionals.

Register online tfconference.com

Running faster, longer & leaner Not only is the Middle East a centre for transport and logistics activity, but it is also increasingly embedded into the international landscape of the two sectors in terms of adopting trends and best practices, as well as in the companies involved.

tfconference.com

Truck & Fleet Conference and its entities are a product, owned and operated by CPI Trade Media. Š 2019 CPI Trade Media. All rights reserved.

LAUNCHES

ALL-NEW PEUGEOT PARTNER VAN RECEIVES ITS GCC DEBUT / NEW MINI COOPER SE BECOMES FIRST PREMIUM AND SMALL CAR OF ITS TYPE IN REGION

LAU NCHES I-COCKPIT 4MN UNITS NOW SOLD

Peugeot introduces allnew 2020 Partner in GCC LATEST ADDITION TO ITS COMMERCIAL VEHICLE RANGE NOW ON SALE IN THE GCC Kicking off this month’s look at the van in the Middle East, we have the all-new Peugeot Partner. The latest addition to its commercial vehicle range went on sale in the GCC as of June this year.

A statement from the French automobile giant said the Partner is a class leader in its segment and was the winner of the ‘2019 International Van of the Year’ award. Priced from $12,779, the vehicle has an increased load capacity of up to 1t, and petrol and diesel engine options that offer high power and low fuel consumption.

The all-new Peugeot Partner

12 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

includes Peugeot’s latest i-Cockpit system fitted as standard and offers high levels of refinement and versatility in the small van B segment, as well as a brand-new driving experience for commercial vehicle users, said the manufacturer.

Rakesh Nair, managing director for the GCC region at Groupe PSA, said: “At Peugeot we believe in pushing the boundaries of innovation across all of our product ranges. The all-new Partner will shake up its segment in the commercial vehicle market here in the Middle East.

We are the first manufacturer to

offer uncompromised levels of refinement – which you’d expect to see in one of our premium passenger cars. The all-new Partner is a trailblazer and another exciting product to add to our existing range of distinctive and highly desirable vehicles.”

The Peugeot i-Cockpit, of which more than 4 million units have been sold, is now available as standard on a commercial vehicle for the first time with the new Partner. A heads-up display is available as standard to enable essential information to be received by the driver while still able to maintain his

eyes on the road, which is a guarantee of safety and comfort.

The vehicle comes with hinged wide-span doors while a tailgate option is also available and rear parking sensors are fitted as standard. The interior reflects Peugeot’s passenger vehicle range in its ergonomics and elegance, said the statement.

The dimensions of the new Partner’s standard version measure 4.40m in length ensuring an optimum effective usable length of 1.81m. With a capacity ranging from 3.30m3 to 3.80m3 depending on the version, this is sufficient to accommodate two

LAUNCHES

NEW MINI COOPER STRIKES THE MARKET

FIRST MINI AND FIRST SMALL CAR IN THE PREMIUM SEGMENT TO RUN ON ELECTRICAL POWER ONLY

ON DISPLAY The Partner includes a dash-mounted infotainment system which includes sat-navigation.

USEFUL CAPACITY The partner offers a capacity ranging from 3.30m3 to 3.80m3 depending on the version.

Europallets, said Peugeot.

The long version, which is 4.75m long, provides even greater load capacity, with an effective length of 2.16m and capacity ranging from 3.90m3 to 4.40m3.

Peugeot claims the payload to be one of the best in the segment, with values of 650kg up to 1,000kg. Six anchoring rings are provided as standard to ensure loads are safely secured, and depending on the version, the all-new Partner may be fitted with a Multiflex

adaptable bench seat for carrying more passengers.

Power options include a 1.6l PureTech petrol engine putting out 110 horses via a manual five-speed gearbox.

All PureTech engines are fitted with a Gasoline Particulate Filter to reduce particle emissions. The diesel option is a 92hp, BlueHDi with a manual five-speed gearbox. Diesel engines are all fitted with a FAP particle filter and a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) to reduce emissions.

The new MINI Cooper SE combines sustainable urban mobility with the riding fun, expressive design and premium quality that are typical of MINI, says the famous British brand.

According to MINI, the Cooper SE’s spontaneous power delivery of its 135 kW/184 hp motor, the brand-specific front-wheel drive, and its driving dynamics system with wheel slip limiting close to the actuator, give the new MINI Cooper SE a “particularly intense and unmistakable agility, known as the go-kart feeling.”

The EV model of the venerable model features a specific lithium-ion battery enables a range of 235 to 270 kilometres with the high-volts packed under the vehicle floor, ensuring there are no limitations in terms of luggage compartment volume as compared to the conventionally powered MINI 3 Door.

The new MINI Cooper SE is the first model to combine electromobility in an urban setting with the hallmark brand properties of the original in the premium segment of small cars. The first ever purely electrica model of the British brand is a genuine MINI to the core. Its vehicle concept is based on the MINI 3 Door. The dimensions, design, space and interior ambience of the new MINI Cooper SE are clearly based on the conventionally powered vehicle, the development of which already took account

of the expansion of the model range to include a electrically powered version.

The new MINI Cooper SE is produced in the brand’s home country. It comes off the production line at the MINI plant in Oxford along with the conventionally powered versions of the model. Its drive technology comes from the BMW Group competence centres for electromobility in Dingolfing and Landshut.

In order to ensure that the high level of torque supplied by the electric motor immediately on set-off can be put to use for hallmark brand riding fun without loss of traction, the new MINI Cooper SE has a DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system. This drive slip control system, designed specifically for the spontaneous power delivery provided by electric motors, makes for particularly supreme driving qualities in all road and weather conditions. This perceptibly optimises both set-off traction and driving stability in brake energy recovery mode, as well as when accelerating out of tight bends.

SPECIFICATIONS Battery

Lithium-ion

Power

135 kW/184 hp

Transmission Steptronic Torque

270Nm

Range

235-270km

HIGH VOLTAGE 184HP OF INSTANT EV POWER

SPECIFICATIONS Engine

1.6l PureTech

Power

110hp 1.6l PureTech (also 92hp, BlueHDi)

Transmission

Manual 5spd

Usable length

1.81m

Max capacity

3.80m3

AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 13

FEATURE

ITALIAN RE-STYLE

T&FME meets Fiat Professional and test drives their Ducato MY2020 in Turin

P

eered over by the giant mountains of the Alps, Turin is one of those cities that can be anything you want it to be. It’s plazas and colonnades are every bit as alluring as those in Venice or Rome to the history buff. It’s greatest football team Juventus (although local rivals Torino may dispute it) is one of Italy’s most famous sports brands and home to one of the world’s most high-profile footballers in Cristiano Ronaldo. And with due respect to Nutella, auto-enthusiasts will also point to Fiat for an example of how the city is also an industrial powerhouse.

T&FME was in the city for the launch of Fiat Professional’s – the company’s commercial vehicle off-shoot – new Ducato in early July, as well as an early look at its first foray into electric mobility due to

14 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

launch next year. While the launch in the Middle East of the 220-360km rangey Ducato Electric is slated for the end of next year, the new Euro 6D Ducato will arrive in showrooms early in 2020.

Despite the Ducato’s enviable position in continental Europe’s van segment, last year’s model was perceived to have slipped behind some of its rival beyond its classleading payload and fuel economy statistics.

This has been addressed for the so-called MY20 update with a nine-speed automatic gearbox mated to a narrower selection of engines with four outputs; dropping the 2,0l version in favour of higher torque from its 2.3l MultiJet 2 engines (designed to fit the company’s “one mission-one engine” mantra which means offering a solution to meet the needs of the customers’ various tasks).

Indeed, readers familiar to our coverage

The LCV market is a good place to be. Sales have been growing continuously and have recovered all the lost ground”

of heavy trucks, will recognise features such a Full Brake Control (basically Fiat Professionals AEB system) and Lane Departure Warning as standards on EU trucks, but less so in this market. It also has a new touch screen embedded into the dashboard that is compatible with both iOS and Android for entertainment as well as a built in sat-nav system which we had thorough use of in the test drive (strangely our chaperones on the trip stopped us to switch it to Italian on the way back but fortunately it was intuitive enough to re-program after a few misconceived attempts to get it back to English).

During the trip, T&FME was given the opportunity to take to the road and give the new diesel mode of the van a test drive. And as we set off through the narrow, cobbled streets of the city’s main rat runs, it was immediately obvious that this was a test not just of the

FEATURE

vehicle but of the driver. The van has generous ear lobes for wing mirrors and they can prove difficult to avoid scratching in confined spaces, but once over the River Po and into the outskirts the entire van proved its worth.

Those used to hauling in pick-ups or light trucks will immediately feel a noise and handling upgrade when they step into the van.

Turin’s busy road network also offered up plenty of opportunities to trial the Ducato’s stop-start system and it provides a rapid take-off in traffic situations. Most impressive, however, was the vehicles handling of the winding and steep climb to Architect Filippo Juvarra’s Basilica di Superga which overlooks the city southern reaches. Here the 9-speed transmission came into its own allowing for easy passing of the brave cyclists that test

themselves on the slopes up to the building.

The Ducato was responsive and slipped itself in and out of low gears as we slalomed past.

Fiat Professional claims the new Ducato has the best-in-class transmission in terms of weight in its sector, allowing for optimum use of driving torque that reaches an industry record of 450 Nm on the 180 HP version. Certainly, the unloaded model on the run, felt nippy and used this power well – with all the caveats that entails.

A stop at the top and under the dome of the basilica, provided an opportunity to swing open the side and back doors of the Ducato and measure up the payload space before heading down the other side out onto the highway that links the city to it neighbours in northern Italy.

This was a concept we first introduced to the segment: a square and a regular van shape to allow full exploitation”

There, again, the Ducato ran with low noise levels, little vibration and good stability, albeit in low winds. The lane departure warning came on intermittingly, which this writer would like to blame on over-steering on some of the corners as we headed back to Turin but may be just the result of having to take mental notes while navigating traffic as it built up towards the city centre.

With the region’s drivers expected to deliver faster than ever and in increasingly complex urban environments, the van is finally finding a role on our roads.

Besides the greater demands on the driver themselves, the growth of e-commerce in the region is also opening up opportunities for vehicles that can cover the ground quickly and efficiently while attending to

A SQUARE DEAL FOR FLEETS Fiat was an early pioneer of the cargo van; a body designed to maximise storage and cargo space.

A CUT ABOVE The number of engine options has been reduced but the Ducato is available in a number of different variants, including a cut chassis.

AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 15

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a number of different delivery locations.

During the Turin trip, T&FME was able to hear first-hand how the executives at the top of Fiat Professional have found its own LCV (light commercial vehicles) offering benefit from Europe’s own similar changes within the market.

Stephane Gigou, head of brand, Fiat Professional EME, says that Ducato’s new features bring it in line with the market demand, adding that he believes this is the best Ducato yet.

“This is a year of celebration for us. It has been more than 120 years since the formation of Fiat and 38 years since the launch of the first Ducato. Compared to the other anniversaries it seems like yesterday,” he muses. “And, actually, Ducato seems to have found the formula for eternal youth.

Reinventing itself continuously without losing the original concept. A concept that was revolutionary when it was first presented

and has become mainstream after 38 years.”

According to Gigou, the Ducato accounts for one in every five van sales in Europe, a success he traces back to offering a, thenrevolutionary, way of utilising a vehicle’s space.

“This was a concept we first introduced to the segment: a square and a regular van shape to allow full exploitation of the cargo space. A comprehensive body and a powerful range to all missions and uses,” he says.

Gigou argues that in Europe, at least, the LCV segment is currently the one to be active in with sales increasing.

“The LCV market is a good place to be.

After the drop of ten years ago (during the beginning of the global economic crisis) and excluding 2012, sales have been growing continuously and have recovered all the lost ground reaching 3.3 million units in 2018, the highest figure ever,” he says before focusing on Fiat Professional’s overall performance,.

“2018 was our best year in eight years.”

It has been more than 120 years since the formation of Fiat and 38 years since the first Ducato.

Compared to the other anniversaries it seems like yesterday”

Gigou says that driving this growth is the changes to people’s lifestyles, “We have started shopping online and that has changed the economy forever and anything physical from groceries to TV set still have to be distributed physically.”

Deliveries represent approximately 20% of the LCV market and this number is growing, he adds. And almost 30% of all Ducato professional usages are for delivery businesses.

“E-commerce has made a crucial difference for all business. More and more goods have to be handed over with more frequency. And this has been counteredbalance with the industry facing increasingly stringent travel and emission regulations.

This is a world that needs Ducato.”

The launch of the Ducato MY2020 has already begun and will continue on throughout the year and will enter the Middle East in 2020.

WHY FIAT THINKS THIS IS THE BEST DUCATO YET Fiat Professional claims that the Ducato MY2020 is the best ever in every way. The new range boasts sophisticated drive assist systems which allow drivers to control the vehicle through 360°.

• Blind spot assist (BSA), which uses radar sensors installed in the rear bumper to identify approaching vehicles which are invisible to the driver if they are in the blind spot of the rear-view mirror.

• The exclusive Rear Cross Path detection (RCP), which uses radar sensors to identify vehicles approaching from the side, when the vehicle is reversing.

It avoids accidents during manoeuvring operations.

• Full brake control (FBC), which identifies obstacles and, after checking whether there is imminent danger of collision, alerts the driver and intervenes by

COMING IN 2020 Fiat Professional has confirmed that the Ducato will reach the Middle East early in 2020, with its electric model coming later in the year.

16 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

automatically triggering an emergency braking.

• Lane departure warning system (LDWS), which determines whether the vehicle is leaving the lane it is travelling on, including in conditions of poor visibility. In the event of danger an acoustic and visual signal alerts the driver immediately.

• Traffic sign recognition, which uses the on-board camera to assist the driver by recognising

roadside speed limits and overtaking signs and reproducing them on the on-board display.

• High beam recognition, which manages the activation and deactivation of the main beam headlights, increasing visibility and reducing the risk of dazzling when driving at night, recognising vehicles travelling in the opposite direction automatically.

• Rain and dusk sensor,

which activates the windscreen wipers and adjusts their speed according to the intensity of rainfall.

The dusk sensor automatically activates the low-beam headlights when the outside light is insufficient.

• Tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), which monitors the pressure of the tyres constantly, indicating any loss in pressure directly on the on-board display.

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FEATURE

THE HEART OF THE CITY

Why Ford’s Transit is really beginning to shift gears in the region

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ans are the lifeblood of the inner city, plying businesses and customers with goods and services that keep the heart of the city beating. And this is where, for more than 54 years, the Ford Transit has earned its stripes as hard working, reliable partner for thousands of operators worldwide.

Globally, the Transit’s reputation for getting the job done has been forged since its introduction to the market in 1965. And while there are competitors in the market, Ford’s 18 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

global Transit platform dominates in terms of volume worldwide. With a trusted nameplate and years of market penetration in the US, UK, Asia, Australasia and Europe, the Transit has become one of the most important vehicles for Ford’s fleet business around the world.

In the Middle East, the Transit is also enjoying a tremendous growth period since its introduction three years ago.

“Much of the success of the Transit simply comes down to delivering a product that the customer wants,” said Mahendra Menon, Regional Manager Commercial Vehicles,

We’re confident we’ve got the right product for customers in the region”

Ford Middle East and Africa. “Relying on reputation is not enough – and it hasn’t been easy establishing a foothold in the region where clients have long-term buying habits.

But we’ve listened to customers and brought a product to market that has been designed, tested and refined for our customers.”

This approach has seen impressive results since its introduction to the region in 2016.

This year, Ford has secured significant orders with DHL in Oman and the UAE – and has seen a huge upswing in interest from SMEs like home check-in service DUBZ, and delivery

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by a low upfront unit price. Ford Protect for Commercial Vehicles has helped simplify a lot of the concerns new customers have over the total cost of ownership. Ford Protect means customers can tailor their servicing packages to suit their needs, covering routine maintenance and parts for up to eight years.

These things are important, and this is where we’ve focused a lot of our attention with our partners because that’s what matters to the customer – that bottom line.”

Recent success

FORD’S RELATIVE NEWCOMERS Since its regional debut in 2016, the Ford Transit range has won significant attention across the region.

giants UPS and Amazon. Ford has also seen a lot of interest from the travel and leisure industry for the Tourneo Custom – the Transit’s passenger-van version – for shuttle services.

“Long-term cost of ownership, fuel efficiency and sheer capability is where the Transit is winning. Our engineers at Ford know that the Transit needs to be highly capable and easy to modify, and because of the work they continue to put in, we’re seeing a lot of firms turn to the Transit to gain a competitive edge over their rivals,” Menon said.

“Clients are no longer swayed simply

We’ve had great success in the region with some significant orders”

Working with new partners has opened up new avenues for the Transit in the Middle East. In June, Cairo-based mobility firm SWVL inked a MoU with Ford to help operators fund and run brand new Transit buses on its routes earlier this year.

SWVL’s app-based services allows commuters to book fixed rate, affordable rides on the company’s existing routes. Thousands of people use the service every day, and SWVL was keen to elevate the customer experience with a van that offered a comfortable ride while also making commercial sense for its operators.

The Transit deal – complete with favourable loan rates through Nasser Social Bank and EFG Hermes Bank – will see an initial tranche of 100 buses hit the streets of Cairo and Alexandria, with more to follow as demand dictates.

“We are thrilled to bring Ford Transit to Egypt, debuting in such a prominent and important role through this partnership with SWVL,” said Achraf El Boustani, Managing Director of Ford North Africa. “The key to Ford Transit’s success as a mobility platform is its reputation for dependability, versatility and capability, and we’re confident that SWVL operators here will soon learn just why thousands of people around the world rely on the Ford Transit to get the job done.”

The success of the deal will also see the Transit cargo van launch into Egypt later this year through Ford’s local distributor Auto Jameel which is also supporting the SWVL operation with after-sales support and maintenance services through its dealer network and team of Ford-trained technicians.

Ford QVM programme

“The Transit is more than just a van. It’s a base for business – an ingenious platform designed to get the job done,” said Menon.

“As a van, it is unrivalled. It’s tough, it’s adaptable and it’s economical to run. As a base for conversion, the Transit opens up a world of possibilities for SMEs because it’s designed around the need to be adaptable.”

Nowhere was that more apparent than

at the Ford Converter Day held at the Dubai Autodrome earlier this year where 20 firms from around the region gathered to show the capabilities of the Transit, F-series Super Duty and Ranger commercial vehicles.

“It was a great way to introduce the Transit to a focused audience of customers – and to also introduce the Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier programme to the converter firms in attendance,” said Menon.

From modular racking systems, critical care and patient transport ambulances, to refrigerated vans and executive transport, customers were able to grasp the kind of versatility the Transit has for business opportunity in the Middle East, and its ability to quickly embed itself into its role in any business The uses for Transit are as varied as the customers who buy them – and the secret to the Transit’s rapid success in the Middle East has been Ford’s ability to work closely with approved conversion companies to help customers create their perfect business partner.

Ford’s QVM programme was established in the US in 1988 to offer guidelines to vehicle converters over key requirements for engineering, manufacturing, quality and process control in converting the world’s best-selling F-150 truck and Transit van platforms for other uses. The QVM programme first centred on ambulance conversions but has over the years evolved to cover a wide range of conversions for commercial and retail applications.

To achieve QVM status, converters must satisfy Ford that they are able to deliver high quality products that meet the company’s engineering and manufacturing standards.

The converters must follow Ford’s strict engineering and quality control measures and offer a warranty for their conversion work that is in line with Ford’s terms.

Ford’s rigorous QVM programme involves an exhaustive engineering assessment to ensure that all the Ford QVM converters meet certain standards in manufacturing and quality control, with each area being regularly assessed by Ford engineers. Converters are also audited annually to ensure those standards are maintained.

“We need to make sure that every product that carries the Ford name is built to Ford standards. Ford customers depend on their vehicles for business – and this program provides our customers access to a wider portfolio of purpose-fit Ford Commercial Vehicles to meet their individual business needs.

We want to be able to offer the right product to Transit customers, a product that they can trust has been audited by Ford engineers and adheres to Ford’s strict standards.”

“We’re on an aggressive expansion plan AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 19

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SUITING A NUMBER OF ROLES The Transit’s early successes in the region came with EMS agencies. Easy to modify, it is now finding popularity with commercial fleets and companies.

for the QVM programme, working to identify and certify more and more vehicle modifiers as quickly as possible,” Menon added.

The Transit Ambulance

Ford’s early success with the Transit in the region came through its work with emergency vehicles and the development of the Ambulance of the Future – a project headed by the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (DCAS). US firm Ferno-Washington worked closely with DCAS using a long wheelbase Transit vehicle as a base for a vehicle heralded as “the most advanced emergency unit ever developed”.

In fact, the Transit has rapidly become the ambulance of choice for operators throughout the region, with hundreds now providing care for patients around the Gulf. Saudi Red Crescent runs a significant fleet of Transit-based ambulances, as does DCAS and a number of other services.

DCAS’s Ambulance of the Future was customised by American Emergency Vehicles in the US and fitted with the very latest patient care and safety equipment by Ferno-Washington, and telematics systems by Ferno-ACETECH. The vehicle made its debut at the Arab Health Exhibition in Dubai in 2018. It was back again in 2019 where Leigh O’Brien, who leads development of the Transit 350 conversions for FernoWashington, explained some of the reasons behind the Transit’s success.

“From a convertors point of view, Ford shares engineering specifications, drawings and that kind of information better than any other company – which makes our job a lot easier to configure and design. To stay 20 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

The Transit is more than just a van. It’s a base for business – an ingenious platform designed to get the job done”

competitive with other builders, the ability to predesign everything before you start building makes a huge difference.”

“From an operator’s standpoint, the Transit has a better payload and a powerful petrol engine which the competitors don’t offer in this region.

From an ambulance user’s point of view, it’s got a lower floor which makes it easier to load and unload stretchers.”

Eric Gallagher, CEO of Ferno-ACETECH Vehicle Intelligence, added, “Ford being very proactive in this region over the past 12 months, and globally in the whole EMS sector.

For us, it’s all about the support we’re getting from Ford, and it’s been tremendous. We’ve had some really great success in markets in the region with some significant orders from clients who have been driven by a concern for that level of support – and Ford absolutely came in and knocked it out of the park.”

“We hear that some brands have had issues, in such a hot climate like the Middle East, with engines. An engine run is a huge problem for them – but we’ve not seen that with the Transits at all. That’s definitely a big win and a big success for Ford in this region.”

Gallagher said that linking FernoWashington’s learnings with data from Ford and providing feedback to customers would also help them to better manage their vehicles.

“If we’re able to provide customers feedback that shows how the vehicle performs, how it runs its engine hours, how it’s being driven, and how long it spends in a garage as opposed to a competitor chassis – that’s incredibly important for everyone involved right through the ranks, from operational, fleet and a safety perspective.”

THE AMBULANCE OF THE FUTURE DCAS’s Ambulance of the Future made its debut at the Arab Health Exhibition in Dubai in 2018 and was customised by American Emergency Vehicles and Ferno-Washington in the US.

TRANSIT’S FUTURE Establishing a new nameplate in the region – even one as steeped in history as the Transit – hasn’t been easy. From the thousands of test hours Ford’s in-market engineering team has poured in to the Transit, to the establishment of the QVM programme, to working on the logistics required to keep fleets of vans on the road, Ford and its partners have achieved a lot in a short period of time.

“We’re confident we’ve got the right product for customers in the region, and we’re proud of the work our dealers and distributors are putting in. But there’s no room for complacency: we’re actively engaging with business owners to provide them the right product and best-in-class customer experience.”

“With significant opportunities continually pouring in, it’s clear that more and more customers in the Middle East are turning to Transit for their business needs,” Menon.

FEATURE

OUT OF THE BOX THINKING

Mercedes-Benz Vans MENA on how it has put safety first with the new Sprinter

F

or over a decade, MercedesBenz Vans has been working hard to prove that there is a role for vans in the region.

The third generation of Sprinter may be its most balanced box on wheels yet, with the vehicle majoring on fuel economy, safety and versatility.

Talking to T&FME, Thomas Greipel, general manager, Mercedes-Benz Vans Middle East and North Africa (MENA), says last year’s mandatory switch to EURO 4 for new diesel vehicles regulation by the Emirates Authority For Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) should encourage the adoption of environmentally-friendly fleets in the UAE – with the quality of fuel offered also being improved.

For Mercedes-Benz Vans, the improvements in fuel quality means EURO V vehicles can be offered in the region.

22 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

Products which, like the third-generation Sprinter, are more technologically advanced, he says. For example, engines with improved fuel consumption and reduced in-engine friction are part of the competitive lineup of the third generation Sprinter.

“All in all, the improvements enable Mercedes-Benz Vans to introduce an engine and automatic transmission portfolio across the Middle East that sets the technological benchmark in terms of exemplary economy and powerful driving characteristics,” says Greipel.

Lower fuel consumption and reduced in-engine friction are part of the lineup of the third generation Sprinter, with the option of a six-cylinder engine for countries where the diesel fuel complies with the Euro VI emission standards..

A four-cylinder diesel engine is available throughout the region including countries where the diesel complies with Euro V and Euro

The thirdgeneration Sprinter range comes equipped with modern safety and assistance systems with advanced technology”

III emission standards and has a displacement of 2.1 litres. The rear-wheel drive and AWD generates a choice of two outputs: 114hp and 163hp. Friction losses in the engines and belt drive have been reduced to optimise the efficiency and service life of the four-cylinder engine resulting in high torque and flexibility even at low speeds, says the manufacturer.

Additionally, a six-cylinder, designed to offer enormous torque with smooth running and maximum ride comfort, comes with a displacement of 3.0 litres and delivers 190 hp and 440 Nm of torque. The engines are mated to the 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission is also available for the Sprinter for the first time.

The Sprinter has different priorities dependent on the customers’ needs and requirements, such as the basic specification variant for customers who value proven Sprinter attributes such as standard-fit electronic stability program (ESP) and standard safety equipment

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WORKING IN A CROWDED ENVIRONMENT The third Sprinter generation’s Parking Package with 360-degree Camera uses four cameras mounted at the rear end of the vehicle roof, in the two exterior mirrors and in the radiator grille. The multimedia display shows a panoramic bird’s eye view of the entire vehicle as well as other individual views.

Within the MPV segment, globally, Mercedes-Benz Vans will soon be taking the next step - being the first premium manufacturer to offer a fully-electric model. Thus MercedesBenz Vans will consistently expand its comprehensive eDrive@VANs strategy. With the eVito already available in selected overseas markets and the eSprinter due to be revealed in the second half of 2019.

Mercedes-Benz Vans has extended the fully-electric range to include the V-Class and has provided an initial outlook on the electric future of its MPV, celebrating the premiere of the near-series study “Concept EQV” at the Geneva Motor Show, in March.

ACTIVELY REDUCING THE DRIVER’S WORKLOAD The DISTRONIC system reduces van driver’s workload in stop-and-go traffic on motorways and similar roads. The driver sets the desired speed (20 km/h or higher) and the system automatically maintains the selected distance from the vehicle in front.

like Crosswind Assist, through to the highest specification model where high-resolution touchscreens and high-quality materials determine the visual impression and ambience.

When it comes to the load compartment, fleets have a choice of vehicle model, cab design, body length and tonnage. Three height and body variants are available with the load compartment able to be adapted to suit purpose and business model. With up to 17 m3 load capacity, the new Sprinter can claim to be leader in payload.

Mercedes-Benz Vans is regarded as a pioneer in the introduction of modern safety technologies in the large van segment – and was the first van manufacturer to offer crosswind assist as standard. With modern safety and assistance systems playing an increasingly important role in this segment throughout the region, fleets want their commercial vehicles to remain controllable despite their relatively large dimensions as they are pushed to their

limits and over long distances. Consequently, the new Sprinter offers a whole range of optional safety and assistance systems that were previously only available within its passenger car series, including the radar-based distance control system DISTRONIC, Active Brake Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist.

“Mercedes-Benz Vans third-generation Sprinter range comes equipped with modern safety and assistance systems with advanced technology that offers support in critical traffic situations to keep drivers and other motorists safe,” Griepel tells T&FME. “We will continue to develop innovative safety features across all of our models while maintaining the standards of quality and robustness.”

The customer segment solutions cover a range from classic people movers, which constitutes the majority of the region’s demands, to courier services over the last delivery mile, to goods transport over longer distances and right

EXPANSION OF THE EDRIVE@VANS STRATEGY

We will continue to develop innovative safety features across all of our models.

The Sprinter raises standards within the CV market”

up to service technicians who use their vehicle as a mobile replacement parts store. The target groups are just as diverse as the applications.

Partnering with Arobus, a renowned bodybuilder solution provider - the Sprinter has been converted into a “Shuttle” variant for the Middle East. The Sprinter “Shuttle” lineup comes in three seating configurations from 15 to 22 seats and an upgraded heat isolation through premium insulation technology applied through all surfaces of the vehicle.

The sliding door with optimised entrance dimensions, facilitates less air to get in and out of the vehicle, keeping it significantly cooler without compromising the ease of access.

Griepel proudly sums up where he believes the latest generation of the van stands in an ever-more competitive segment: “Once again, the Sprinter raises standards within the commercial vehicle market and the businesses of our customers.”

AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 23

FEATURE

A FUTURE WITH A PAST

T&FME travels through Renault’s history and looks towards its trucking future 24 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

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W

ALL EYES ON GROWTH Following its opening of used trucks factory at its Bourg-en-Bresse plant, Renault Trucks enjoyed a strong 2018.

e were supposed to be going to the Conservatoire de la Fondation Berliet, a major museum based near Lyon, but this can’t be it, can it? We’ve just been chucked out of the back of our car on a blistering late-summer afternoon in the south-east of France. Standing outside two large corrugated farm out-buildings, we quickly realise the main farmhouse is alone in the countryside around us. The last village we drove through was a number of kilometres and a bottle of Evian ago.

“Et, voila,” one of our hosts says before ushering us through a door. We step into France’s long automotive history.

The unexpectedly unassuming buildings of the Conservatoire hide a treasure trove of vehicles inside. This is not your typical car museum. There are no guide books to hand and you walk wordlessly through the hot and air-less buildings led by what catches your eye.

From the wooden-framed wagons, buses and trams of the early decades of the last century; to gnarled and spikey small tanks that saw service in two world wars; and then onto the angular pastels of space-age and impractical-looking tractor heads, we walk through a century of failed experiments and landmark vehicles.

Berliet helped define engine, bus, truck and passenger car production in the country before it fell victim to the malaise in European manufacturing in the late-1960s.

Bought by Michelin to merge with Citroen and then sold onto Renault in 1974; it still commanded more than half of the French market even as the last Berliet-branded trucks left the company’s plant in Lyon.

Trucks bearing the Renault marque, including more recent additions such as the Magnum and Kerax, are also housed in the buildings but dominating all that stand around it is the giant T100, a 103T 6x4 dumper truck that was the largest vehicle in the world when it was unveiled at the 1957 Paris car show. Only four of the giant vehicles were ever built but as the black and white pictures stationed by its giant wheels demonstrate, the T100 spent 23 years in Algeria before returning to France.

In fact, Berliet’s and Renault’s rich history in the region – and North Africa in particular – is laid out to you by the dusty photographs pitched around the Conservatoire.

Spending an afternoon there you realise how much they have achieved in the region.

Close to the Conservertoire is Renault Trucks’ factory in Bourge en Bresse and its headquarters on the outskirts on Lyon. A total of 125 trucks are assembled at the plant everyday

with many of the K and C construction trucks likely to be in the Middle East a few weeks after you’ve received your copy of the magazine.

While the hour spent under the Conservertoire’s rafters details how this is a company with a long history in the region, a visit to the plant is a taste of why it has a promising future to look forward to. The two lines in operation diligently perform according to the best Kaizen production churning out trucks to order as we tour the factory floor. It is also here that it recycles used heavy trucks and converts them into the T X-Road tractorheads that have begun to filter into the Middle East market through its recently opened Renault Used office in the UAE’s Jebel Ali Free Zone.

Interloping with a select band of customers from the region, T&FME meets the company’s head of public relations Jean-Philippe Bertuzzi di Annibale to understand how the company found itself under the ownership of Volvo AB and, why, following a 2018 where sales bounced back by 25%, it is in its strongest for a number of years. “Our history started with Marius Berliet (b.1866/d. 1949), founder of the Berliet brand,” he begins.

The Berliets were at the time known as one of the foremost families of nearby Lyon’s famous silk industry and famed for their ribbons of silk to wrap around the hats of the great and good of Europe. Marius Berliet would spend much of his time in the closeby Alps and it was trip to the mountains, where he could escape the chuntering machines of his factory, that he chanced upon a mechanical engineering magazine that give him the inspiration that would change his and the destiny of the French automotive industry forever.

With the help of a local engineering firm, he began experimenting, and soon developed a one-cylinder truck in 1894. Although he sold his first truck to a fellow silk manufacturer in that year, it took three years for him to honour the order: “Lyon was at the beginning of the last century, the capital of the truck.

The truck was born here in Lyon, France.”

Renault Trucks’ other major figure was Louis Renault who, like Berliet, was inspired by the German geniuses like Otto, Daimler and Benz to build his first small car in 1898.

“The year itself is maybe the most important date in the French automotive history,” says JeanPhilippe. “In that year in Paris, we had the first automotive exhibition where our two ancestors presented their first product. Everything started for both brands from that year. Producing separately; they began history of making cars, trucks, buses and coaches, construction equipment vehicles, military vehicles.”

It took many decades for the companies AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 25

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to join together but the process of their joining can be traced to 1978, when the French government merged Berliet with Saviem – the industrial and commercial vehicle business of Renault – creating a new brand called Renault Véhicules Industriels.

Jean-Philippe says the early years of the newly formed company were soon hampered by the purchase of Dodge’s truck business in 1983.

“What you know about Dodge today is cars and pickups. Unfortunately for us at the time, we bought the truck business,” he muses.

“Those Dodge trucks were not very robust...

And when a truck is not robust, there is warranty call and warranty call and warranty call… very quickly it was costing us a lot of money.

He continues: “That’s why four years later we decided to stop the Dodge truck activity.

In 1990, Renault Trucks decided to enter the North American market, “and for that we bought one of the biggest trucks producers in the United States - Mack company.”

Today, Mack remains a member of the Volvo Group. He says proudly. “And when we entered the Volvo we did it with all the brands which were owned by us and Mack was one. When Mack arrived we decided to celebrate it and changed our commercial name from Renault Véhicules Industriels to Renault VI,” he pauses and grins. Between us, it was simply easier to say in English although it meant the same thing.”

After years of producing its own buses and coaches under its own original brand name, the company formed a new entity called Irisbus Company with one of its major truck competitors in Europe, Italy’s IVECO. “Today, it’s only owned 100 percent by IVECO, so part of Fiat. At the time it was created in 1990, 50% of shares were IVECO and 50% shares belonged to Renault.”

Major changes were to follow at the turn of the century when, in 2001, Renault Group decided to become car specialist and depart the commercial vehicles sector: “And to be a specialist in cars they decided to buy Nissan Motors - Nissan cars. Where did they find the money? By selling us in 2001 to the Swedish Volvo AB Group which at the same time decided to be a specialist in industrial vehicles. But the Swedish company had to find the money. And where did they find the money? Selling Volvo Cars to Ford and today is owned by Chinese company Geely.”

With Renault VI reigning as Europe’s predominant truck manufacturer, this presented Volvo with a potentially pricey takeover.

“One of the consequences of being the leader was that we were very expensive,” he explains. “So, the money that they got from 26 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

A BRIEF HISTORY OF RENAULT TRUCKS 1894-1909: ERA OF THE PIONEERS In 1894 in Lyon, Marius Berliet designed and produced a single cylinder engine and made his first petrol car. In 1906, he made his first truck.

In 1898 in Billancourt, near Paris, Louis Renault developed a 4 speed gearbox and introduced his first motorised vehicle, a small car with a quarter horse power. He produced the first direct drive utility vehicle (LCV) from 1900 and in 1906 invented the fore runner to the Paris bus.

1914-1918: FIRST MASS PRODUCTION At Berliet, 40 CBA trucks were produced each day to join those going to the front at Verdun. At Renault, the 600 taxis that contributed to the victory at the Marne assured Renault’s place in history.

In 1917, the ‘diamond’ brand built the first modern tank in history. The first 4x4 truck was built by Latil. It was a natural

step following the front-wheel drive developed in 1898.

1919-1928: DIVERSIFICATION FOR BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY Louis Renault and Marius Berliet deployed industrial genius to form their car manufacturing group. Berliet was also involved in producing the Renault FT17 tank ordered by the French government.

In 1923, Renault was the first brand to offer a road-going tractor unit. In the same year, vehicles equipped with engines fuelled by gas derived from burning wood and the first tractor unit with servo brakes on all 4 wheels appeared. In 1928 the first diesel engine was fitted to a truck.

1952-1978: STEPS TOWARDS BUILDING A GROUP Between 1952 and 1974, Laffly, Rochet Schneider, Camiva and Citroën HGV merged with Berliet.

In 1957 Berliet made the T100, the largest truck in the world.

In 1955 Saviem was formed from the merger of Latil, the Trucks division of Renault and Somua. Richard Continental joined Saviem in 1965 and Sinpar joined in 1975.

In 1978, Berliet and Saviem merged to form the only HGV manufacturer in France which became Renault Véhicules Industriels, the Trucks division of the Renault Group.

FROM 1983: TOWARDS WORLD LEADERSHIP Renault Véhicules Industriels sought to build an international group with the acquisition of Dodge Europe in 1983 and then the highly respected American Mack truck brand in 1990.

1992 was a key stage: Renault Véhicules Industriels became Renault V.I. In 2001, Renault V.I. became part of the Volvo Group. In 2002, the worldwide brand Renault Trucks was formally constituted.

FEATURE

the selling of the Volvo Cars to Ford was not enough. So, that’s why the Volvo Group was obliged to transfer to the Renault Group, our previous owner, 21.6 % of their shares.”

A long-serving veteran of the company, Jean-Philippe recalls the challenge of meeting the demands of the one-time owner: “It meant that there was no decision which could be taken inside the Volvo Group without the agreement of our previous owners. But behind the Renault Group we still had the French government, which was for us, meant a quite secure situation.”

Ultimately combining the B2B world of commercial vehicles and the B2C ensured the arrangement would not last.

“You have to know that till the 12th December, 2012, Renault Group used to have more than 26 percent of the shares of the volume. The problem was managing stocks,” he says. “We continued making trucks to order for our merchants. We don’t have trucks in stock. It’s when the customer makes the order that we will ask all our suppliers to produce components. And then we will assemble our customer’s trucks. You will see on the line that there is no stored up trucks. Every truck is different from the previous one.

“Whereas for the car business in Renault, they have cars stocking everywhere in Europe before they have customers. When you go to see a Renault car dealer you just asked for the car you want. And the first thing the guy will do is go to his computer to check if the car you want is parked somewhere in Europe. If it’s the case, then they will prepare it and then ship it to you. That means that they have produced cars before having customers,” he explains.

With 55,000 vehicles sold last year, Jean-Philippe believes that the company is in a very strong position, even if there is uncertainty in the global markets. He says that its success can be attributed to a number of factors, including support from Volvo.

“The first value of our truck is robustness – robustness of our trucks’ transport solutions and how we can insure you on the robustness about our Renault Trucks transport solutions.

That’s why we are doing what you are doing today; opening the doors of our factories.

What better than to see the processes of our different factories? We can have words. But visual information is better than words.”

“All the activities of Renault Trucks are certified 1S0 9001, but that’s not enough. All the suppliers there must be also be certified.

The Renault Trucks World Network is also certified ISO 9001. This means all the drivers of the supply chain of the drivers must be certified ISO 9001. This is the only way for us to ensure our customers about the robustness, quality, the

THE END OF THE LINE Once assembled, trucks are taken through their paces at the testing facilities at the plant.

reliability of our trucks transport solutions.”

Carrying on his theme, he traces back to that hidden treasure trove of vehicles: “The robustness is also coming also from the history you see at the Conservertoire. (When you walk in) you can feel it in a few seconds. We have not been in the truck business since yesterday or 50 years ago but since 1894. “ Returning to the present and future for Renault Trucks, he says Volvo’s involvement has been and will be crucial.

“I think the last thing which is making the robustness of Renault Trucks, is being member of the Volvo Group. Why? Because today, the Volvo Group is the European trucks leader with every range of trucks in its

You will see on the line that there is no stored up trucks.

Every truck is different from the previous one”

mix. It is the number two at the world level.

This is also part of our robustness - to be a member of a leader. Because every time we have needed investment, millions and billions of euro the Volvo Group did it for us.”

As the talk comes to a close, he suggests a second value of customer intimacy.

“I hope you have felt it since coming here.

The intimacy between between us; between our customers and us,” he says. “But what is customer intimacy and what does it mean?

Always listening to hear what our customers are waiting from us. Always finding the right truck transport solution for the right profession. It’s on the field that we will discover the solution.

Knowing the profession of our customer to always offer them the right trucks transport solution. Thanks to which they will answer positively to their own customer. They will keep their own promises to their own customers.

He continues: “That’s why we have to be very innovative. And customer intimacy means to be close to you physically. How would we do it? Through the Renault Trucks World Network which is today made of 1,350 sales and service points; those are the people who are making the daily relationship between our customers and us.

“There are some people who do not want to see any more trucks on the road but a truck is very important for tge world’s economical life. No more trucks on the road.

No economy at all. No more daily lives.”

He concludes; returning to the Conservatoire: “You cannot go to the future without knowing where you are coming from. Without knowing your past. We know thanks to the Marius Berliet Foundation.”

PRODUCTION PRIORITIES Following being acquired by Volvo Trucks, production has earned investment and today the company is pleased to be able to produce trucks that can wear the Made in France label, meaning more than 50% of the vehicle is made in the country.

AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 27

WORKSHOP

CONTINENTAL DEBUTS NEW TYRE PORT-FOLIO / WABCO REVEALS LATEST SOLUTIONS / HYVA LAUNCHES NEW TRUCK-MOUNTED CRANES / LOOTAH OFFERS L2O WAREHOUSES

WORKSHOP

Continental regional debut for new radial TYRE MAJOR SAYS NEW PORT TYRE LINE-UP CAN MEET THE DEMANDS OF VEHICLES UTILISED IN TERMINAL OPERATIONS TYRES

Tyre major Continental has launched its new radial port tyre line-up, developed to meet the demands of vehicles utilised in terminal operations.

A statement from the German multinational said the new tyre portfolio, introduced at the recently held port and terminal technology exhibition TOC Europe 2019 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, is specifically designed for load and carry applications. The company added that it has become a full solutions provider

for port operations, offering a complete port product range that includes V.ply tyres, radial tyres and digital solutions.

“Day in and day out, containers are transported many kilometres from one location to another on the extensive grounds of international ports. For these demanding ‘load & carry’ applications, radial tyres are the perfect solution, particularly in the tough Middle Eastern climate,” said Continental’s statement.

The tyres offer low heat generation and a flat tread contour for high

THE PRESSURE IS ON Continental has recently showcased its digital tyre pressure monitoring systems for individual vehicles and ContiConnect for fleets.

endurance and mileage over long distances, says the company while listing the three new radial tyres as the ContiRT20, the ContainerMaster Radial and the StraddleMaster Radial.

The three options are suited to various vehicle types utilised in load and carry applications, says Continental, including heavy forklift trucks, empty container handlers, reach stackers, straddle carriers and terminal tractors, amongst others.

Continental’s V.ply tyres with Port Plus Compound are designed for typical pick and stack applications.

Although mobile crane type vehicles such as reach stackers, empty container handlers and rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTG) need to drive short distances at low speed when loading and unloading containers, they still have a high load requirement and a high degree of turning on the spot.

According to the Germanyheadquartered manufacturer, the V.ply tyre’s construction offers good stability and wear.

“The strong sidewalls and the highly abrasive and crackresistant compound make them the perfect solution for the daily challenges faced in the Middle Eastern climate,” says Continental.

WABCO LAUNCHES FLEET SOLUTIONS BUSINESS PARTS

Leading global supplier of braking control systems and commercial vehicles company WABVO has established a new Fleet Solutions organisation which it says will develop solutions designed to further connect today’s complex transportation ecosystem.

WABCO’s Fleet Solutions combines both advanced digital solutions and best-in-class services under one roof.

Beyond spare parts and services offering, the expansion of its digital portfolio will include a rapid extension of its IoT and cloud-based tech.

VP Philippe Colpron said: “We aim to deliver new levels of safety and efficiency for transport operators globally. What makes us unique is that we are blending this advanced digital technology with the many best-in-class services we already offer our customers.”

INSIDE THIS MONTH’S WORKSHOP: COULD LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES BE THE WAY AHEAD FOR THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA MARKET? T&FME FINDS OUT 28 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

WORKSHOP

NEW ROBOT PICKER UNVEILED BY SWISSLOG

HYVA LAUNCHES NEW TRUCKMOUNTED CRANES CRANES

Dutch manufacturer Hyva has launched a new family of truck-mounted cranes ranging in capacity from 19-21 tonnemetres in its new EDGE line of lifters, which now range from 1tm to 165tm.

Designed to complement its 9tm and 13-16tm lines, the new product family, Hyva says the new family now enables it to offer solutions for every industry and application, from mining to maintenance and construction to recovery.

The 19-21tm class is designed to meet a vareity of lifting requirements, says Hyva, and comprises 14 models and five different boom configurations.

The HT telescopic boom has two models of compact, light and simplebooms with side extensions, requiiring less space for installation and provinding ease of operation, ideal for applications such as car recovery.

The HB basic articulated boom, alos in two models, is a light boom and extension, which is flexible, and optimises cost and performance. The HC double linkage articulated boom range comprises six models with high-performance double linkages, one on column and one on second boom, with Liftrod Articulated System (LAS) - suitable for complex, difficult-to-reach situations.

The HC-K is a double linkage, short retractive secondary boom range with two models for high- performance, heavy-duty applications for compact wheelbase trucks. Designed for the delivery of large loads, this crane is perfect for construction applications, says Hyva. The HC-e, meanwhile, is a double linkage, endless slewing boom version with two high-performance models for faster cycle times.

LOGISTICS Swisslog says its next generation picking solution for e-commerce and retail, can operating at up to 1000 picks an hour The ItemPiQ robot is designed with a unique gripper for the higher pick rate, self- learning and seamless SynQ integration.

With picking and palletising making up to 60% of warehouse operational costs, the ItemPiQ robot can handle a wide variety of common products in retail, e-commerce and pharmaceutical industries weighing up to 1.5 kg and can reach 1100 mm. By using 3D vision technology for object recognition, ItemPiQ’s unique gripper can pick up to 1,000 items per hour and allows picking of a wide range of products of different shapes and sizes, error-free.

“According to a recently published report by global

A UNIQUE HOLD The ItemPiQ robot is designed with a unique gripper for a higher pick rate, self-learning and seamless SynQ integration.

management consultancy firm Bain & Company, the e-commerce market in the Middle East & North Africa is expected to reach $28.5 billion by 2022. The UAE itself has the highest penetration in the region with 4.2%, followed by KSA - 3.8% and Egypt - 2.5%,” said Alain Kaddoum, general manager, Swisslog Middle East. “We are committed to

supporting Middle Eastern retail and e-commerce companies to help them achieve fast product delivery, high accuracy, and reduce operational costs.

Swisslog’s intelligent automated item picking applications like ItemPiQ address the warehouse requirements of today as well as help our customers prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.”

LOOTAH MAKING GCC’S FIRST L2O WAREHOUSING WAREHOUSING

Lootah Real Estate Development has announced the launch of the region’s first lease-to-own model of industrial warehouses in Dubai, with construction estimated to start in two months.

Located in Dubai Industrial Park (DIP), the model will offer clients pre-built industrial warehouses at 2% down payment, with customisation options available for different business requirements. Moreover, clients will have full ownership of

the warehouses within 10 years, with base price for individual facilities starting at $2.7 million.

Lootah has acquired 278,709.12 sqm land in DIP for the construction of Senaeyat, the industrial warehouse development project, which will be completed in two phases. Phase one will include the development of 92903.04 sqm land with four different built-up areas for warehouses – 1858 sqm, 2229 sqm, 2787 sqm, and 3344 sqm. Meanwhile, the second phase will have the same

options in addition to 4645 sqm and 5574 sqm sized warehouses.

Speaking exclusively during the launch, Saleh Abdullah Lootah, CEO of Lootah Real Estate Development, said.

“In phase one, we will start with 20 warehouses and in phase two we will look at constructing 30 more warehouses. Once we receive more responses, we will also consider expanding and providing our services in Abu Dhabi, the Northern Emirates and even outside the UAE.”

A NEW BASE IN DIP Starting with 20 warehouses, Lootah will allow companies to secure the facilities with just a 2% deposit.

AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 29

SHOW PREVIEW

MATERIALS HANDLING ME RETURNS

Region’s logistics market set to reach US$66.3bn by 2020, according to industry leaders Swisslog

M

aterials Handling Middle East, the region’s dedicated trade show for warehousing, intralogistics and supply chain solutions, has evolved into a futuristic showcase of robotics and automation for its 2019 edition, as the 4th Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, continues to reshape the region’s industrial landscape.

Running 3-5 September at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the 10th edition of the biennial event, which will welcome more than 120 exhibitors to come from 20 countries, will spotlight the latest automated solutions designed to improve operational and cost efficiency, increase production capacity, accelerate customer service and boost competitiveness within a rapidly-evolving logistics sector.

30 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

Swisslog Middle East, a global leader in robotic, data-driven and flexible automated solutions, will introduce highly-efficient robotised storage and order processing solutions for small parts and pallets that integrates into existing buildings.

“Several businesses in the UAE and globally have benefitted immensely from logistics automation and, particularly in the Middle East, we are seeing increasing demand for automated logistics solutions in industries ranging from e-commerce and retail, to F&B and pharma,” said Alain Kaddoum, General Manager, Swisslog Middle East.

“While automated picking and packing has been around for a while, the next wave of change is being brought about by robotics.

A warehouse that deploys robots reduces costs significantly while boosting efficiency.

“AutoStore, for example, uses robots

Several businesses in the UAE and globally have benefitted immensely from logistics automation”

and bins to quickly process small parts orders and provides better use of available space than any other automated system in the market. Each robot is extremely energy efficient, using just 0.1 kW of energy per hour – six robots use the same energy as a toaster,” added Kaddoum.

Swisslog will also use Materials Handling Middle East as a platform to introduce CarryPick, a flexible and modular AGV-based storage and order picking system designed for multi-channel intralogistics that can fulfil 20 orders simultaneously.

On top of robotics, Kaddoum forecasts that digital transformation will majorly disrupt industry streams such as inventory management, cargo loading, order picking, and real-time monitoring of stocks.

“Technology is and will continue to be a truly disruptive force in how the modern supply chain is shaped, defined,

SHOW PREVIEW

THE EVOLUTION CONTINUES 3PL providers switch to automation, writes Mattijs Smits, Swisslog For years, it seemed unfeasible for third party logistics (3PL) providers to automate their logistics operations.

As a result of, among other things, the ever-shorter contracts and tight margins, an investment in automation equated to suicide. At least, so it seemed. That line of thought now seems to have definitely come to an end. 3PL providers are increasingly realising that automation is the way to win the competition.

There are several reasons for the increasing interest. Since the economic crisis, companieshave started to look differently at their processes. Logistics operations have been scrutinised and where possible optimized. In addition, partly due to the aging population, it is becoming increasingly difficult for 3PL providers to find good and motivated personnel. Especially if they are located at a logistics hotspot, there are often simply no hands available.

On the other hand, the need for new efficiency gains remains. For more and more 3PL providers it is becoming easier to complete a business case for automation and free up budget.

The automation solutions themselves also play a part in this development.

Systems are often modular, so that they can be implemented ‘on growth’. Moreover, the solutions are becoming increasingly flexible. The AutoStore system, for example, is modularly constructed. Flexibility is absolutely no obstacle. The system enables 3PL providers to store and pick faster and more efficiently and to handle pallet and parcel deliveries from one single location. Moreover, the modular concept is easy to expand. If more transport is required, more robots can be deployed.

and explored. From basic improvements like streamlining operations and increasing process efficiency to fully automating delivery trucks, technology is enabling much smarter and simpler supply chain management,” he said.

“In the future, companies will leverage new and innovative technologies to create a self-orchestrated supply chain and previously unimaginable efficiencies.”

With the World Bank’s 2018 Logistics Performance Index ranking the UAE 13th out of 160 countries, outstripping Canada, France, Finland, Denmark and Australia, the 2019 edition of Materials Handling Middle East is must-attend event for regional heavyweights and international players eager to increase their foothold in a super-competitive global marketplace.

To tap into the soaring demand for automation in the Middle East, Ancra Systems, a Netherlands-based specialist in automatic truck loading and unloading systems, is making its Materials Handling Middle East debut with an Automated Truck / Container Loading and Unloading Solution (ATLS) designed for a wide range of industries.

Automation is now a key driver for the full spectrum of industries, including ecommerce. The UAE’s e-commerce sector alone is currently worth US$17.8 billion, representing 45.6 per cent of the total value of the Middle East’s e-commerce market, according to a Fitch Solutions report.

“We have customers all over the world, but we want to extend our market in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. All industries represent potential customers

A CHANGING INDUSTRY Technology is a major disruptive force to the way warehousing operations are evolving.

E-COMMERCE TO THE FORE The event is an opportunity to see how automation and digitalisation is helping the growth of e-commerce.

Digital transformation in warehousing intralogistics and the supply chain is in overdrive”

for us and Materials Handling Middle East is a conduit to target the beverage industry, FMCG, cold storage, automotive and chemicals,” said Ancra Systems spokesperson Fenghua Folmer.

Materials Handling Middle East organiser Messe Frankfurt Middle East says the frenetic pace of change across the sector means the 2019 edition is shaping up to be the most highly-anticipated instalment in the event’s history.

“Digital transformation in warehousing intralogistics and the supply chain is in overdrive and we’ve sought to create the best platform for the early adopters and major disruptors to display services and solutions that will undoubtedly improve productivity, efficiency and more across warehousing, intralogistics and supply chain,” said Simon Mellor, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East.

“Visitors to this year’s event will get a complete overview of logistics today and tomorrow, including the sector’s role as a gateway to the future of commerce – both offline and online.”

Running alongside Materials Handling Middle East 2019 will be a series of educational sessions and seminars along with presentations around key strategies, policies and trends in supply chain management and logistics.

Elsewhere, the Forklift Operator of the Year competition will return, featuring UAE’s most skilled Forklift drivers who will be judged on their ability to safely and efficiently manoeuvre electric forklift machinery in tight and narrow spaces.

Materials Handling Middle East runs from 3-5 September at Dubai World Trade Centre.

AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 31

FEATURE

STATE OF THE NATIONS T&FME looks at the state of play in the MEA region

D

espite its reputation for heavy loads on the world’s biggest trucks, the Middle East and Africa region is getting lighter. Indeed, most of the data out there suggests that the main drivers of sales growth will be in the light and medium duty categories. However, the launches of the past year show there remains robust progress in the heavy duty truck segment. There is also exciting work being done in alternative fuels and fleets and OEMs that are willing to invest in greener technology have never been in a stronger position to grow here. Particularly as the needs of fleet, changes to national policies, and economic growth continue.

32 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

The African market

New vehicles in Africa are predominantly imported as knocked-down kits and assembled in local facilities, whereas used vehicles are imported as fully built units.

In the past, the African new trucks market was predominantly dominated by premium brands from North America and Europe. White spaces in the lower price range and market potential enticed Asian manufacturers into setting up shop in the region.

Asian manufacturers have gained traction in recent years, due to truck specifications that comply with regional demands. These brands are positioned as

Despite its reputation for heavy loads on the world’s biggest trucks, the region is getting lighter”

affordable and value-for-money alternatives to their premium counterparts.

The African commercial vehicles (CV) market, despite the slowdown due to low oil and commodity prices, is expected to grow and is largely driven by increasing infrastructural developments and rising urbanisation. South Africa is the largest contributor to the CV market in Africa, with a 53% share. However, until 2025, Nigeria, Kenya, and Morocco are expected to be the fastest-growing markets and the only ones to increase their share in the overall CV market.

The light-duty (LD) trucks segment is dominated by Japanese original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Isuzu,

FEATURE

AFRICAN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MARKET OPPORTUNITY Short Term (2017-2019)

Medium Term (2020-2022)

Long Term (2023-2025)

Low

Moderate

High

Egypt

Moderate

High

High

Ghana

Moderate

High

High

Kenya

Moderate

High

High

Morocco

Moderate

High

High

Nigeria

Low

Moderate

High

Moderate

High

High

High

High

High

Countries

Source: Frost & Sullivan

Algeria

South Africa Tanzania

Toyota, and Mitsubishi, making up 67.8% of the market. The medium- and heavy-duty (M&HD) trucks segment, on the other hand, is fragmented, with a more balanced split among key OEMs. Although looking at the bus segment, European participants are much more prominent, with nearly 50% market share.

Asian OEMs, especially those from China and India, are expected to further proliferate at a rapid pace and spearhead the supply of value trucks in the region.

Latest technologies such as alternative powertrain and truck telematics penetration are negligible. Apart from a few compressed natural gas (CNG) buses in certain North African markets and the adoption of some basic telematics services in South Africa, there is no presence of these technologies in the region.

The imported used trucks market in the Sub-Saharan region is dominant across all truck segments, especially in countries such as Ghana and Nigeria. The North African region has very little used trucks imports in the LD trucks segment, due to strict regulations, whereas used trucks imports are prevalent in the Medium &HD trucks segment. Most of the imports from Europe (constituting European brands) are in the HD tractors segment. In the LD and MD trucks segments, however, used trucks imports mainly constitute Chinese and Japanese brands.

In North Africa, there is growing emphasis on urban transport, along with government incentives to produce vehicles locally. This is expected to have the biggest impact on the CV market in the region. Top trends in the Sub-Saharan region include accelerated infrastructural development, rapid urbanization, and increasing proliferation of Asian OEMs. Major economies of Africa

are expected to recover from the current slump once oil and commodity prices start climbing up, after which they are expected to be back on the path of growth.

The Middle East

As was expected, 2018 saw many transporters spend the year in a holding pattern as contract prices continued to slide downwards and fuel prices on diesel headed in the opposite direction. This had a direct knock on effect to vehicle sales with manufacturers and distributors experiencing another 12 months where they had to be content with plugging their after sales

The change in emission standards saw official debuts for a string of new trucks”

services and parts despite one of the biggest years for launches we have seen in recent memory.

The number of heavy duty trucks that we witnessed in 2018 was genuinely exciting, especially in the UAE, where the change in emission standards saw official debuts for a string of new trucks, from Daimler’s new Actros to Scania’s New Truck Generation and finally Ford’s IAA International Truck of the Year which even drew admiration from its competitors. We are likely to see more in the heavy duty segment this year, Iveco’s X-way and a likely re-fresh from DAF. It was however disappointing in some ways that the move to Euro 4 and 5 was limited in the GCC – it was at one point supposed to be across the region – but instead just came to the UAE, where the right fuel has been available for some time. (Many fleet operators buying new trucks were relieved as jumping to a new standard – and the kit and workshop support that is required – is not an easy task.)

Like the rush in the car market ahead of the introduction of VAT here to buy up current models, T&FME was told on many occasions that fleets in the UAE did not rush to make the jump to Euro 4,5 but instead bought the older engine models while they could – that’s if they could afford it.

The end of the year saw a sudden drop off on the oil price and that should be a warning signal to most businesses. But it looks like it is stabilised

KEY TRENDS IN THE MARKET - NORTH AFRICA Urban Transport – Growing emphasis on urban transport along with government incentives to produce vehicles locally is expected to have the most impact on the commercial vehicle industry in the region Alternative Fuels – Alternate fuel vehicles such as CNG light commercial vehicles and buses and electric buses, which are currently at a nascent stage

of development, are expected to gain traction in future

and used vehicle imports

Public Transport – Growing emphasis by local governments in the region on development of public transport infrastructure including implementation of BRT systems in major cities Increasing incentives to OEMs to assemble and procure locally, backed by tightening restrictions on new

Logistics Hub – A key region that links Europe and the MiddleEast featuring critical intersecting points and transportation streams across the region Tourism is one of the key revenue generators in the region especially in Egypt and Morocco. Is seen as a sector giving added impetus to transportation and urban development

AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 33

FEATURE

and the jury is still out as to whether this is just a blip or a long-term trend but it is vital for the industry that transport and logistics, as well as construction, are prioritised at a policy level.

Successful transporters in the UAE have shaped their businesses to deal with huge number of challenges over the past decade.

To do so they have adopted the very best in fleet practices but they cautiously optimistic in the medium term. You’ve got pockets like the UAE which is highly interested in exploring new forms of transport but the market is relatively small compared to, say, Saudi Arabia.

Dubai really is a trail blazer in its willingness to embrace new vehicle technology. Early this year, the Emirate updated its Dubai

Autonomous Transportation Strategy, a strategy which aims to transform 25% of the total transportation in Dubai to autonomous mode by 2030, involving 5 million daily trips.

It is expected to generate $6 billion in annual economic revenues across several sectors by reducing transportation costs, carbon emissions and accidents, and raising the productivity of individuals as well as saving hundreds of millions of hours wasted in conventional transportation. A lot of this focus is going to be on passenger transport as it aims to reduce traffic accidents and save 396 million hours on transportation trips yearly.

The UAE is looking at Hyperloop technology not just for passengers but for freight as well.

Dubai really is a trail blazer in its willingness to embrace new vehicle technology”

Ultimately, whether or not the timescale of 2030 will be met, this is a country at the cutting edge. For one, there is genuine interest in hydrogen technology. One of the world’s leading companies in the technology, Air Liquide recently undertook a study in collaboration with Al Futtaim which distributes Toyota’s hydrogen-powered Mirai vehicle in the UAE – alongside Khalifa University. And they looked at strategies to grow the hydrogen industry here. And earlier this year the first solar-driven hydrogen electrolysis facility in the Mena region was inaugurated in Dubai.

There are also companies like Bee’ah and Careem joining forces to start-up the hauling initiative ION and moving

KEY TRENDS IN THE MARKET - MIDDLE EAST Regional Transformation – Region-wide infrastructure and logistics investment continues post-Arab Spring.

In the GCC, the slower than expected development of a rail network brings road transport into focus

the highest populations of trucks that are 15 years and older. Typically, the older trucks are with small fleets or independent drivers - estimated to be as high as 50% of the market in some countries.

They expect them to last

Alternative Fuels – As in parts of Africa, alternate fuel vehicles such as CNG light commercial vehicles and buses and electric buses, which are currently at a nascent stage of development, are expected to gain traction in future

Need to Differentiate – In 2010, the budget segment had a strong market position, close to the mid-level segment, with 35% of sales versus 40%, respectively. In the context of the market developments in the Middle East, demand for more productive and reliable trucks will increase structurally, creating requirements for mid-level and high-end trucks, while budget trucks decline in importance and only play a role in emerging markets By 2025, ADL expects that budget trucks will only

Urban Development – Governments in the region developing public transport infrastructure including implementation of BRT systems in some cities

Source: ADL

Ageing Population – The Middle East has among

34 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

account for 5% of sales.

Mid-level trucks will account for 41%, while 54% will be high-end trucks. It expects a substantial change in the Middle East, offering growth potential to both Asian and Western manufacturers.

ADL analysis of the required trucks shows that it is inevitable for transport operators to buy higherquality trucks, as reliable transport services carried out by efficient trucks are the best way for transport operators to differentiate.

the context of the overall economic upswing.

Chinese manufacturers have invested in product quality and sophistication, as well as service

Chinese Success – Chinese manufacturers have entered as beneficiaries of the political developments in some markets, consequently eroding market position of Western brands. This impacts both the market and manufacturer level and creates a new competitive dynamic in

Economic diversification – In the past the revenue from oil has been pumped directly into construction, the diversification away from oil-based economies creates long-term opportunities in other sectors. Operators will require more roadgoing trucks that perform

Western Brands focus on High End – Western brands are expanding their presence in the Middle East, and even re-entering markets with high-tech trucks that are calibrated specifically to the region at price points that are still realistic

optimally in these usage patterns, and to a lesser degree petroleum industry-related trucks It’s not just about oil but it is mostly – OPEC countries are expected to protect the oil price ensuring economic stability throughout 2019 Safety is growing in importance – Road safety has been considered important enough to be part of national strategic programmes Market is being disrupted – The GCC in particular has seen a shake up in the status quo over the last decade, ending the dominance of some brands. Successful brands have invested time and resources into direct contact with end-user customers

FEATURE

A REGION WHERE THE DEALER IS CRITICAL on a regular basis, and this calls for quality trucks and services.

Budget trucks are not suitable for most new applications coming to the market or can be economically nonviable over the long-term.

Slowly this is being understood but financing can still be an issue in many markets. Quality and higher spec vehicles are desirable but

government initiatives, growing infrastructure construction and logistics industry will drive sales of trucks, buses, and vans in the Kingdom.

In terms of infrastructure, in order to accommodate growing vehicle demand of the Kingdom, Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority (SAGIA) is strengthening and expanding the country’s road network.

The Kingdom’s Ministry of Economy and Planning is increasing overall spending of about USD$27 billion to improve and expand the country’s road infrastructure.

These infrastructure projects are anticipated to boost the sales of commercial vehicles.

Trade is being prioritised in the Kingdom and you’ve got initiatives like NEOM in the north of the country which could radically change the logistics picture in the region.

As the GCC rail project is developing slower than expected, this is also putting further emphasis on land transportation with the road

2018 saw many spend the year in a holding pattern as contract prices continued to slide downwards and fuel prices headed in the opposite direction”

SALES FORECAST, 2015-2026

2015

2026

Other Turkey KSA Egypt UAE Jordan Oman Lebanon 90,000

80,000

70,000

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

Kuwait

10,000

into the electric vehicle space.

The UAE has also seen a series of Uber-style logistics providers like Trukkin and Trukker who have signed thousands of companies to their service. It is early days but add all of these together and you have a market that is being re-shaped and fleet operators need to adjust sooner rather than later.

Depending on your definition of the market (should Turkey be included, for instance?), Saudi Arabia is potentially by far the largest single commercial vehicles market in the Middle East.

The decline in oil prices resulted in the Kingdom’s worst economic slowdown since the global financial crisis of 2009-2010 and that downturn has impacted many small and medium businesses, along with larger corporations that were contracting with the oil and construction industry (due to pending payments and large payables owed by governmental entities, which cause projected completion dates to lengthen, which required some companies to extend lease terms.)

This has forced fleets to keep vehicles in service longer, extending the vehicle’s lifecycle costs. In addition, the government decreased fleet purchases for governmental entities. Not an ideal business environment, but there is brighter news for the passenger car segment. Austerity measures dampened consumer sentiments deferring automotive purchases, however, these austerity programmes are being relaxed and of the effects of may spur future sales is that, for the first-time ever, women were allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia starting in June 2018.

Having said all of that, the overall outlook for future sales of commercial vehicles in Saudi Arabia is positive. The stabilisation of crude oil prices, implementation of favourable

must be at the right price.

Uptime is essential as margins are being squeezed in the transport sector and new entry vehicles to the market with optimised desert running and oil and filter changes have been successful.

Ultimately, the residual value has to be right and/ or the truck has to be able to run for a long time.

AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 35

Sources: IHS Truck Sales Data Saudi Arabia, Arthur D. Little Middle East Model, Arthur D. Little Analysis, Expert Interviews

The conditions in the Middle East are challenging for operators, drivers and trucks.

In particular, distances and operating conditions (heat and dust), as well as road safety and driver qualifications, causing difficulties, compounded by some of the oldest truck populations of any region.

Operators need to use trucks that can withstand this environment

developments linking to Oman and the UAE in the South are among the most important land logistics achievements in recent decades.

So, what kinds of transporters will need them? Well we could all probably list some of the big names but I want to concentrate on the smaller and medium companies.

Agility recently published their Emerging Markets Logistics Index, a survey of the emerging markets. It shows that the future in the emerging markets is small, medium enterprises. In it, it says that SMEs will grow fastest in emerging markets over the next five years, about 33% - as opposed to a 21.3% of large multi-national companies.

And the important thing to note here – is that 5 out of 10 of the top ten emerging markets are right here in the Middle East with the UAE and Saudi Arabia leading the way. If it is correct then that will have a major impact on the industry and who your customers will be in ten years.

With ecommerce making access to international markets easier and technology helping to make trade easier, SMEs are primed to be able grow faster than their larger counterparts as those developments will make the biggest impacts to their operations.

The biggest obstacle in their way is a classic problem for companies of that size: resources. Namely the resources to be able to navigate the bureaucracy of cross-border travelling. So if they can find a shipper that can handle the challenges of moving between countries, then they will take it.

It would seem obvious that we need to be helping transporters and their similiarly-sized customers to help each other when it comes to cross border logistics. Get the red-tape out of the way as fast as possible, get businesses trading, and transporters of all sizes will benefit.

FEATURE

THE HEART OF MOBILITY

Safe, clean, intelligently connected: Continental takes IAA Trend Technologies into production

I

n the run-up to the IAA in September 2019 in Frankfurt, technology company Continental will be presenting numerous innovations that reflect the three major trends of the industry summit, all under the tagline of “Mobility is the Heartbeat of Life.”

“Zero accidents, zero emissions and zero stress thanks to smart connectivity and convenience: this is what our pioneering technologies are helping to realise.

Technology is our strength and is an area in which Continental has an outstanding level of expertise,” says Dr Elmar Degenhart, chairman of the Continental Executive Board.

In the past year alone, the company has invested more than €3 billion in 36 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

research and development for the next generation of mobility. A significant proportion of this amount will go toward technologies for new in-vehicle functions.

“With our investments in research and development, we are significantly shaping the greatest upheaval in the automotive industry since its birth and are doing so from a leading position,” continues Degenhart, adding, “Our alternative drive systems and Continental technologies for automated and autonomous driving, as well as for the connected car, are the key ingredients for a healthy mobility ecosystem. Our aim is to develop new technologies that are both environmentally efficient and socially accepted. In this way, we intend to protect not only the ecological climate, but

Our aim is to develop new technologies that are both environmentally efficient and socially accepted”

the economic and social ones as well.”

Millions of vehicles are already on the move today with Continental technology. This year will still see major innovations relating to Continental’s automotive trend topics going into production for the first time.

The technology company has been able to convince vehicle manufacturers in China and Europe of the performance of Continental’s electric axle drive. The module weighs less than 80 kilograms and includes an electric motor, transmission, power electronics, and motor control. Thanks to the integration, numerous cable connections and plugs can be dispensed with. The fully integrated axle drive thus reduces the weight of electric vehicles by around 20 kilograms.

FEATURE

Further production successes with autonomous driving and 5G connectivity

Another production launch this year is a milestone in the development toward autonomous driving. The autonomous EZ10 shuttle bus from the French company EasyMile is the first to use a Continental radar system that has been specially developed for driverless vehicles and is ready for production.

A total of seven radar sensors, each with a range of up to 200 meters, continuously monitor the vehicle environment.

With this data, the system adapts its driving strategy, avoids obstructions and therefore prevents dangerous traffic situations on the route ahead at an early stage. Since such autonomous shuttle buses will be mainly used in an urban environment in future, this system protects pedestrians and cyclists in particular.

Furthermore, development of Continental’s first worldwide 5G solution for a vehicle manufacturer is already underway. On this new platform, Continental’s connectivity experts are combining the features of fifth-generation cellular communications with technologies for short-distance radio for direct data exchange between different vehicles and the infrastructure. The vehicles talk to each other faster than ever before, with fewer interruptions. They can warn one other, for example, of accidents behind a bend or traffic jams ahead.

Here, too, Continental is integrating previously separate functions, reducing the vehicle’s weight. This represents an important contribution to the environmental efficiency of vehicles and increased road safety.

One result of Continental research is intuitively designed operating systems.

Simple communication between the driver and the vehicle with the aid of an intelligent voice-activated digital companion and three-dimensional displays increases the acceptance of new vehicle technologies.

Continental is working on an adaptive voice-activated digital companion that reacts to natural speech and is precisely adapted to vehicle conditions. This makes operation easier and drivers do not have to take their eyes off the road. This increases attention to traffic, reduces the risk of accidents, and also lets the driver relax.

Another trend-setting concept is connected windows in the car. These can be specifically darkened, for example to avoid glare caused by a low sun.

LIGHTER AND FURTHER 3RD GEN AXLES AT IAA Continental will present its third generation of electric powertrains at IAA 2019. It claims the new 120 kW or 150 kW systems are “very high-performance, light and compact axle drives and will take to the roads” in various electric models from several Chinese and European manufacturers later this year.

“We are promoting new mobility solutions with pioneering technologies.

Our electric drives form a key element of innovative vehicles – from both established manufacturers and start-up companies,” said Andreas Wolf, CEO of Continental’s powertrain business. With the new electric drive, the Powertrain division is assuming a pioneering role as technology supplier for highly integrated electric axle drives for the mass market and is once again setting standards for the performance of these modules. In this case,

highly integrated means that the new high-voltage drive combines electric motor, power electronics and reduction gear in a single housing. This makes the Continental Powertrain division one of very few system suppliers to offer a complete, electrified powertrain from a single source.

The new axle drive weighs less than 80 kilograms. The function of an electric parking lock has now been integrated into the transmission. The more powerful axle drive offers not only an outstanding driving experience, but also a favourable cost level, claims Continental: “This is because numerous cable connections and connectors, for example, are no longer necessary thanks to the smart combination of the components, with a focus on integration.”

Furthermore, they reduce the energy required for cooling the vehicle interior and simply enhance occupant privacy.

In pilot cities in North America and Asia, Continental is currently exploring the possibilities presented by greater connectivity between all road users. In this project, ordinary traffic intersections have been transformed into highly intelligent test fields equipped with smart sensor technology.

Traffic lights and streetlights equipped with sensors exchange data with vehicles in the vicinity to protect pedestrians and cyclists in particular. This technology can, for instance, warn a driver of concealed pedestrians or other more vulnerable road users when turning left.

Traffic data from street lamps can ultimately reduce emissions: signal changes at traffic lights can be controlled in such a way as to optimize traffic flow and reduce stationary time at intersections.

In the run-up to the IAA, Continental is demonstrating its outstanding systems expertise in the field of electric drives by showcasing more exciting designs.

In addition to the fully integrated high-voltage axle drive for large-scale production, the company has developed a new technology for hybrid vehicles. The 48-volt high-power drive system with 30 kilowatts of output means it is now possible to drive even long distances purely with electric power for the first time.

Previously, this was only possible using high-voltage drive systems – but not with 48-volt technology. Vehicle manufacturers can therefore now offer new, attractively priced hybrid vehicles worldwide.

Continental is setting other technological milestones not only in the field of electric drives, but also in the development of autonomous driving, a second major trend at this year’s IAA. This goes hand in hand with the gradual realization of “Vision Zero” – the goal of zero-accident mobility. Powerful in-vehicle sensors form the basis for this technology. Continental is combining new radar and camera sensors with intelligent data processing in the cloud, which supports improved functions for assistance systems.

For example, Continental is introducing a predictive stability control system that warns the driver before a curve in the road if the vehicle is traveling too fast for the current road conditions and automatically brakes, if necessary, to adjust the vehicle’s speed. This too ensures greater safety and convenience.

AUGUST 2019 TRUCK&FLEET ME 37

OPINION

CAN WE AFFORD TO BE ZERO-CARBON? What is the true cost of going green, asks WSP’s Mark Farley?

A

t its core, if a city can achieve a zero-carbon status, it must cause no net release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. So, for all the carbon dioxide a city creates day to day, it must also be creating the same amount of clean air to cancel it out.

The smartest way to do this is to ensure a city is releasing as little carbon dioxide as possible through the introduction of sustainable buildings, infrastructure, commercial space and vehicles.

The Abu Dhabi Masdar City project is an excellent example of how a zero-carbon city might look in the Middle East. Although not totally zero-carbon, it has been designed and built with the purpose of having a carbon output as low as possible while still attracting residents and visitors.

All the buildings are built at the perfect angle to generate the most shade throughout the day; it has advanced materials in all of it structures that allow the buildings to breathe and control temperature, they prioritise walking and cycling over their public electric transport. It has retail, office space and dining all designed to consume 40% less energy and water than an average city and it has plans to grow one neighbourhood at a time adding schools, parks and housing for up to 90,000. A zero-carbon city is idyllic and a good partial solution to our looming global warming crisis, however, is it genuinely achievable?

38 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

Energy consumption is currently unavoidable, and with technology becoming more and more prevalent in our everyday lives, that won’t be changing anytime soon.

With the level of comfort we all insist on it is very difficult to avoid a carbon footprint; unlimited clean warm water, 20+ electrical items in the average home and access to any food we want regardless where in the world it is grown and transported from will continually add to the release of carbon dioxide we pump in to the atmosphere each year.

A switch to automated vehicles and a fully automated road network feels like a good start in achieving a decrease in carbon emissions, after all cars currently produce an average of 4.75 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per passenger, however, we will still need to power automated vehicles and the satellites that will keep our vehicles on course, and this power comes at a cost.

Currently, 92% of the global population live with unhealthy air and cities are increasingly having to think of innovative solutions to disappearing green space - introducing roof gardens, plant-filled buses and grass lined cycle paths, but what more can we do? After all, our need for green will not change, not only is it an effective natural tool to fight pollution and reduce the effect of carbon on our planet, it is also good for our communities. Green space draws us in, inspires us, fosters productivity and encourages social

We will need to power automated vehicles and the satellites that keep our vehicles on course, and this comes at a cost”

contact; with loneliness predicted to be the next big killer, this is more vital now than ever.

We clearly need to address our climate crisis now in order to give future generations the best chance to truly thrive, but how can we plan for that now? We can encourage developers to use smart grids, or at least make their buildings easy to retrofit with smart grids.

We can ensure our roads can adapt and facilitate automated vehicle hosting systems. We also need to consider how we can satisfy the need for green space, how we can offer access to local produce and how we can encourage our communities to use sustainable public transport.

If we expect to have the same standard of living that we currently do in our cities, then we can’t expect to be zero-carbon. Perhaps if we forgo tropical fruit & veg, personal transportation and half of our technology it could be possible but hope is not lost, climate change is climbing higher on the global news agenda with each passing day, and sustainable solutions have increased tenfold in recent years - a trend that will only continue. It isn’t unrealistic to think that one day we will get there, but we need to start planning for that now and discover how best we can maintain our expectations for comfort and advancement with the need for clean air, green spaces and sense of community.

Find more thought leadership content from WSP in the Middle East at: www.wsp-anticipate.com

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PARTING SHOT

AFRICA’S TRANSPORT BOOMS Investment in Africa driven by a surge in funding for roads, bridges and railway projects

I

nvestment in Africa’s transport infrastructure sector set to see significant growth by the year 2020, driven by a surge in funding for roads, bridges and railway projects, rising from the current figure of $47.1 billion to $69 billion by next year. According to a report by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, the railway project spending will be led by Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt, where the transport investment will increase from $7.6 billion, $9.5 billion and $5.6 billion respectively, to $9.8 billion, $8.5 billion and $7.5 billion by next year.

When completed in their entirety, the tracked projects will total more than 110,000km in length (54,110km of roads, 55,345km for rail, and 599km for bridges, the Africa Transport Networks report said. Of this, 75,297km will be newly constructed, while 29,197km will be upgraded, and 5,561km will have an element of both construction and upgrade, it added.

The report is currently tracking 448 large-scale transport projects across Africa, worth $430.3 billion in both the public and private sectors, at all stages, from announcement to execution.

“Africa’s lack of infrastructure is a serious obstacle to growth and development, resulting in a low level of intra-African trade and trade with other regions. The continent accounts for 12% of the world population but generates a mere 1% of global GDP and only 2% of world trade,” said Yasmine Ghozzi, an economist at GlobalData.

“Over the longer term, Africa has huge potential for growth. There is a clear appetite in the region to improve and expand trade, and a realisation that to do so requires industrial integration and infrastructure development,” she noted.

Investment rates in transport infrastructure have been increasing because of major continental initiatives such as the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) – a strategic continental initiative for mobilising resources across African countries to transform Africa through modern infrastructure.

In East Africa, the Northern and Central transport corridors serve nine countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan and Djibouti.

Although approximately 34% of the

Northern Corridor’s network of roads is considered to be in good condition, it will need $1.87 billion in financing to make it fully functional, while the Central Corridor needs an investment of $1.67 billion to revamp infrastructure and make it fully functional.

In Western Africa, the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor is an essential link in the Dakar-Lagos Corridor, which is part of the trans-African highway of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region, whose development is one of the 16 priority continental infrastructure projects identified on the continent’s scale.

Ghozzi added that the March 2018 agreement to establish the African Continental Free Trade Area has the potential to be a major turning point for the continent’s ambitions of boosting intraAfrica trade and spurring economic development.

“With this emphasis on regional integration, the focus is on the development of regional economic corridors, particularly important for landlocked countries, interlinking highways, railways and ports in the region, hence providing connectivity between rural, national and international networks,” she explained.

NEXT ISSUE: WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR AT THE IAA 2019, THE PROBLEM WITH BATTERIES, THE LATEST IN BUS TECHNOLOGY, AND MUCH MORE!

40 TRUCK&FLEET ME AUGUST 2019

All-Steel casing Excellent traction Outstanding stability High puncture resistance Long tire life SR45H2