Truck&Fleet ME November 2020

VEHICLES/ TECH / TRANSPORTATION/LOGISTICS

O80/NOVEMBER 2O2O

MIDDLE EAST

LI CENSED BY D U BAI D EVELO PM ENT AU TH O RIT Y

S I L L E C L E U F T N E I C X E E H T

L A T N E M E L E

ass m t s r fi s ’ d l wor e h t g k n c i u h r c t n y u t a l u d n o av y e h d e r Hyundai e w o en-p g o r d y h d e produc

L A I C O S G N I AKE FEEL R AY CAN M TIN G TH E N E W S EDIA STAR M L IA C O S YOU A

CONTENTS

CONTENTS FEATURE

12 / A HY-POINT FOR ALTERNATIVE DRIVES Hyundai Motor Company on why the new XCIENT Fuel Cell is a landmark in hydrogen vehicles.

ALSO THIS ISSUE …

NETWORK

06 / NEWS FROM THE MONTH

06

10

16

20

26

28

Saudi steps up alternative fuel strategy as new vehicles arrive in the Kingdom.

LAUNCHES

10 / STYLE AND SUBSTANCE Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ newly Actros F prioritises functionality. The new Stingray on the other hand puts your social media profile first.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

16 / CITY DWELLERS Scania reveals how its electrical transportation know-how is coming to the urban delivery sector.

TRANSPORT

20 / SEATED AND RE-BOOTED In-depth look at how Daimler CV is taking on the challenges of transport in a multi-pronged attack.

WORKSHOP

24 / PLUGGING THE GAPS Hyva introduces 60tm family in its EDGE Line and Bosh EVO spark plug launches.

SAFETY

26 / BEYOND THE BELT Volvo Car’s head of safety talks about why new technology is not enough to save lives.

WHITE PAPER

28 / COMING OUT OF COVID SNC Lavalin returns to talk about how COVID-19 could reimagine transport.

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NOVEMBER 2020

01

NETWORK

GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR RAZ ISLAM raz.islam@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5483 MANAGING PARTNER VIJAYA CHERIAN vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5472 EDITORIAL

NOW SHOULD BE THE TIME TO TAKE SAFETY SERIOUSLY By now, we should all be appreciating our fellow human beings more than we used to and maybe it is time for us to get a bit more serious about road safety? Or maybe not.

The more minutes I have spent out on the road in recent weeks, the more I have come to realise that things are returning to the old normal rather than the new. Most of us, it seems, are not in the safety conscious mode we all got used to during those tough lockdown months of the summer.

Obviously, our highways are a little less clogged. If you are going into an office your commute is going to be a little easier than it was before. In terms of ‘how many’, the number of cars are certainly fewer on the roads but I honestly haven’t seen a discernable change with the ‘how we drive’ part of being out in a vehicle.

I still see people – including commercial vehicle and fleet drivers – speeding as if their life depended on getting to their next destination. And the irony, of course, is that if they end up

in an accident then there is more than the usual threat a collision and impact. In fact, more than ever, your life really could depend on you getting somewhere, anywhere, not fastest but safest.

I make no apologies for the fact that this month’s issue continues our catch-up on the latest OEM launches that seemed to have piles up at the end of 2020 but it also looks in a lot of detail at how the COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to re-think the way we have used our roads for all these years.

Volvo Car’s Malin Ekholm, the head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre, almost goes as far as to state this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to inspire a culture of safety. And indeed I can’t think of any other time when personal regard for others has been more important at a global scale.

While we won’t be involved in most of those discussions that are liable to take place once the worst of this pandemic is over, we can all do a our bit to take safety seriously or we may miss our chance.

EDITOR STEPHEN WHITE stephen.white@cpitrademedia.com +44 7541 244 377 SUB EDITOR AELRED DOYLE aelred.doyle@cpitrademedia.com ADVERTISING SENIOR SALES MANAGER BIPIN SONEJI bipin.soneji@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 433 2856 DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR SIMON COBON simon.cobon@cpitrademedia.com DESIGNER PERCIVAL MANALAYSAY percival.manalaysay@cpitrademedia.com PHOTOGRAPHY MAKSYM PORIECHKIN maksym.poriechkin@cpitrademedia.com 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 SADIQ SIDDIQUI ABDUL BAEIS FINANCE ACCOUNTS SHIYAS KAREEM shiyas.kareem@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.

STEPHEN WHITE EDITOR, TRUCK&FLEET ME STEPHEN.WHITE@CPITRADEMEDIA.COM 02 NOVEMBER 2020

CPI Trade Media. PO Box 13700, Dubai, UAE. +971 4 375 5470 cpitrademedia.com © Copyright 2020. All rights reserved.

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NETWORK

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FEATURED

CONSTRUCTION

READERS’ COMMENTS

TOP 10 TECHNOLOGY TRENDS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

SB Energy awards GE Renewable Energy windfarm deal

Enjoyed reading this list (Top 10 technology

trends in the construction industry). I’m not sure whether it is in order of importance or not, but, for CONSTRUCTION

me, I would say that the

Saudi Arabia launches new 280,000sqm residential community project

use of big data and cloud computing are probably the technologies likely to have the greatest impact over the next decade. I would also suggest that it is not

PROJECT INSIGHT: The Museum of the Future

just the ability to be able to analyse the impact of external factors – such as

FLEET

weather and traffic listed

Hitches & Glitches launches specialised FM package for mosques

here – during construction that will be essential. Going back to the early stages of construction (even to the decision-making behind the precise location of where to build a project or even an entire development) being able to study social and

CONSTRUCTION

business activity in an area

Madayn awards $6.7 million contract for infrastructure works

and identify how to plug into existing infrastructure can optimise a project’s likely success. The real trick, however, will be at a city planner’s level where they can better identify the types of projects needed in an area for years to come. There are

CONSTRUCTION

SWPC invites EoIs for new SWRO desalination plant in Saudi Arabia

04 NOVEMBER 2020

ANALYSIS: What you need to consider prior to terminating contracts

exciting times ahead.

Name withheld by request

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NETWORK

HYUNDAI IN KSA HYDROGEN VEHICLES DEAL / WASTE-TO-FUEL RAMP UP / CARZILLA STOMPS INTO MARKET / RITCHIE BROS. RECORDS FIVE-YEAR BIDDER HIGH IN DUBAI

NETWORK

Hyundai exports hydrogen vehicles to Saudi Arabia VEHICLES UNDERGO TESTING AS PART OF SAUDI ARABIA’S CLEANER FUEL AMBITIONS BUSES Hyundai Motor Co. recently delivered four hydrogen-powered vehicles, including two buses, to Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producing country.

South Korea’s largest automotive group confirmed in a statement last month that it shipped two Nexo crossover SUVs and two Fuel-Cell EV (FCEV) Elec City

buses to Saudi Arabia from a port in Ulsan, southeast of Seoul, at the end of September.

This is the first time Hyundai has exported its FCEV buses to overseas markets, said the firm.

The deal follows an agreement made last year to explore ways of bringing more hydrogenfuelled electric cars to the Middle Eastern country.

Hyundai reported that the four electric vehicles have been available for test driving and other pilot projects in the Kingdom. The Elec City bus can run about 430 kilometers on a single charge, it added.

The automaker commented that the shipments are ‘significant’ as they demonstrate Saudi Arabia’s commitment to looking

at the possibilities of cleaner fuel. Hyundai said it hopes to prove its technological prowess in hydrogen vehicles through the export of the four vehicles to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The company said it has sold a total of 10,698 Nexo hydrogen crossover SUVs in global markets, including 8,908 units in Korea, from 2018 through August to 2020.

FUEL FACTS: HYDROGEN CELLS FILLS UP IN MINUTES AND CAN POWER A VEHICLE FOR AROUND 430 KM BEFORE REFUELLING

06 NOVEMBER 2020

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NETWORK

CARZILLA STOMPS INTO THE UAE MARKET SERVICES

EMIRATES RDF TO START RDF PRODUCTION ALTERNATIVE FUEL

Emirates RDF, a partnership between water treatment expert Besix, Finnish group Griffin Refineries and Ajman-based Tech Group Eco, has announced that is set to start production of alternative fuel at the company’s facility in Umm Al Quwain. In a statement, it explained that the household waste collected will be converted into an alternative energy source called Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), which will be used as a fuel in cement factories instead of coal. This is part of Emirates RDF’s strategy to generate green energy, it said.

Once operational from October 1, Emirates RDF, the first RDF facility in the region, will be able to handle over 1,000 tonnes of waste from the emirates of Ajman and Umm Al Quwain.

Abdulrahman Al Nuaimi , director general of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, Saif Al Shara assistant under-secretary of Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), Yousif Alahmed Al Rayssi, director, Municipal Affairs Department at MOCCAE, Elias Sfeir – Northern Emirates general manager, Besix Middle East, Yousef Sultan Al Ajmani, executive manager, Emirates RDF, and other officials took part in an inspection visit ahead of its opening last month.

“Emirates RDF is delighted that after intensive cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the President’s Initiatives Committee (Ministry of Presidential Affairs), the RDF facility is ready for the production of high-quality alternative fuel for factories in the region, said Nicolaas de Koning, general manager, Emirates RDF. “The Emirates RDF plant will have enhanced capacity that will enable us to divert over 80 percent of household waste from the landfill. This will be a huge boost to our environment conservation efforts.” meconstructionnews.com

Carzilla, a mobile app and platform offering on-demand car servicing, has launched in the UAE. According to the firm, Carzilla will “allow users to cruise smoothly through their auto-service experience, eliminating many traditional steps in between.”

The on-demand service brings doorstep car servicing facilities to customers via an app or browser, such as such as repairs, performance inspections, washing and other related jobs. In addition, the car repair service app incorporates a live tracking feature, which lets customers track the mechanic, how long it will take to complete, “and whether there have been any snags on the way or not”.

Carzilla says it has partnered with a

variety of local auto-hubs, “a promising collaboration which will generate sales for both Carzilla and local companies through its extraordinary platform and mobile application. By using Carzilla, customers will be able to remotely schedule their bookings.

Once an account is created, users can decide which services they would like

to use, book a pick-up, and a Carzilla representative will then arrive at their preferred location to collect the vehicle. Upon inspection at the facility, customers will receive a diagnostic report featuring a traffic-light system, from green to red, highlighting whether a repair or service needs to be taken care of immediately.

RITCHIE BROS. SEPTEMBER AUCTION BREAKS FIVE-YEAR BIDDER RECORD AUCTIONS Ritchie Bros.’ recently concluded September auctions in Dubai broke a five-year site record for bidders with more than 1,289 attending the now entirely online event from 86 countries.

The global industrial auctioneers said there has been strong attendance at its auctions throughout 2020, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, with the September auctions seeing bidding registrations

going up by 32% compared to the same auction a year ago.

Hundreds of new bidders joined the Dubai auctions throughout 2020, added the auctioneers.

A total of 2,090 lots were sold in the September online auction that was open for bidding over several days. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt and Iraq were the top-five buyer countries in the Middle East. The USA, Canada, India, Netherlands and the UK were

the top-five outside the region.

In terms of the sold equipment, the leading asset categories were hydraulic excavators, wheel loaders, all-terrain cranes, crawler tractors and hydraulic truck cranes. Motor graders, access equipment, SUVs and other items were also sold in the company’s third Dubai auction of 2020.

Due to the Covid-19 situation, Ritchie Bros. has moved its auctions entirely online.

NOVEMBER 2020 07

NETWORK

ION COMPLETES AUTONOMOUS SHUTTLES TRIALS AT UNIVERSITY CITY OF SHARJAH CAMPUS TRANSPORT Sustainable transporter ION has successfully completed the pilot trial for its NAVYA AUTONOM autonomous shuttles at the University City of Sharjah, the world’s largest integrated educational district in the world.

The trial, which was overseen by Sharjah Police for traffic and safety reasons, was designed to assess the operational efficiency of the driverless shuttles’ capabilities within the educational district.

The trials brought carbonneutral mobility within the educational zone and campus which is among the world’s largest integrated educational districts in the world. The experience also provided students with a practical example of future technologies while inspiring the UAE’s younger generation to channel their potential and creativity for the future.”

Intended to help students commute between colleges,

the shuttles are equipped with a range of deep learning technologies, including 3D vision and environment recognition; automatic route navigation; IoT sensors for optimal safety, and motionsensor doors. Driving seamless, smart, and sustainable mobility, the smart shuttles are emissions-free, wheelchairaccessible and have a capacity of 15 passengers.

“I am pleased to announce the successful completion of our NAVYA autonomous shuttle trials at Sharjah University City,” said HE Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee’ah and Chairman at ION, said.

“The smart electric shuttles have the potential to offer regular and dependable services within the city, while reducing vehicular traffic and improving air quality.

“ION is committed to dramatically transforming human movement and shared mobility solutions, while driving rapid and mass adoption

of electric vehicles to limit vehicular exhaust emissions, reduce air pollution and encourage a more sustainable quality of life here in the UAE. We thank the university management and Sharjah Police for their collaboration as we seek to find mutually beneficial solutions.”

The NAVYA shuttles are part of a larger fleet that has been operating at Masdar City since October 2018. ION announced a partnership with NAVYA, a leading company in autonomous driving systems, in January this year, to develop the concept of shared autonomous transport to the MENA region for the first time.

HE Khalid bin Butti Al Hajri, director general of the University City of Sharjah aded: “The autonomous shuttles pilot trial with ION enables us to enrich our students’ experience, exploring the possibility of advanced means of mobility solutions within the University City.”

HITCHES & GLITCHES LAUNCHES SERVICES FOR MOSQUES SERVICES

Hitches & Glitches (H&G) has launched a specialised sustainable cleaning, maintenance and repair package for the UAE’s mosques.

The package includes a facility to enable mosques to achieve sustainability, health and safety goals according to GBAC Star accreditation and Green Globe certification requirements.

“H&G has assembled highly trained and multi-skilled teams, that are not only fully conversant with the Islamic rules of prayer and the role that the mosque plays within their respective communities, but are also led by sustainability professionals,” said Kelvin Vargheese, director at Hitches & Glitches.

He also said that given the pandemic, it is essential that mosques are thoroughly sanitised ahead of and after each communal prayer, particularly on Fridays.

He added that even though authorities have stated that capacities are limited to 30%, it is of paramount importance that worshippers wear mandatory face masks and maintain a physical distance of three metres. With potentially a large number of people sharing one indoor space, it is important that air conditioning units are kept well maintained and cleaned regularly, to keep the indoor air environment as safe as possible.

Vargheese added that experienced teams can carry out HVAC filtration and duct disinfection, as well as install UV lighting devices.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: MERCEDES AND SCANIA PRESENT THEIR NEW RANGES, HYUNDAI TALKS TO T&FME ABOUT PUSHING FUEL TECH, AND MORE!

08 NOVEMBER 2020

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NETWORK

MAMMOET HELPS IN DUBAI BRIDGEWIDENING PROJECT HEAVY-LIFT TRANSPORT

Mammoet has assisted the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in the widening works for the Mirdif City Center bridge, which included lifting and installing 24 long and heavy precast concrete girders in place. The heavy lifting and transport specialist said the bridge improvements will ease traffic flow for road users, meeting the current and future needs of commuters and alleviating traffic congestion. The project, located at the interchange along Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed highway and Al Rebat Street, consisted of the construction of additional lanes between two existing two-lane bridges, converting them into one high-capacity flyover comprising six lanes.

The project entailed the installation of the 24 precast girders, connecting the two bridges together, on supports from the top of the bridges. “Installing them from the ground wasn’t possible due to space constraints and the busy highway is too crucial to the city’s transport infrastructure to allow time for a stickbuilt methodology,” said Mammoet.

“The project’s main contractor, Afcons Infrastructure, contacted Mammoet to develop a solution. After detailed design engineering and risk assessment, Mammoet developed a novel approach for installing the girders using a tailored mobile gantry system that could straddle the two existing bridges. This system would comprise custom-made beams with two 100t strand jacks and skidding system, sitting on top of SPMT trailers.

The strand jacks would lift the girders vertically, the skidding system would allow side movements, and SPMTs would transport the girders from pick up location to the installation spot.” meconstructionnews.com

AVIATOR HELPS LINCOLN MIDDLE EAST GCC SALES SOAR IN SEPTEMBER RETAIL Lincoln Middle East says it has continued its surge in summer sales into September.

In a statement, the company said the luxury marque’s third quarter numbers for new vehicle sales exceeded those of last year’s Q3 by an “impressive” 63%.

It added that September’s sales in isolation saw an increase of a 107%.

Describing those results as remarkable, Lincoln said it was the brand’s best month in the region for four years: “Buoyed by the ever-growing demand for Lincoln’s flagship Navigator SUV. Navigator, which has

been setting benchmarks in quality for over two decades, continues to be one of Lincoln’s greatest success stories.”

Aviator and Corsair notched up record-setting months for sales earlier this year and continue to be in high demand across the GCC, said Lincoln.

The three-row, premium large utility vehicle Aviator came a close second behind Navigator in September sales figures.

Sales for June, July, and August, were up 36%, 52%, and 31% respectively over the same periods last year with Lincoln posting 10% growth in 2020 so far “despite the effects of

lockdown earlier in the year”.

“We are very proud of the teams in our distributor partners who work tirelessly to make these impressive results possible; our brand registered double digit growth in most of Lincoln’s GCC markets for September” said Sami Malkawi, sales and ownership experience director, Lincoln Direct Markets.

“Lincoln’s full portfolio of Luxury SUVs, coupled with the Lincoln Way ownership experience, continue to take the brand to new highs in the region, and contributes to the growing popularity and customer confidence in our brand.”

SHARJAH RULER OPENS $272MN KALBA ROAD ROAD NETWORK

The new 26km-long Kalba road has been inaugurated by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The Sharjah

Ruler unveiled a commemorative plaque at the inauguration event to mark the opening of the road, which extends from Wadi Al Hilou to The Flag Square in Kalba.The road was built at a cost of $272 million and is

said to be one of the most prominent development, service and tourism projects launched by the emirate.It is hoped that the new road will help develop the city of Kalba in a way that serves the city’s residents and visitors. It is also expected to reduce the travel time between Sharjah and Kalba from 90 minutes to 60 minutes, said a report by WAM. The Kalba Road project comprises the 12.5km-long Wadi Al Hilou Road and includes three intersections and 10 crossings, while the 8.5kmlong Wadi Madiq Road, includes a two-lane 450m mountain tunnel, five crossings and one intersection.

NOVEMBER 2020 09

LAUNCHES

ACTROS F PUTS FUNCTION AND QUALITY AHEAD OF STYLE / CHEVROLET UNVEILS A STINGRAY WHICH IS PRIMED TO BE A SOCIAL MEDIA STAR

LAUNCHES

Actros F Merc goes big on functionality

MERCEDES-TRUCKS NEW ACTROS F FEATURES A HEAVY-DUTY LIST OF NEW TECH AND SYSTEMS

Whether it’s efficiency, safety or comfort: the Mercedes-Benz Actros has been setting high standards for heavy trucks since 1996. Its most recent generation, from 2018 onward, has constantly been setting new milestones with a multitude of innovations.

In addition, Mercedes Benz will be bringing the new Actros F to market in January 2021 in 24 EU countries and selected nonEU markets, a model specifically designed for pure functionality.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the new Actros F is a perfect fit for customers who, for example, are simply looking for a functional truck apart from

10 NOVEMBER 2020

all the complexities concerning the logistical and organisational processes of their fleet.

“These customers are consciously opting for a commercial vehicle with the three-pointed star but don’t necessarily need all the innovations present in the most recent Actros generation. They want a truck with an attractive price-performance ratio and the authentic Mercedes-Benz Trucks DNA. In other words: a vehicle that embodies the defining MercedesBenz values such as top quality, reliability, efficiency, functionality, safety and high utility value.”

Available in 17 assembly model designations and as a left-hand

drive only, the Actros F is suitable for conventional and regional long-distance traffic, especially as a swap body vehicle, dump truck or silo transporter. For this purpose, particular emphasis was placed on high comfort for the drivers, in addition to maximum functionality for fleet operators.

The newly designed cab in the StreamSpace or BigSpace variants with its 2.5-metre width and 120-mm engine tunnel height offers excellent spaciousness for its class and also allows the driver easy entry and exit with only three steps.

In terms of equipment, the new Actros F comes with a Classic

Cockpit as well as conventional glass side mirrors as standard. In combination with the navigation system, climate control and several choices of optional equipment, there’s also the addition of the new, user-friendly 10-inch Multimedia Cockpit with the multifunction steering wheel in the current Actros generation. The new Predictive Powertrain Control is another optional feature that calibrates the automatic gear shift according to a topography-adapted driving style.

In addition, there are also safety features such as the fifthgeneration Active Brake Assist, which has been a standard feature, where required by law, of

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LAUNCHES

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCER

2020 STINGRAY HAS A FEW TRICKS UP ITS SLEEVE NOT LEAST SHARING YOUR DRIVING ONLINE

A PERFECT FIT Mercedes-Benz Trucks claims the new Actros F is a ‘perfect fit’ for customers looking for a functional truck.

DRIVER COMFORT 120MM ENGINE TUNNEL

ROAD AND FUEL EFFICIENCY Out on the road, the Arocs is up to five percent more fuel-efficient, according to the manufacturer’s engineers.

Actros vehicles, throughout Europe since January 2020, and Lane Keeping Assist.

As Mercedes-Benz explains in its launch notes: “With groundbreaking innovations, the newest Actros generation from Mercedes-Benz Trucks takes everything to a very high level with more efficiency for hauliers, better comfort for truckers

and improved safety for all road users. Innovations such as the Multimedia Cockpit, MirrorCam, further developed safety systems and partially developed driving functions ensure “that the Actros excellently fulfils the continually increasing demands in both long-haul and heavy-duty distribution transport.”

Chevrolet wants you to believe that the 2020 Corvette Stingray has altered the landscape when it comes to performance cars.

“With an unprecedented mid-engine layout and a substantial 495hp, as well as the exceptional value it provides, the 2020 Corvette Stingray delivers super car performance for sports car price,” says the venerable US car manufacturer.

While the biggest change in the 2020 Corvette Stingray is the engine layout: this is the first Corvette ever to sport a mid-engine configuration. Apart from the stunning exterior design that it affords, there are several benefits to this new approach.The mid-engine layout enabled designers to chart new course when it comes to exterior design.

The short front and extended rear delivers performance intent. The several air intakes, while serving an aerodynamic purpose, also add to the visual appeal of the 2020 Corvette Stingray. For instance, door handles and the hatch and hood releases have been hidden for a sleek appearance and improved aerodynamics to boost performance.

Unsurprisingly, the all-new Corvette Stingray offers several options that discern it from other cars in the segment. Not least the ability to record your driving performance in 1080p. It captures your acceleration, speed, braking, gear choice, sound and more with this available feature.

On a daily basis, the Performance Data Recorder (PDR) can also act as a dash cam with auto-record for your daily drives.

In commercial vehicles and professional driving this would be used to train, but in the passenger segment, this is a feature destined for budding auto influencers looking to flood social media.

The PDR is also equipped with Valet Mode that means it can be used to monitor the use of your Corvette when others are behind the wheel, recording video and vehicle data, letting you hand off your car with peace of mind. The 2020 Corvette Stingray is largely being hailed as an everyday super car for sports car money. The all-new LT2 V8 engine, which is visible through a rear hatch window, enables the driver to hit 100km/h from standstill in mere three seconds – that’s supercar performance.

In fact, even in its base form, this is the most powerful Corvette in history.

SPECIFICATIONS Engine

6.2L V8-LT2

Power

495hp

Torque

470 lb/Ft @5,150

0-100km/h

2.8 seconds

Fuel economy

15mpg (city) 27mpg (highway)

HI-DEF AT HIGH SPEED 1080P VIDEO CAPTURING

SPECIFICATIONS Designation

LS, 4x2, deF 13

Engine

OM 471 / inline 6 cyl

Capacity

12.8 l

Standard

Euro VI, D

Power

330 kW (449 hp)

Torque

2,200 Nm

meconstructionnews.com

NOVEMBER 2020 11

FEATURE

XCIENT ENTERS THE FRAY

Hyundai Motor Company explains how it is bringing hydrogen fuel into the mainstream

O

ctober was a landmark month in Hyundai Motor Company’s journey towards bringing revolutionary hydrogen fuel cell technology into the mainstream of the automotive industry with the company officially announcing the launch of the XCIENT Fuel Cell heavy-duty truck.

Speaking during the digital premiere of the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell electric heavy-duty hauler, In Cheol Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Division, explained that this was not a 12

NOVEMBER 2020

demo project with a limited scope but a vehicle ready to enter fleet operations.

“XCIENT Fuel Cell is a present-day reality, not as a mere future drawing board project. By putting this groundbreaking vehicle on the road now, Hyundai marks a significant milestone in the history of commercial vehicles and the development of hydrogen society,” said In Cheol Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Division at Hyundai Motor. “Building a comprehensive hydrogen ecosystem, where critical transportation needs are met by vehicles like XCIENT Fuel Cell, will lead to a paradigm shift

Today’s delivery opens endless possibilities for clean mobility”

that removes automobile emissions from the environmental equation.

He added: “We have achieved three milestones so far. We are the first in the world to successfully mass produce heavy duty hydrogen trucks, and we plan to scale up capacity to up to 2,000 units by 2021. We are the first manufacturer to commercialise hydrogen-powered trucks with cutting edge fuel technology.

This is real commercialisation with daily operation of regular fleets.”

The event was an opportunity to underline the XCIENT Fuel Cell’s readiness for action and it coincided meconstructionnews.com

FEATURE

with the delivery of the first seven units to customers in Switzerland. However, this is just the start. With a total of 50 hitting the roads there this year, the delivery of XCIENT Fuel Cell marks the official entry of Hyundai’s commercial vehicles in the European market – a key touchstone for the company’s expansion into the North American and Chinese commercial markets, Lee emphasised.

“The delivery of XCIENT Fuel Cell starts a new chapter not only for Hyundai’s hydrogen push, but also the global community’s use of hydrogen as a clean energy source,” he said. “Today’s delivery is just a beginning as it opens endless possibilities for clean mobility. With successful delivery of the first XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks, we proudly announce our plan to expand beyond Europe to North America and China where we are already making great progress.”

Hyundai wants to roll out a total of 1,600 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks in Switzerland by 2025, a strategy it hopes reflects the company’s environmental commitment and technological prowess as it works toward reducing carbon emissions through zero-emission solutions.

“Having introduced the world’s first mass-produced fuel-cell electric passenger vehicle, the ix35, and the second-generation fuel cell electric vehicle, the NEXO, Hyundai is now leveraging decades of experience, world-leading fuel-cell technology, and mass-production capability to advance hydrogen in the commercial vehicle sector with the XCIENT Fuel Cell,” he added.

XCIENT is powered by a 190-kW hydrogen fuel cell system with dual 95kW fuel cell stacks. Seven large hydrogen tanks offer a combined storage capacity of around 32.09 kg of hydrogen. The driving range per charge for XCIENT Fuel Cell is about 400km, which was developed with an optimal balance between the specific requirements from the potential commercial fleet customers and the charging infrastructure in Switzerland. Refuelling time for each truck takes approximately 8~20 minutes.

Fuel cell technology is particularly well-suited to commercial shipping and logistics due to long ranges and short refuelling times. The dual-mounted fuel cell system provides enough energy to drive the heavy-duty trucks up and down the mountainous terrain in the region. meconstructionnews.com

Hyundai Motor is developing a longdistance tractor unit capable of traveling 1,000 kilometres on a single charge equipped with an enhanced fuel cell system with high durability and power, aimed at global markets including North America and Europe.

In 2019, Hyundai Motor Company formed Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility (HHM), a joint venture with Swiss company H2 Energy, which will lease the trucks to commercial truck operators on a pay-per-use basis, meaning there is no initial investment for the commercial fleet customers. Hyundai chose Switzerland as

We are the first in the world to mass produce heavy duty hydrogen trucks”

the starting point for its business venture for various reasons. One of the reasons is the Swiss LSVA road tax on commercial vehicles, which does not apply for zeroemission trucks. That nearly equalizes the hauling costs per kilometer of the fuel cell truck compared to a regular diesel truck.

Hyundai’s business case involves using purely clean hydrogen generated from hydropower. To truly reduce carbon emissions, all of the trucks need to run on only green hydrogen. Switzerland is the country with one of the highest shares of hydropower globally, and can therefore deliver sufficient green energy for the production of hydrogen. Once the project is underway in Switzerland, Hyundai plans to expand it to other European countries as well.

As Hyundai looks to the future, zeroemissions mobility will play a significant role in the company’s strategy. In addition to the XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks, Hyundai is also the manufacturer of NEXO, its secondgeneration hydrogen-powered SUV. By 2025, the company aims to sell 670,000 electric vehicles annually, including 100,000 FCEVs. In December 2018, Hyundai Motor Group announced its long-term roadmap, “Fuel Cell Vision 2030”, and reaffirmed its commitment to accelerate the development of a hydrogen society by leveraging its global leadership in fuel cell technologies.

As part of this plan, Hyundai Motor Group

A GLOBAL DEBUT FOR THE WORLD FIRST Hyundai Motor Company premiered the XCIENT Fuel Cell in October.

It is the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell electric heavy-duty truck.

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aims to secure a 700,000-unit-a-year capacity of fuel cell systems for automobiles as well as vessels, rail cars, drones and power generators by 2030.

The planned ramping up of production capacity of the XCIENT Fuel Cell to 2,000 units per year by 2021 is expected to support an expansion into Europe, the U.S. and China as demand for clean mobility grows. The increase in capacity will be backed by a $1.3 billion investment in addition to a previously announced $6.4 billion stake in establishing a hydrogen ecosystem to support creation of a hydrogen society.

In the U.S., Hyundai is collaborating with logistics leaders to supply massproduced fuel cell heavy-duty trucks.

Hyundai revealed the fuel cell-powered HDC-6 NEPTUNE Concept Class 8 heavy-duty truck at the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) Show in October 2019, hinting at what the future holds and Hyundai’s plans for it. To back this plan, Hyundai is partnering with companies to build a complete hydrogen value chain covering everything from

Hyundai is leveraging decades of experience to advance hydrogen in the CV sector”

hydrogen production and charging stations to service and maintenance. The North American market will also get a 6x4 tractor model. By 2030, Hyundai expects more than 12,000 fuel cell trucks to hit the U.S. roads.

Hyundai also is working with various parties in China, which aims to get one million hydrogen vehicles on its roads by 2030 as the country’s hydrogen industry is on a sharp growth trend, creating massive potential. Initially, Hyundai will focus on China’s four major hydrogen hubs: Jin-jin-ji, Yangtze River Delta, Guangdong Province and Sichuan Province. It is currently discussing cooperative initiatives such as a joint venture with local partners.

POWERING UP PRODUCTION Production capacity of the XCIENT Fuel Cell will reach 2,000 units per year by 2021 to support demand in the key markets of Europe, the U.S. and China.

Three fuel cell electric trucks are scheduled for launch in China: a mediumduty truck in 2022, a heavy-duty truck in in a couple of years, and another heavyduty truck strategically designed for the China market. With these models, Hyundai’s goal is to achieve aggregate sales volume of 27,000 units by 2030.

Europe, the US and China may remain the key target markets for its hydrogen fuel cell technology over the next decade, but the company is monitoring the increased interest in greener transportation in the Middle East region. An agreement between the company and oil giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co. to partner on the supply of hydrogenfuelled electric cars was made in June 2019 and two Fuel-Cell EV (FCEV) Elec City buses and Nexo cars were shipped to the Middle Eastern country last month.

Global expansion key

A key to Hyundai’s global expansion of fuel cell trucks will be the successful launch of XCIENT Fuel Cell in Europe. The seven customers who received the first batch of XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks will haul payloads of consumer goods around Switzerland, emitting nothing but clean water. The operations will be backed by a robust green hydrogen ecosystem.

In 2019, Hyundai Motor Company formed Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility (HHM), a joint venture with Swiss company H2 Energy. HHM also is partnering with Hydrospider, a joint venture of H2 Energy, Alpiq and Linde. The customers will be leasing XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks from HHM on a pay-per-use basis that does not require an initial investment. Hyundai will take the success in Switzerland to broader European markets as Hyundai establishes 14

NOVEMBER 2020

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solutions and partner networks in Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Austria.

As part of its production expansion plan, Hyundai expects to reach its target of 1,600 commercial fuel cell trucks by 2025.

Currently, Coop, Migros, Traveco, Galliker Logistics, Camion Transport, F. Murpf AG and G. Leclerc Transport AG along with others have placed orders for XCIENT Fuel Cell. They will be utilising the trucks to haul everything from food to cars around Europe.

To support the growing hydrogen ecosystem, Hyundai has a business case for around 100 hydrogen fuelling stations in Switzerland, which is enough not only for commercial vehicles, but also passenger fuel cell electric vehicles. Likewise, Hyundai plans to act as a sector coupler in bringing various players to the hydrogen value chain as part of its efforts to bring value.

Hyundai will introduce a full model change for XCIENT Fuel Cell that will sit on a dedicated hydrogen fuel cell truck

READY FOR FLEETS The XCIENT Fuel Cell is now ready to be used in fleet operations and the first seven units were handed over to customers in October.

platform in the next few years. The new model will feature an e-axle and two 200-kW fuel cell systems that are under development. The new model lineup will include 4x2 and 6x2 cargo trucks and 4x2 tractors that can cover a significant portion of Europe’s major heavy-duty truck market.

The 44-ton GCW tractor will have a range of up to 1,000 kilometres on a single charge.

These models will help the effort to replace pollutant-emitting diesel-powered trucks.

Hyundai has been devoting itself to further develop fuel cell technology and establish the supply chain to realise a ‘Hydrogen Economy’ for a better and cleaner future, an effort receiving worldwide acclaim.

Hyundai Motor’s Hydrogen Mobility Solution won the Truck Innovation Award at the International Truck of the Year (IToY) awards last year, and XCIENT FC won the Innovation Award in hydrogen energy and fuel cell technology at the 5th Shanghai Forum held on September this year.

XCIENT FUEL CELL SPECIFICATIONS Vehicle Type

Cargo (Chassis Cab)

Powertrain

Cab Type

Day Cab

Fuel Cell Stack

190 kW (95 kW x 2 EA)

Drive System

LHD / 4X2

Battery

661 V / 73.2 kWh – by Akasol

Motor / Inverter

350 kW / 2,237 Nm – by Siemens

Transmission

ATM 4500R – by Allison / 6 forward speeds and 1 reverse speed

Rear Axle ratio

4.875

Dimensions (mm) Wheel Base

5,130

Overall length

9,745

Overall width

2,515 (2,550 with side protector) Max allowable width 2,600

Overall height

3,730

Weight (kg) Max. Gross Combination Weight

36,000 as pull-cargo

Max. Gross Vehicle Weight

19,000 as rigid truck

Front / Rear

8,000 / 11,500

Empty Vehicle Weight (Chassis Cab)

9,795

Calculated Performance Drive Range

Accurate range to be confirmed

Max. Speed

85km/h

Hydrogen Tank Filling Pressure

350 bar

Capacity

32.09 kg H2 (available hydrogen amount at SOF 100%)

meconstructionnews.com

Brake Service Brake

Disc

Auxiliary Brake

Retarder (4-Speed)

Suspension Type Front / Rear

Air (2-bag) / Air (4-bag)

Tires Front / Rear

315/70R22.5 / 315/70R22.5

Safety Front Collision-avoidance Assist (FCA)

Standard

Smart Cruise Control (SCC)

Standard

Electronic Braking System (EBS) + Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)

Standard (ABS is included in VDC)

Lane Departure Warning

Standard

Air Bag

Option

NOVEMBER 2020

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ELECTRIFYING AN INDUSTRY

A new electric truck is here as Scania reveals how its electrical transportation know-how is coming to the urban delivery sector

S

cania launched its first fully electric truck last month and the good news is that its range of up to 250km will let it operate during the whole day and still return safely to its home depot for overnight charging.

The Swedish truck, bus and enginemaker also clarified that if there is a need for an extended range, the driver can fast charge the truck over a break or during natural stops in operation.

It added that the range is, “of course, dependent on the weight, body type and topography” with truck set to offer the option of either five batteries, for a total of 16

NOVEMBER 2020

165 kWh, or nine totalling 300 kWh installed capacity. The reduced five battery array does – understandably - cut the range to 130 km but it does offer the possibility of fast charging to full capacity in under an hour.

Obviously, batteries take up space and they are mounted where the combustion engine would normally be housed. Additional batteries are also mounted on the chassis frame, alongside other components needed for fully electric propulsion, such as battery management units, battery cooling components, electrohydraulic steering system, electric air compressor and inverter.

In terms of power, the new electric motor is rated as providing continuous power of

Electrification is just one part of the company’s sustainability strategy”

230 kW, equivalent to approximately 310 hp. Two gears are available to provide high power over a wider speed span, thereby improving comfort, says Scania with the company stressing that one of the major benefits with an electric motor compared with combustion engine is its high controllability.

In practice, the customer will experience this through faster acceleration and response from the powertrain, says the company.

The all-important charging process is handled through a CCS charging connector which can hook the truck to the electric grid.

According to Scania, with 130 kW DC charging, the five battery packs will be charged in less than 55 minutes and the nine batteries meconstructionnews.com

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in less than 100 minutes. The truck can also be charged through regenerative braking.

Transporters interested in power take off (PTO) should note that the DC box mounted on the chassis provides up to 60 kW PTO for body auxiliaries. This again, represents a shift from the normal set-up where PTO is controlled by connecting auxiliaries to an interface that is usually located on the gearbox or engine.

While 60kW is not insubstantial and fits the urban environment roles this truck will be most suited for, it will be worth checking with your local dealer as to whether it will be enough for your applications. Anders Lampinen, director, New Technologies, says that in addition to general cargo and temperaturecontrolled transports, e-trucks can be gainfully deployed with bodywork as hooklifts, tippers, concrete mixers and refuse collectors as well as for fire and rescue services, says Lampinen.

“We are convinced that progressive customers will be eager to lead the way into electrification by taking initial steps to future-proof their fleets. In major transport companies with large fleets, implementation gives them an early opportunity to gain experience in this area. Meanwhile, we know that large transport buyers are interested in reducing their carbon footprints.”

The Scania electric truck is available with the L- and P-series cab, both of which are designed for urban operations.

The low-floor L-series cab, particularly, is purpose-designed for congested city conditions with unrivalled visibility.

“Sustainable emission-free transport is an increasing requirement for transport companies,” says Lampinen. “Acquiring an electric truck is not just an investment in the customer’s fleet, but also in its brand and market. The electric truck enables the customer to stay ahead of the competition, learn about infrastructural challenges and start adapting for the future.”

A plug-in hybrid truck, available for Land P-series cabs too, also made its debut last month, effectively presenting Scania with an opportunity to sell a range of options to fleet.

The hybrid is intended to open-up longer journeys with the possibility of driving up to 60 km in an electric mode when required or where rules stipulate - in city centres for example. Combined with renewable fuel, operators can significantly reduce their climate impact. Both these technologies build upon the Scania’s modular system with components tried-and-tested throughout meconstructionnews.com

Scania’s truck range, well-known for their durability and reliability, says Scania.

“Although electrified vehicles in certain aspects represent a new technology, we’ve taken all possible steps to ensure that we apply the same unwavering uptime criteria as for our other trucks,” adds Lampinen. “Scania signifies premium quality and needless to say that characterises our electrified trucks as well.”

Scania feeling electric

The launch of Scania’s fully electric truck is a milestone on the company and its customers’ journey to a fossil-free commercial transport system. It also underlines the central importance of electric vehicle technology to Scania’s sustainability commitment.

Scania is committed to achieving a fossil-

Emissionfree transport is an increasing requirement for transport companies”

free commercial transport system and electric vehicles are a crucial part of that journey.

Faced with the urgent need to fulfil the Paris Agreement, it is essential to completely decarbonise heavy commercial transport in good time before 2050. The Pathways Study initiated by Scania found that the target is achievable and has cost and health benefits too. But it was also clear that immediate action is required.

The launch of the Scania electric truck is the latest evidence of the company’s dedication to decarbonising the heavy transport system, but there are other proof points, among them a bold statement of intent by the company on science-based targets.

Scania is the first heavy transport OEM to have set climate targets in line with what science says is needed to limit global warming to well below 2°C by mid-century. In this case, the company will cut CO2 emissions from its own operations by 50 percent by 2025 and reduce emissions from its products while they are in use by 20 percent during the same period, These targets have been validated by the Science-Based Target initiative and follows an aggressive decarbonisation pathway.

No single solution

ALTERNATIVE DRIVE-STYLE For more than 25 years, the company has provided the industry’s broadest range of products that run on alternatives to fossil fuel.

Meeting the science-based targets and achieving fossil-free heavy transport means totally phasing out fossil-powered vehicles by 2050. In parallel, vehicle electrification requires ensuring a sustainable supply of non-fossil energy.

Scania recognises that, due to the great variation in local infrastructures and energy resources, there is no single solution that will bring about a fossil-free transport system.

That’s why electrification is just one part of the company’s sustainability strategy.

It’s also focusing on renewable fuels.

As the Pathways Study found, renewable fuels are available here and now, have the highest abatement potential and can play a significant role in advancing the decarbonisation process while other technologies including electrification are being developed.

For many years, Scania has been at the forefront of renewable fuel technology: all of the company’s trucks sold since 2014 are able to run on biofuels and the company has long called for more support from decisionmakers for wider adoption of these solutions.

However, it’s also true that electric vehicles are the most widely recognised sustainable transport technology. They are acknowledged as being an efficient and NOVEMBER 2020

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FALLING FOOTPRINT Over the past several years, Scania has significantly reduced CO2 emissions from its own operations and from its own transport and logistics

cost-effective route to fossil-free transport.

And with that understanding, the technology is developing quicker than expected.

Accelerating towards EVs

Electrification is the emerging technology in the efforts to decarbonise transport. Global sales of electric cars reached their highest-ever level in 2019. Electric cars already account for half of the passenger cars in Norway, and the country is also preparing to invest heavily in electric commercial fleets.

Scania is among the bus manufacturers whose hybrid-electric buses are plying commuter routes in several cities around the world, and full-electric buses have recently been launched.

Meanwhile, far-reaching public policies such as subsidies for electric vehicles, tightening fuel economy standards and bans on diesel vehicles to improve citizens’ air quality and reduce carbon emissions are only serving to accelerate the electric transition.

There is also a clear economic imperative at work: many businesses in various industries, especially in retail, are calling for sustainable solutions now, including electric vehicles.

The lack of charging infrastructure and energy storage issues have hitherto hampered long-distance electricpowered heavy transports.

However, recent developments in battery technology are now opening prospects also for electrified heavy long-distance operations.

Momentum is building and Scania expects a significant breakthrough in the near-future.

Over the past few years it has taken several significant steps forward in the development of electric vehicle technology. One key example is the electrification of roads. Scania is a key member of several electric road development projects in Sweden and Germany.

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NOVEMBER 2020

These vehicles are especially well-suited to the needs of city distribution”

Near Frankfurt-am-Main, one of the three German electric road test tracks with catenary overhead lines is now fully operational, using five Scania R 450 hybrid trucks equipped with pantographs as its test subjects Another arm of Scania’s development of electric vehicles is to work with likeminded businesses in other industries who want to make their operations cleaner and more sustainable.

When a forward-thinking haulier such as the Norwegian company Asko sets its own ambitious emissions reduction targets, it turns to Scania to help it realise

HANDS OFF THE PUMP Transport buyers, cities and consumers are having a strong pull effect on the shift of the heavy transport industry to sustainable transport solutions, particularly electrification, says Scania.

this goal. The resulting trials of hydrogenfuel technology and the plans for Scania to deliver up to 75 fully electric trucks to Asko over the next three years show how customers can help to drive this change.

The launch of the fully-electric truck takes Scania still further along the pathway to electric vehicles and fossil-free heavy commercial transport. It follows on from the introduction of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in 2018.

These vehicles are especially well-suited to the needs of city distribution, and even make night-time deliveries possible, cutting traffic, contributing to better overall air quality levels, while ensuring city residents’ sleep is not disturbed. It’s more momentum for the wider adoption of electric vehicles.

Now the plug-in hybrid truck has been joined by the fully electric truck, and with that Scania’s work to drive the shift to fossil-free transport takes another huge leap forward.

Transport buyers, cities and consumers are having a strong pull effect on the shift of the heavy transport industry to sustainable transport solutions, particularly electrification.

This is creating a good upside on revenues at the same time as technological advances make the cost of operations much more favourable.

It all adds up to the fact that electrification is a solution whose time has come.

There are several different technologies that will enable the world to decarbonise the transport system and help Scania meet its own science-based climate targets.

Electrification will, without question, play a crucial part in achieving decarbonisation.

In the mid-term, Scania expects that the total cost of ownership of battery-powered heavy distribution trucks will be comparable with vehicles powered by fossil fuels. Batteries will become less expensive, and their service life will grow. This paves the way not only for electrified distribution trucks but also, in few years’ time, for long-distance electrified operations: “However, it’s not just about the vehicles. Electrification can only take off if we work together with our customers and our partners on the infrastructure side and energy supply. Then we can get electric trucks running on renewable energy out on the roads . Additionally we need public investments in charging infrastructure and build out of the energy grid.”

Purchasing a new truck always represents a significant investment and electric trucks are currently undoubtedly more expensive than conventional vehicles. But it’s also important to note that the heavy transport industry’s meconstructionnews.com

FEATURE

true measure of value comes from total cost of ownership and operation, and this is where the electric truck proves its worth.

This means no more dealing with high (and ever-fluctuating) fuel bills. And the electric truck customer is able to benefit from the full Scania offer, including financing, service and maintenance, and driver service and assistance packages, like any other truck buyer.

As the technology develops to produce lighter, smaller, more energy-intensive models, the cost of electric-power batteries has and will continue to decrease significantly. Charging is also part of the customer offer that Scania, with partners, can provide to electric truck owners, to optimise the vehicle for current and future operational needs. Overall, there’s a trend towards a positive cost split for electric trucks, which is great news for fleet owners.

Public policy is having a big impact on the viability of electric vehicles. A number of major cities around the world have signalled that they will gradually phase out diesel vehicles from their streets. In fact, there are presently no fewer than 274 low-emission zones in 11 European countries that restrict access to polluting vehicles in cities, provinces and regions.

Such initiatives give non-fossil-fuel vehicles, especially electric vehicles, the competitive advantage of full access to city centres, something which Scania’s new electric truck is poised to exploit.

A further competitive advantage comes from electric engines’ potential for use in night-time or ‘off-peak’ distribution, using Scania’s battery electric and hybrid trucks.

Many cities restrict deliveries overnight due to concerns over noise and emissions. The City of Stockholm, for instance, prohibits all heavy truck traffic between 10pm and 6am.

However, in 2019, a trial in Stockholm by transport company HAVI, McDonald’s, the Royal Institute of Technology and Scania found that, on average, zero-emission off-peak deliveries by a Scania hybrid-electric truck were 30 percent quicker than the average for the equivalent daytime transport route. And these night-time deliveries were an average 38 percent

to poor air quality and associated public health issues including respiratory diseases.

And the ability of electric vehicles to operate during the night is not only a good business opportunity; it would also reduce the number of accidents befalling delivery drivers, as well as damage to the trucks, that can unfortunately occur during busy daytime delivery slots. quicker than daytime deliveries made during the narrower timespan of 7am to 12 noon.

Less driving time, less queuing, better parking availability and of course no emissions when a truck is switched to electric mode all make a persuasive case for electric propulsion. Distributors and refuse collection departments are taking a great interest.

The low or zero-emission transports that are a hallmark of hybrid-electric and full-electric vehicles are good news for air quality, too. The night-time trial with the two Scania trucks also showed a clear reduction in nitrogen oxide particle levels: these NOx particles are a major contributor

Momentum is with the tech

The electric truck enables the customer to stay ahead of the competition”

Ultimately, a combination of the above factors and the urgent environmental imperatives make the adoption of electric vehicles and the success of electric propulsion likely.

To make this happen, the TRATON Group, to which Scania belongs, is channelling its combined R&D budget into developing electric trucks and buses and will, by 2025, spend more than €1 billion in electro mobility.

Scania’s launch of a new electric truck is, along with the plug-in hybrid electric truck, just further proof that this technology has the momentum to help change the heavy transport sector, and our world, for good.

AIMING TO CUT EMISSIONS BY HALF As the first major manufacturer of heavy commercial vehicles, Scania’s far-reaching climate targets have officially been approved by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi). Scania is committed to achieving the Paris agreement goals of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Scania will cut CO2 emissions from its own operations by 50% by 2025 1, and reduce emissions from its products by 20% during the same period.

“Since more than 90% of the CO2 emissions generated in our business occurs after the products leave our factories,

it is imperative that we also consider these emissions. Limiting ourselves to only reducing our own emissions is simply not enough. We will therefore work in close cooperation with our customers in operating their trucks, buses and engines with less climate impact,” says Scania’s CEO Henrik Henriksson.

The SBTi approval recognises that Scania’s targets align with the most strict decarbonisation pathway defined to date – 1.5°C for Scope 1 and 2. The targets that Scania has set include both direct and indirect emissions from its operations (Scope 1 and 2), as well as emissions from when

the products are in use (Scope 3).

“We congratulate Scania for their commitment to take urgent action,” said Alexander Farsan, global lead at WWF, one of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) partners. “They are the first heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer to set an ambitious 1.5°C target.”

“Regardless of whether we, as at present, are in the midst of a crisis or not, we will not compromise on sustainability. Driving the shift towards a sustainable transport system is Scania’s purpose and we remain fully committed,” added Henriksson.

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NOVEMBER 2020

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FEATURE

A 3-POINT STRATEGY

Mercedes-Benz presents three different approaches for our changing transport needs

L

ast month, saw MercedesBenz presented three new vehicles that demonstrate its evolving strategy for transport ranging from the solid state battery technology powering the new eCitaro bus models to the introduction of Active Brake Assist 5 on the Intouro and the reconfigured seating design of the Sprinter 75. “With a profusion of exciting innovations Mercedes-Benz is underscoring its leadership position in the bus segment. The new developments centre around environmental compatibility, safety, economic efficiency and comfort,� declared the company at launch.

Headlining the new additions, is the 20

NOVEMBER 2020

new eCitaro G, the first articulated bus to be powered by a revolutionary solid-state battery set-up. These lithium-polymer batteries are also part of the lithium-ion group of batteries. Because they contain electrolyte in its solid form as a polymer instead of the usual liquid, they are known as solid-state batteries. The battery anode is made of graphite with pure lithium, and the cathode of lithium iron phosphate.

Solid-state batteries are characterised by their extremely high energy density, which is around 25 percent greater than in the coming generation of traditional lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolyte. Each battery assembly in the solo bus model, the eCitaro, and the

The eCitaro has evolved from a oneoff into a complete model series�

eCitaro G has an energy content of 63kWh. With seven assemblies on board this amounts to an impressive total of 441kWh. This gives the eCitaro G a range of up to 220km in favourable conditions with average demands on speed, topography and load along with straightforward climatic conditions. In the winter with the heating in operation, the eCitaro G covers an impressive 170km.

The characteristics of solid-state batteries differ significantly from NMC batteries: overall they have a greater volume and they cannot be swapped for NMC batteries.

As solid-state batteries operate at a temperature of around 80 degrees Celsius, there is no need for a complex cooling system meconstructionnews.com

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as is the case with NMC batteries. Solid-state batteries reach their operating temperature solely through energy metabolism during use.

During extended breaks, heating elements maintain the batteries at an ideal temperature.

This occurs automatically in the eCitaro G with no need for the driver to take action.

In contrast to NMC batteries, the suitability of solid-state batteries for rapid charging is very limited as they have a maximum charging output of around 80 kW. Their suitability for intermediate charging is therefore severely restricted, and they are only supplied by Mercedes-Benz in combination with charging via connector.

The solid-state batteries have an impressively long service life of up to ten years.

Furthermore, this battery technology does not require the use of cobalt.

Due to their very contrasting characteristics, city buses with solidstate batteries cover a different range of applications from those powered by NMC batteries. Mercedes-Benz wants transport operators to have the choice: for this reason, the eCitaro will in future be offered with a choice of NMC or solid-state batteries.

Another advantage of solid-state batteries is their long service life. The eCitaro/eCitaro G with this technology thus receive a basic warranty for up to ten years or an energy throughput of up to 280 MWh per battery assembly.

Mercedes-Benz wants transport operators to have the choice: the eCitaro G and eCitaro will both be available with the option of solid-state batteries or new, more powerful NMC batteries.

Both the eCitaro G articulated bus and the eCitaro solo bus meet individual requirements of transport companies looking to move towards e-mobility. The standard batteries in the eCitaro G and eCitaro are charged with DC current via a charging connector with a charging output of up to 150 kW. The connector itself is located on the right-hand side above the wheel arch of the front axle.

In addition to this, some more plug positions on the left-hand side and at the rear of the vehicle are due to be offered in the coming spring. A further variant to follow that will have contact rails for charging with a fixed-position pantograph. These two variations double the already high charging output to up to 300 kW. Like the solo bus, the eCitaro G is powered by the tried-and-tested ZF AVE 130 electric axle, which is located in the rear section. For maximum traction and use in demanding meconstructionnews.com

A SOLID OFFERING The optional solid-state batteries of the eCitaro boast a long service life and a 25% boost in energy density compared to the latest lithium-ion batteries.

topography, the articulated bus can even be supplied with two powered axles. The motors are sited near the wheel hubs. Per axle they deliver up to 2 x 125kW of power, generating 2 x 485Nm of torque, as in the eCitaro. With the transmission ratio used, this equates to 2 x 11,000Nm. This gives the articulated bus a commanding amount of drive power.

The new, more traditionally powered, Intouro will initially appear in the segment in which it enjoys the highest sales – as the 12.18m Intouro and the 13.09m Intouro M. These will be followed by the highly agile Intouro K (10.75 metres in length) and the three-axle 14.88m Intouro L. The Intouro’s plethora of variants is impressive – with its modular equipment concept it has the perfect answer to every question.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the new driver partition is of particular importance”

As a thoroughbred Mercedes-Benz, the new Intouro offers a level of safety without equal in its segment, claims the company: “For example, it is the first bus to feature the unique emergency braking assistance system Active Brake Assist 5 – or ABA 5 – another milestone in the evolution of safety. For the first time, ABA 5 works using a combined radar and camera system.”

Within its limits, the optionally available assistance system can automatically execute a full-stop braking manoeuvre to bring the vehicle to a standstill to avoid a stationary or moving obstacle. As the first globally available emergency braking assistance system for buses, ABA 5 can also effect an automated full-stop braking manoeuvre to avoid moving pedestrians.

Another optionally available item among the outstanding new safety equipment for the Intouro is Sideguard Assist, the radar-based turning assistance system with pedestrian detection. It supports the driver primarily when making turns in built-up areas and gives effective protection to more vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

With its much broader range of uses, the new Intouro has replaced the predecessor model series. Furthermore, the new development signals a product overhaul by Daimler Buses in the inter-city bus segment: the previous MultiClass 400 UL and UL business from the sister brand Setra will be merged into the new Intouro. The Setra range will continue to include the highly popular Multiclass 400 LE business model series. This will result in a clearly structured offering: the high-floor inter-

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE The company describes the new 18.13m eCitaro G as ideal for operations in congested towns and cities on routes “with large numbers of passengers, and is an important factor in improving the quality of life in inner cities.”

NOVEMBER 2020

21

FEATURE

IN AND OUT OF THE CITY The Intouro has been designed to be practical and functional, in keeping with its primary area of operation as an inter-city service bus.

city bus segment will be covered by the new Mercedes-Benz Intouro, whilst the Setra LE business will represent the low-entry segment.

All four versions of the Intouro cover the traditional high-floor inter-city bus segment, with a centre aisle height of 860mm. The luggage compartment is big enough to cope with mini-breaks involving an overnight stay.

All the engines comply with the strictest version of the Euro VI emissions standard currently applicable. With a capacity of 340ls as standard, the fuel tank is designed for longer distances or excursion transport. If the Intouro is used in its configuration as a school bus, as is especially popular in France, the capacity is 185ls,

22

NOVEMBER 2020

The Intouro body has been designed to be practical and functional”

though this can also be increased to 340ls.

Exhaust gas cleaning is carried out using the trusted method of a soot particle filter and SCR technology with AdBlue injection.

The AdBlue tank has been relocated in the new design. It is now accommodated close to the rear axle. This reduces the length of the lines to the exhaust system, and the tank is also nearer to the heat of the drivetrain, reducing the need to heat the AdBlue in minus temperatures. In addition, the new position reduces the risk of incorrect filling. The capacity of the tank is 35ls for the Intouro K and 53ls for all other models. This gives the vehicle an extensive range before refilling is required.

With its considerably expanded range, the new Intouro supersedes the previous model series consisting of three two-axle inter-city buses.

Furthermore, the new development signals a product overhaul by Daimler Buses in the inter-city bus segment: the previous MultiClass 400 UL and UL business from the sister brand Setra will be merged into the new Intouro. The Setra range will continue to include the highly popular Multiclass 400 LE business model series. This will result in a clearly structured offering: the high-floor inter-city bus segment will be covered by the Intouro, and the Setra LE business will represent the low-entry market.

The low-entry (LE) buses with easy-access low-floor front section and a comfortable highfloor rear have been extremely popular with bus operators all over Europe for five years.

The Mercedes‑Benz Sprinter City 75 is an 8.5m-long regular service bus with an independent body offers seating for up to 38 passengers. The new Inter Star Sprinter inter-city seating makes the city bus even more versatile as the Sprinter City 75. The upholstered seats have a firm, high backrest and in addition to their comfort offer maximum

PROTECTING PASSENGERS IN A PANDEMIC With numerous passengers on-board a touring coach – the fear that there is a greater risk of infection is an obvious one during the COVID-19 pandemic. But it’s actually far from reality as the standard technology of Mercedes-Benz and Setra coaches already serves to minimise the risk. Mercedes-Benz and Setra air conditioning systems fitted as standard in coaches may already protect against the risk of infection by ensuring rapid air exchange on-board but on request, Daimler Buses now offers an adaptation of this temperature characteristic curve for coaches, which extends the bandwidth in which maximum fresh air is transported upwards and downwards by 33% or 40%, depending on the model. Standard high-performance particle filters with antiviral properties as well as driver protection doors for the coaches and sensor-controlled dispensers for disinfectants are also new.

Gustav Tuschen, head of product development & procurement at Daimler Buses, confirmed: “With state-of-the-art filter technologies and an above-average fresh air exchange rate, our touring coaches have always combined safety and comfort at the highest level. Among other things, the use of anti-viral functional layers has enabled us to significantly improve hygiene protection measures once again.

Drivers and passengers can also travel during the Corona pandemic with a feeling of safety, provided that the required distance and face covering rules are observed.”

meconstructionnews.com

FEATURE

ENTERING REGULAR SERVICE The Sprinter City 75 is more than just a customised and flexible solution for regular service operations when a Citaro is too large, says Mercedes-Benz.

UAE BUS SUPPLIER PLANT PASSES MILESTONE Daimler Buses India began production of FUSO branded 9-ton buses for export markets in October 2019.

Since then, production of fully-built FUSO School and Staff Buses serving UAE markets has been continuously ramped up. Recently, Daimler Buses India reached its first milestone with the 100th FUSO bus rolling off the line at its Chennai plant.

Apart from exporting fully built FUSO buses, Daimler Buses India also produces fully-built buses and bus chassis for 17 export markets. Since 2015, more than 3,000 buses made in India have been delivered to export markets. The 9t bus models with front-mounted engines are manufactured at the Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) plant in southeast India and are produced according to specific market requirements adhering to stringent quality processes.

Meanwhile, Daimler Buses India has also launched a ‘Bus Care’ program to help its customers in India restart operations post-lockdown.

Similar to other markets around the globe, the bus travel industry in India has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The free service campaign offers vehicle checks, driver training on COVID-19 preventive measures, distribution of personal hygiene kits, thermometers and disinfectant sprayers. So far, more than 1,400 buses have been put back onto the road in 75 locations.

Daimler Buses India started production in 2015 and has already more than 4,500 buses running on Indian roads. Customers can access a network of more than 230 sales and service touch points.

meconstructionnews.com

safety thanks to the three-point safety belts fitted as standard equipment to all. The Sprinter City 75 derives its seating layout and thus the number of seats from the city bus: 12 seats are arranged in the high-floor area, with seven more in the low-floor section.

Bus drivers inevitably have frequent direct contact with their passengers. During the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the new full-width glazed driver’s partition is therefore of particular importance. It will be available for the Sprinter City 75 from the end of the year to protect drivers from the risk of infection.

The body of the Sprinter City 75 takes up the fundamental design traits of the Sprinter. The

ROOMY SERVICE The minibus configuration offers additional standing room for up to 26 passengers.

Like the design, the technical concept of the Sprinter City 75 is completely new”

two sidewalls have an asymmetrical design.

On the driver’s side, the cab and the body fuse into a single unit. The glazing of the body, optionally available with double glazing, has a distinctive arrow shape at the front. It is different on the entrance side: the rising window railing aft of the A pillar drops down to the low beltline. At the rear, the Sprinter City 75 terminates in a distinct bus rear end.

Passengers enter the passenger compartment of the Sprinter City 75 through a double-wing electrically operated outwardswinging door aft of the front axle. Like the single-wing rear door, it is powered by the twelve-volt technology of the Sprinter. The passenger compartment of the Sprinter City 75 has a low-entry design. The low-floor zone has a highly variable design. For operation in urban traffic, it offers room for up to five folding seats on the driver’s side and two more on the door side, alternatively for a wheelchair and/ or pram. If the seats are not in use, the minibus offers standing room for up to 26 passengers.

Seating with a quick-change system and up to three double seats on the driver’s side is also possible. Two very flat steps in front of the rear axle lead to the raised seating area at the rear.

Like the design, the technical concept of the Sprinter City 75 is completely new. It is based on the chassis of the Mercedes Benz Sprinter, but only up to the B pillar. Aft of the B-pillar is a self-supporting integral minibus skeleton. The new city bus has a unique wheelbase of 5,100 mm. It thus surpasses the longest wheelbase version of the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter by 775mm. The gross vehicle weight rating of the two-axle vehicle is 6.8t and offers large reserves. The basis of the high permissible gross weight is a highload rear axle with air suspension developed exclusively for Mercedes Benz minibuses.

NOVEMBER 2020

23

WORKSHOP

HYVA RAISES MIDDLE GROUND WITH NEW 60TM / BOSCH SPARKS LAUNCH / KOHLER LAUNCHES VIRTUAL OUTREACH SERVICE / YANMAR OPENS REGIONAL DC

WORKSHOP

Hyva introduces 60tm family in its EDGE Line

RANGE OF FOUR MODELS COME WITH TWO JIB OPTIONS, LIFTING CONTROL SYSTEMS AND SEVERAL STANDARD FEATURES TRAILERS Truck mounted crane maker Hyva has expanded its EDGE Line with a 60tm family of cranes, which now brings its range to span from 1-165tm. The Dutch manufacturer said in that its new 60tm family of heavy cranes comprises four models, each with two jib options – the J1206 Light Jib for lifting horizontally, and the J2006 Heavy Jib for lifting vertically “These heavy cranes are the most compact and light and

have the best lifting capacity currently available in this segment of the market. The rewards are higher payloads and faster operation,” said Hyva.

The four models are the HC601e with a Standard Lifting Control System; the HC661e with a Proportional Lifting Control System with lifting capacity 10% greater than HC601e; the VR60MNG marine crane with sSurface treatment for marine applications; and LONG LIST OF FEATURES Standard features include double linkage, negative angle, up to eight extensions, endless slewing, multifunction radio remote control and auxiliary manual control.

the VR62MNG marine crane, also with surface treatment for marine applications and with an added lifting control system.

The range comes with innovations that improve operator efficiency and safety, while increasing productivity.

These include and Auto Levelling System, which automatically keeps the truck frame in a horizontal position, enabling best crane performance, and the Operator Auto Detection, which automatically activates the operator’s closest stabiliser, avoiding the need for operator contact.

A Front Stabiliser control allows loading in the front area, avoiding stress and overload of the truck frame, while a Compact Installation Kit guides the hoses through a different route, allowing a more compact installation of the crane on the truck.

Other innovations include a Dynamic Load Diagram, which provides advance verification of crane lifting capacity based on truck stability.

NEW BOSCH EVO SPARK PLUG ON ITS WAY PARTS

Bosch says its newly launched EVO spark plugs “reliably ensure a stable ignition” throughout their service lives.

Available in the Middle East, an improved isolator design and high dielectric strength increases to 45 kV means the new spark plugs can withstand events of irregular combustion – known as mega knocking – which can occur in modern highly developed engines.

Bosch EVO spark plugs are produced at the Bosch plant in Bamberg, Germany and will be compatible with the modern gasoline direct-injection engines of Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

It explained that the EVO spark plug was developed to ensure reliable ignition of turbocharged gasoline direct-injection engines: “It is particularly robust – thermo-mechanically, mechanically and electronically. EVO spark plugs cope well with repeated removal and reinstallation.

INSIDE THIS MONTH’S WORKSHOP: WHERE NEXT FOR TRANSPORT?, VOLVO CAR’S GLOBAL SAFETY EXPERT TALKS TO T&FME, AND MORE!

24 NOVEMBER 2020

meconstructionnews.com

WORKSHOP

KOHLER LAUNCHES NEW ‘VIRTUAL BOOTH’

MAHANSARIA OPENS NEW PLANT FOR OTRS TYRES

Indian off-the-road (OTR) tyre maker Mahansaria Tyres has announced the start of production of a new brand of OTR tyres in its Gujarat, Indiabased facility and the acquisition of a majority stake in European Agriculture Tyre Distributors GmbH as part of its widening global outreach.

Mahansaria Tyres Private Limited (MTP) said its new brand, ASCENSO, will offer a wide range of world class OTR tyres, manufactured in its “stateof-the-art greenfield off-highway tyre manufacturing facility in Panoli, in the western Indian state of Gujarat”.

Set up with an investment of over $100m, the plant is spread across 127 acres of land and has a capacity of 40,000 MT/annum in its first phase, said a statement from MTP. The plant will produce tyres to cater to the growing demand in the Industrial, construction and earthmoving, and agricultural applications.

The plant was inaugurated virtually by the MTP chairman Ashok Mahansaria and MD and CEO Yogesh Mahansaria, who appreciated the team effort that went into bring the facility on stream despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yogesh Mahansaria said: “Our goal is to build a strong presence in the global OTR market. The company has a robust product offering in the pipeline starting from bias to high end steel radial, and all-steel belted tyres which will address the toughest applications in the segment.

“We are extremely positive about the global market. The world is witnessing tough times but our brand mantra of ‘Never Stop Rising’ will help all our stakeholders in sailing through these times and rise successfully.”

meconstructionnews.com

ENGINES Global engine and power systems heavyweight, Kohler, has launched a new virtual outreach service with the aim of supporting its customers and showcasing its products and technologies online in a way that is more effective in the current global scenario brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Announcing the new Kohler Virtual Booth, the engine maker said: “Even in this period of great changes in the way we live and work, our determination to provide excellent and innovative products and services has led us to the creation of a new digital space: It is a new way to serve and support OEMs remotely.”

Kohler says visitors to the online Kohler Virtual Booth will find an “authentic experience” for those who “want to deepen their knowledge about Kohler’s

HELP STILL ON-DEMAND Kohler personnel will continue to be available for OEMs of various categories by turn “to show them our portfolio, discuss ongoing projects and propose further developments”.

products through discussions, webinars and presentations”.

The aim of the service is to make visitors feel exactly the same as they would when coming to Kohler booths at trade shows.

Visitors will have the chance to stroll around the booth and find Kohler engines displayed along with a series of technical information. They will also be able to easily book meetings with

Kohler’s experts and product managers to discuss the latest developments and to get answers to any questions concerning Kohler’s products and services.

The company has also scheduled a series of webinars that will address significant issues in the engine world. Interested visitors can register and attend them with just a few simple at the Kohler Virtual Booth.”

YANMAR OPENS NEW REGION BRANCH IN DUBAI ENGINES

Yanmar has officially announced the establishment of its Middle East branch in Dubai, which will provide sales and service support to its dealers the region along with a parts warehouse. The Japanese engines, power products and

compact construction equipment giant said the branch, located in the Dubai Airport Free Zone, is being operated by the company’s subsidiary and Asia regional headquarters, Yanmar Asia (Singapore) Co. Ltd. Yanmar added that the branch began preliminary operations in

RAPID REGIONAL RESUPPLY Yanmar’s new parts warehouse opened last month that the company says will enable the rapid supply of emergency parts and strengthen relationships with customers.

January last year, providing support and training in Yanmar’s marine products business in the region.

Additionally, the new parts warehouse opened last month that the company says will enable the rapid supply of emergency parts and strengthen relationships with customers.

Ismail Nafiu, branch manager, said: “The establishment of this office and new warehouse brings us closer to our customers and lets us respond with the speed that our customers expect. These offices and facilities demonstrate Yanmar’s long term commitment to growth and expansion of business in the Middle East.”

Yanmar engines are in use in the region in the power and construction sector and the company said it chose Dubai as the location for its regional presence because of its proximity to customers and also due to the city being a “safe place to work, live and invest”.

NOVEMBER 2020 25

WORKSHOP

HYVA RAISES MIDDLE GROUND WITH NEW 60TM / BOSCH SPARKS LAUNCH / KOHLER LAUNCHES VIRTUAL OUTREACH SERVICE / YANMAR OPENS REGIONAL DC

WORKSHOP

Hyva introduces 60tm family in its EDGE Line

RANGE OF FOUR MODELS COME WITH TWO JIB OPTIONS, LIFTING CONTROL SYSTEMS AND SEVERAL STANDARD FEATURES TRAILERS Truck mounted crane maker Hyva has expanded its EDGE Line with a 60tm family of cranes, which now brings its range to span from 1-165tm. The Dutch manufacturer said in that its new 60tm family of heavy cranes comprises four models, each with two jib options – the J1206 Light Jib for lifting horizontally, and the J2006 Heavy Jib for lifting vertically “These heavy cranes are the most compact and light and

have the best lifting capacity currently available in this segment of the market. The rewards are higher payloads and faster operation,” said Hyva.

The four models are the HC601e with a Standard Lifting Control System; the HC661e with a Proportional Lifting Control System with lifting capacity 10% greater than HC601e; the VR60MNG marine crane with sSurface treatment for marine applications; and LONG LIST OF FEATURES Standard features include double linkage, negative angle, up to eight extensions, endless slewing, multifunction radio remote control and auxiliary manual control.

the VR62MNG marine crane, also with surface treatment for marine applications and with an added lifting control system.

The range comes with innovations that improve operator efficiency and safety, while increasing productivity.

These include and Auto Levelling System, which automatically keeps the truck frame in a horizontal position, enabling best crane performance, and the Operator Auto Detection, which automatically activates the operator’s closest stabiliser, avoiding the need for operator contact.

A Front Stabiliser control allows loading in the front area, avoiding stress and overload of the truck frame, while a Compact Installation Kit guides the hoses through a different route, allowing a more compact installation of the crane on the truck.

Other innovations include a Dynamic Load Diagram, which provides advance verification of crane lifting capacity based on truck stability.

NEW BOSCH EVO SPARK PLUG ON ITS WAY PARTS

Bosch says its newly launched EVO spark plugs “reliably ensure a stable ignition” throughout their service lives.

Available in the Middle East, an improved isolator design and high dielectric strength increases to 45 kV means the new spark plugs can withstand events of irregular combustion – known as mega knocking – which can occur in modern highly developed engines.

Bosch EVO spark plugs are produced at the Bosch plant in Bamberg, Germany and will be compatible with the modern gasoline direct-injection engines of Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

It explained that the EVO spark plug was developed to ensure reliable ignition of turbocharged gasoline direct-injection engines: “It is particularly robust – thermo-mechanically, mechanically and electronically. EVO spark plugs cope well with repeated removal and reinstallation.

INSIDE THIS MONTH’S WORKSHOP: WHERE NEXT FOR TRANSPORT?, VOLVO CAR’S GLOBAL SAFETY EXPERT TALKS TO T&FME, AND MORE!

24 NOVEMBER 2020

meconstructionnews.com

WORKSHOP

KOHLER LAUNCHES NEW ‘VIRTUAL BOOTH’

MAHANSARIA OPENS NEW PLANT FOR OTRS TYRES

Indian off-the-road (OTR) tyre maker Mahansaria Tyres has announced the start of production of a new brand of OTR tyres in its Gujarat, Indiabased facility and the acquisition of a majority stake in European Agriculture Tyre Distributors GmbH as part of its widening global outreach.

Mahansaria Tyres Private Limited (MTP) said its new brand, ASCENSO, will offer a wide range of world class OTR tyres, manufactured in its “stateof-the-art greenfield off-highway tyre manufacturing facility in Panoli, in the western Indian state of Gujarat”.

Set up with an investment of over $100m, the plant is spread across 127 acres of land and has a capacity of 40,000 MT/annum in its first phase, said a statement from MTP. The plant will produce tyres to cater to the growing demand in the Industrial, construction and earthmoving, and agricultural applications.

The plant was inaugurated virtually by the MTP chairman Ashok Mahansaria and MD and CEO Yogesh Mahansaria, who appreciated the team effort that went into bring the facility on stream despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yogesh Mahansaria said: “Our goal is to build a strong presence in the global OTR market. The company has a robust product offering in the pipeline starting from bias to high end steel radial, and all-steel belted tyres which will address the toughest applications in the segment.

“We are extremely positive about the global market. The world is witnessing tough times but our brand mantra of ‘Never Stop Rising’ will help all our stakeholders in sailing through these times and rise successfully.”

meconstructionnews.com

ENGINES Global engine and power systems heavyweight, Kohler, has launched a new virtual outreach service with the aim of supporting its customers and showcasing its products and technologies online in a way that is more effective in the current global scenario brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Announcing the new Kohler Virtual Booth, the engine maker said: “Even in this period of great changes in the way we live and work, our determination to provide excellent and innovative products and services has led us to the creation of a new digital space: It is a new way to serve and support OEMs remotely.”

Kohler says visitors to the online Kohler Virtual Booth will find an “authentic experience” for those who “want to deepen their knowledge about Kohler’s

HELP STILL ON-DEMAND Kohler personnel will continue to be available for OEMs of various categories by turn “to show them our portfolio, discuss ongoing projects and propose further developments”.

products through discussions, webinars and presentations”.

The aim of the service is to make visitors feel exactly the same as they would when coming to Kohler booths at trade shows.

Visitors will have the chance to stroll around the booth and find Kohler engines displayed along with a series of technical information. They will also be able to easily book meetings with

Kohler’s experts and product managers to discuss the latest developments and to get answers to any questions concerning Kohler’s products and services.

The company has also scheduled a series of webinars that will address significant issues in the engine world. Interested visitors can register and attend them with just a few simple at the Kohler Virtual Booth.”

YANMAR OPENS NEW REGION BRANCH IN DUBAI ENGINES

Yanmar has officially announced the establishment of its Middle East branch in Dubai, which will provide sales and service support to its dealers the region along with a parts warehouse. The Japanese engines, power products and

compact construction equipment giant said the branch, located in the Dubai Airport Free Zone, is being operated by the company’s subsidiary and Asia regional headquarters, Yanmar Asia (Singapore) Co. Ltd. Yanmar added that the branch began preliminary operations in

RAPID REGIONAL RESUPPLY Yanmar’s new parts warehouse opened last month that the company says will enable the rapid supply of emergency parts and strengthen relationships with customers.

January last year, providing support and training in Yanmar’s marine products business in the region.

Additionally, the new parts warehouse opened last month that the company says will enable the rapid supply of emergency parts and strengthen relationships with customers.

Ismail Nafiu, branch manager, said: “The establishment of this office and new warehouse brings us closer to our customers and lets us respond with the speed that our customers expect. These offices and facilities demonstrate Yanmar’s long term commitment to growth and expansion of business in the Middle East.”

Yanmar engines are in use in the region in the power and construction sector and the company said it chose Dubai as the location for its regional presence because of its proximity to customers and also due to the city being a “safe place to work, live and invest”.

NOVEMBER 2020 25

FEATURE

CREATING A SAFETY CULTURE

T&FME looks at how the inventor of the safety belt, Volvo Cars, wants to use the Covid-19 pandemic to change minds on safety

I

t has been six decades since engineers at Volvo invented the three-point safety belt and effectively ushered in a new era of road safety. It may have been controversial at the time but fast-forward 60 years and the technology is estimated to have saved a million lives. With the Covid-19 pandemic re-focussing people’s minds on their responsibilities to others, the company believes the time is to set out a series of new initiatives that it hopes can save a million more lives.

The headline grabber of these new moves is unquestionably this year’s introduction of a speed cap that limits all of its cars to 122 mph. It is also looking at how smart speed control and geofencing technology could automatically limit speeds near schools and hospitals in the future, and some owners may 26 NOVEMBER 2020

already have used Key Care, a system that allows you to programme your own speed cap to prevent others from over-speeding in your car. (Does one of your children want to borrow the family S60? Well, with Key Care you can stop from taking unnecessary risks when taking their friends to the mall or beach.)

Malin Ekholm, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre, says that the company learned with the seat belt that technology is not enough if you want people to change their attitudes to safety. You need a full change in driving culture, greater education and regulatory support from governments. Cars may be safer than ever but that isn’t going to be enough to reach that target of a million more lives.

“Technology is what we use to address the issues. But it’s the combination of all the technology and also cooperation and

It boils down to physics.

The higher the speed, the higher the force; and the force is what potentially kills you”

collaboration. Education is super important because empowerment and knowing how to do the right thing– and what the right thing to do – is one of the very, very strong tools of improving traffic safety.

“You have to acknowledge that traffic safety varies across the globe but if we go back to the basics and really focus on getting that right we have taken a huge step towards safety. That means making (sure people are) using the safety belt in the correct way, making sure that our children are protected in the correct car seat for their age and size, making sure we’re driving at a safe speed.”

She adds that the Speed Cap is unlikely to be enough on its own.

“We have introduced the speed cap on all our cars, and it is an important action for us to take but we need to start talking about meconstructionnews.com

FEATURE

speed as an issue and doing the right thing.

There is a very complex conversation that we need to have on the car manufacturer’s responsibility to influence people’s behaviour to make sure that we are driving at a safe speed.”

In Europe, at least, Volvo is not alone in wanting to address speed as a safety issue. By 2022, all new cars sold in the EU will need to be fitted with speed limiting equipment.

“It boils down to physics. The higher the speed, the higher the force; and the force is what hurts and potentially kills you. So yes, we need to have a speed conversation but apart from following the road sign speed. There are other challenges. There are road friction conditions, daylight, there’s weather; so we need to broaden the conversation on speed; making sure that we have the correct speed in whatever traffic situation were driving.”

The rise of smartphones and touch screens inside cars has sparked a growing debate around the dangers of distraction behind the wheel. But Volvo Cars’ approach to is to accept that distraction is a fact of life, and that technology should be used to support people in their daily commute.

The company’s own safety research and behavioural science work suggests that when used correctly, modern technology inside the car can actively reduce distraction, boost road safety and help people to be better and more focused drivers. Ekholm says it is easy to think that phones and screens are the only scourge of the modern driver, but life as a whole is distracting. “We know people do not get distracted on purpose, but it happens.

You could be late for daycare and somewhat stressed. Or you get behind the wheel after a bad day at work. All this affects you as a driver. Distraction means we are drifting away from the task of driving. The human brain is fantastic. It can handle extremely complex situations when you’re at your best, but if you are distracted – be it from sleep deprivation, using smartphones; from an illness; or life in general – it won’t. Forgetting your anniversary can be very distracting when you’re sitting in a car, for instance! What we want to do is introduce sensors in our cars sensors that are able to understand where your state of mind is.”

“The reality is that people want to engage with friends, family, work and entertainment, and everyone responds differently to distraction,” says Ekholm. “So, we want to meet our customers where they are, not where we want them to be. That is why our focus is on using technology in the right way, so we can use it to help you stay safe behind the wheel.” meconstructionnews.com

Volvo Cars actively uses technology to combat the dangers of distraction and build some of the safest cars on the road.

For example, its active safety systems with autobrake and steer assist are designed to be on guard to help drivers if they lose concentration or are distracted for a splitsecond. Inside the cabin of the new XC40 Recharge, an advanced voice control allows drivers to control the temperature, set a destination, play their favourite music and podcasts or call their mum on her birthday – all while keeping their hands on the wheel.

“Being able to control key features on your Volvo by voice allows you to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road,” she says.

“Active safety systems such as City Safety, Run-off Road Mitigation and Oncoming

180

Every new Volvo model now comes with a 180kph speed limit and Care Key

Lane Mitigation with steer assist can act as an extra pair of eyes watching over you.”

Volvo Cars believes that distraction should also be addressed via in-car cameras and other sensors that monitor the driver. With such technologies, if a driver does not respond to warning signals and risks a serious, potentially lethal accident, the car could intervene.

That intervention could involve limiting the car’s speed, alerting the Volvo on Call assistance service and, as a last resort, actively slowing down and safely parking the car.

“We can see how the sensors are monitoring your eyes and your bodily movements – not to film you – but because what we want to do is understand where your state of mind is. And if you are distracted, how can we make you a better driver in that particular situation?”

TECH TO SAVE A MILLION LIVES Speed cap To send a strong signal about the dangers of speeding, we reduced the top speed of all our new cars to 112 mph in 2020. Volvo is also looking at how smart speed control and geofencing tech could limit speeds near schools and hospitals in the future.

Highway pilot With support from LiDAR sensors, the next generation of Volvo cars will be hardware-ready for autonomous drive.

Over-the-air software will update to provide fully autonomous driving.

Driver monitoring cameras To help address intoxication and distraction in traffic, we are working on new in-car solutions. Driver monitoring cameras, together with other sensors, will allow the car to intervene when a clearly intoxicated or distracted driver risks serious injury or death.

DRIVER INTERVENTION The car could protect incapacitated crivers by slowing, alerting the Volvo on Call assistance service and, as a last resort, actively slowing down and safely parking the car.

Care Key Volvo has introduced the Care Key to address speeding. Volvo car owners can put a speed cap on the car when lending it to a younger family member or less experienced driver as a way of ensuring a safer ride.

NOVEMBER 2020 27

WHITE PAPER

A CRISIS LIKE NO OTHER

SNC Lavalin returns to talk about how COVID-19 could reimagine transport

S

ince we published our first White Paper on COVID-19 and Transport, Keeping Our World Moving During and After the Crisis, in May 2020, Coronavirus has continued to impact the countries of the GCC and spread across the World. It is now clear that the pandemic will spread wider, peak later and last longer than early forecasts.

Cases and deaths are likely to continue until therapeutic care further improves and a vaccine is widely available, possibly in the first half of 2021. Until then the realities of social distancing, face masks, track & trace, home working and localised lockdowns will remain a constant & unsettling reality for millions. Whilst containing the virus remains vitally important, 28

NOVEMBER 2020

especially in preventing a resurgence of runaway community transmission, the focus in the second half of 2020 is on re-opening economies and restarting growth. With stringent national lockdowns now largely lifted, the challenge is how to achieve or maintain re-opening safely, restore business and consumer confidence and provide the right economic and fiscal stimulus which will support the early stages of a viable recovery towards the end of the year.

For the transport sector, this also means allowing people, businesses and communities to reconnect with jobs, services and opportunities, whilst controlling Coronavirus and mitigating a return of the congestion, road casualties, pollution and other externalities which characterised the pre-pandemic paradigm.

At SNC-Lavalin, we have worked through

The pandemic will spread wider, peak later and last longer than early forecasts�

collaboration of our transport planning and strategic advisory experts across the world to develop a three-phase model which we call Reopen – Recover – Reimagine. This frames how the transport sector should respond to the unprecedented socio-economic shock inflicted by COVID-19, as well as impacts of low oil prices on GCC exports and finances.

Looking at the future of transport after COVID-19 is resolved, there is significant uncertainty. Despite some imaginative and headline-grabbing initiatives in the past six months, the crisis years of 2020-2021 are likely to be hard for many public and private players. Impacts will be fluid, unpredictable and complex. With recovery to 2025 and beyond, there are grounds for some optimism that previous trends, for example around meconstructionnews.com

WHITE PAPER

technology, new service models and multimodal planning concepts, will eventually re-assert themselves and indeed many will accelerate as regulators, industry and consumers look towards cleaner environments, decarbonisation of transport, flexible and personalised digital services on demand, as well as fostering innovation as a source of competitive advantage and wealth creation.

This is likely to take place within a substantially shaken-out, consolidated and stronger supplier market, with policy and regulatory objectives also likely to include building in resilience to future pandemics and other crises.

The fundamental choice for policy makers already seems clear. Do we come out of COVID-19 by falling back on old ways, abandoning new opportunities, and focusing on legacy infrastructure and services? Or do we maintain, or better still redouble, our efforts to forge a new paradigm which propels us to a vision of a more sustainable, equitable and resilient mobility system and experience? The answer is self-evident; the best way to predict the future is to create it.

The crisis remains as much an economic crash as it is a public health emergency, sparking a dramatic slowdown in business activity, a stalling of international travel and large rises in job furloughs and redundancies. Globally, economic growth in 2020 is forecast to be -4.9% (IMF World Economic Outlook, June 2020), a more negative outcome than initially anticipated and with recovery projected to be weaker than previously projected. Whilst global economic growth may resume next year, global GDP by the end of 2021 is now expected to be 6.5 percentage points below the preCOVID-19 levels of January 2020. Economists talk about 2022, or even 2023 or 2024 for some sectors, as the time horizon for full recovery.

In the GCC, countries face a “perfect storm” of circumstances as the economic impacts of the Pandemic and associated lockdowns combine with oil prices currently at the level of US$ 40 per barrel2, few Governments are able to balance their budgets or maintain spending at their current levels. Yet even as global commerce resumes, oil prices are unlikely to recover to anything near historic levels.

The world is moving away from fossil fuels, with decarbonisation and a credible global response to the Climate Emergency now changing the long-term geopolitical agenda.

COVID-19 offers an early taste of the rapidly approaching post-oil era. All of this means that the policy goals for governments around COVID-19 within the GCC have changed as, meconstructionnews.com

EASING OF SOME RESTRICTIONS Since May, blanket lockdowns have been progressively eased, with malls, public buildings, mosques, offices and factories re-opening to varying degrees of access and capacity.

indeed, they have elsewhere in the world. Whilst containing the virus remains vitally important, especially in preventing a resurgence of runaway community transmission, the focus in the second half of 2020 is on re-opening economies and restarting growth. With lockdowns now lifted, the challenge is how to achieve or maintain re-opening safely, restore business and consumer confidence and provide the right economic and fiscal stimulus which will support the early stages of a viable recovery towards the end of the year. In the medium-term, with an effective vaccine available and resolution of the pandemic within prospect, the regional recovery will need to lay the foundations for the post-COVID World.This will need to move beyond the era of oil dependency, supporting economic diversification, recognising new constraints on public sector finances, fostering a strong private sector and embracing genuine sustainable development. Initiatives such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 already recognise this, but there is now a new urgency to accelerate and broaden reform. However difficult and painful change will be, made harder by the present crisis, there is now a necessity, as well as a window of opportunity, to do things differently. That task needs to start now.

This broader agenda will shape the GCC transport sector, and the future of the multiple public and private organisations, managers and employees within it. As we said in our first White Paper, transport networks have a vital role in keeping essential goods and workers moving at a time of crisis; they will have a vital role in the recovery too, especially if Governments prioritise and accelerate infrastructure investment and public services as an economic stimulus.

The priority is a reimagining of how the transport system will meet future needs”

This second White Paper explains how.

The GCC is well above the recorded global average per million population, exceeding equivalent rates in Europe and on a par with the USA and South America. However, the mortality rate (0.8 %) is well below the global average, significantly lower than levels seen in Europe and the Americas. This is likely to reflect the expansion of testing, the lower age profile of the expat working population in most GCC countries as well as the peak of infections coming later in the year, when therapeutic responses were more developed and effective in treating acute cases in hospitals.

Clearly, absolute numbers and rates of infection and deaths from COVID-19 have varied between GCC countries, with Saudi Arabia appearing to be particularly impacted on both counts. However, there are some signs that the pandemic has passed or is near its peak in all countries; community transmission at the national level has given way to more localised outbreaks which will require careful monitoring and responses in the months ahead, before a vaccine is likely to become available in the first half of 2021. Early on in the pandemic, restrictions on travel, personal mobility, social and business activity were imposed across the GCC as Governments took decisive action to prevent and contain community transmission. Initiatives such as the UAE’s National Sanitisation Programme required people to stay at home, make essential trips only and continue professional and personal life online. Regular public transport was suspended or restricted in capacity or operating hours, whilst traffic monitoring was deployed across road networks to ensure

WHICH DIRECTION TO TAKE? Policy-makers now face the choice of using the crisis as a chance to accelerate new forms of transport or return to the familiar ‘old normal’.

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WHITE PAPER

journeys were for essential purposes. Likewise, business travel and tourism virtually ceased as borders were closed, airlines ceased scheduled operations and issuance of visas was suspended.

Since May, blanket lockdowns have been progressively eased, with malls, public buildings, mosques, offices and factories re-opening to varying degrees of access and capacity.

Nevertheless, many citizens and residents are still encouraged, or are choosing, to stay at home, localised lockdowns remain in some areas and international borders, including airports, remain closed to all but essential travel, cargo, returning residents and repatriation flights. Looking ahead, further resumption of activity is expected, including tourism, business travel and progressive re-starting of international flights. Nevertheless, restrictions are likely to remain around social distancing, use of face masks and access to certain services.

Activity will also be depressed by lack of public trust and confidence, unemployment and repatriation of tens of thousands of expat workers to their home countries.

Lockdowns and restrictions on activities across the GCC have affected personal mobility and, by implication, access to various destinations and services. Data from Google shows that non-residential destinations have seen falls in activity of 60-80 % at the height of maximum restrictions. Mobility levels have partially recovered as facilities have re-opened, but are still around 20-40% of pre-lockdown levels. It is likely to be some time before activity returns fully, impacted by cessation of businesses and jobs, substitution of activities with online services, and repatriation of laid-off workers to their home countries.

WAITING FOR A VACCINE Cases and deaths are likely to continue until therapeutic care improves and a vaccine is widely available, possibly in the first half of 2021. Until then the realities of the pandemic will remain a constant and an unsettling reality for millions.

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DECISIVE ACTION Early on in the pandemic, restrictions on travel, personal mobility, social and business activity were imposed across the GCC as Governments took decisive action to prevent and contain community transmission.

The challenges of the 21st Century can no longer be met by using the approaches of the 20th”

As remarked in our first White Paper, the imposition of lockdowns and restrictions on economic activity have had some positive consequences. Congestion levels have fallen sharply in cities across the GCC, air quality has improved, carbon emissions have fallen and some citizens and residents perceive an improved quality of life in working from home rather than commuting. There is also some evidence that road accidents have fallen in line with reductions in traffic levels, but the impact on accident severity may be less positive as motorists drive faster on quieter roads resulting in higher impact collisions.

Whilst much of the focus of most transport professionals in the GCC and elsewhere has been on tracking, managing and recording the consequences of what the IMF have called “The Great Lockdown,” attention has increasingly turned to exit strategies. These need to be designed to not only release people from isolation, but carefully restart economic and social activity and pave the way for a strong and sustainable recovery into 2021 and beyond. For the transport sector, this

also means allowing people, businesses and communities to reconnect with opportunities, whilst controlling Coronavirus and mitigating a return of the congestion, road casualties, pollution and other externalities which characterised the prepandemic paradigm.

At the time of writing, strict lockdown measures have largely ended in most parts of the GCC, changing at different times and with varying profiles in different places. With the prospect of better epidemiological management, lower rates of infection and mortality and the prospect of a vaccine, it is time to start thinking about life after COVID-19, how we will travel and move people, goods and services, and how this will support a return to a prosperous, sustainable, more resilient and happier society.

The next steps to take

Decisions made over the next few months will be essential in not only restarting economies, including accelerated infrastructure investment, but reframing how the transport sector will develop in a diversified, sustainable and inclusive direction in the next five to ten years.

In addition, data and policy decisions will be required at a rapid rate to identify and address some pressing challenges emerging from the pandemic, augment certain pre-established megatrends and realise a range of positive opportunities. Many have already called this the “new normal” for how we anticipate, respond to and proactively create a better future. This takes COVID-19 as the chance to reset how we identify and access opportunities, physically travel and operate physical resources within the carrying capacity of the natural environment.

In the medium-term, the recovery of national and local economies will be supported as Governments and the private sector assess immediate needs and launch various initiatives for rehabilitating businesses, creating or reassigning employment, and rebuilding the sectors and localities worst impacted.

This period is expected to last beyond 2021, including accelerated infrastructure delivery, technology research and other tools of economic stimulus and industrial strategy.

The priority for the long-term is a reimagining of how the transport system will meet future needs, reflecting the impacts, challenges and opportunities of COVID-19 and agendas such as the post-oil economy, social cohesion and wellbeing, the Climate Emergency and Net Zero, looking to transform and future-proof transport infrastructure and services towards 2025 and beyond.

Data, testing, learning and knowledge meconstructionnews.com

WHITE PAPER

Truck and Fleet - Dayco (November).pdf 1 10/19/2020 1:13:34 PM

HERE TO STAY It is now clear, as cases surpass 41 million, with 1.1 million deaths, that the pandemic will spread wider, peak later and last longer than early forecasts.

infrastructure owners and service operators, as well as customers and wider civic society.

On top of this, the requirement for social distancing has already caused profound changes in people’s perceptions of different modes and their travel choices. There is a danger that car ownership and use increases as shared transport modes lose public trust and confidence, increasing traffic and congestion. Public agencies must be proactive: the sector is already operating under the new normal. For example, cities worldwide are introducing popup lanes for walking and cycling; new mobile apps are capable of tracking personal mobility, the development of EVs may accelerate and the management of road networks is being considered in light of new expectations.

Transport organisations worldwide will therefore need to work with partners to set and achieve new objectives, support a sustainable economic recovery and proactively plan the future of their places. Aligning this with our three-phase model, the table below sets out some of the priorities which must be considered across a range of supply, demand, planning, operational, regulatory and financial considerations. This list will evolve as more data, experience and learning emerges across our global network of experts.

Most importantly, governments and transport organisations must not lose sight of the importance of decarbonising the transport system, diversifying sources of energy, promoting healthy and cohesive communities, supporting individual wellbeing and addressing the climate emergency. They must also seek to take concrete actions to maintain (or restore) some of the positive impacts of the Pandemic, at the same time as reviving socio-economic interaction and reinforcing system resilience.

In the specific context of the GCC, this must also be done within the context of the postoil agenda, embracing and pursuing economic diversification, promoting social inclusion, broadening skills and education and shifting investment, jobs and business models from the public to a growing, and appropriately regulated, private sector. This agenda predates COVID-19, but the pandemic represents a pivotal moment when rapid reform and economic and social transformation is both necessary and feasible.

The opportunity must be grasped now.

Whilst the focus should rightly be on short-term operational measures to reconnect people, places and things, we should aim to ultimately organise our transport system in a better way, geared towards a positive vision of the future. This will require different thinking – the challenges of the 21st Century can no longer be met by using the outdated approaches and tools of the 20th.

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sharing will be critical, most obviously in controlling the spread of COVID-19 over the next few months in the transition from lockdown to successful reopening. Effective use of data will also be central to understanding user perceptions, implications for transport choices, the effect of policy decisions and in collaborative working across public agencies and with the private sector to rebuild prosperous, resilient and sustainable economies and communities, better able to withstand future shocks which will almost certainly arise. A key outcome of this is sound preparation and readiness for the next crisis before it happens.

Even before COVID-19, the transport sector globally was facing the prospect of major changes in the ways that people and goods move. Demographics, urbanisation, big data, digitisation, future mobility technology and service models, environmental sustainability, futureproofing and climate change all represent disruptive megatrends with a potentially transformative impact requiring a response from policy makers, regulators, meconstructionnews.com

There is now a necessity, as well as a window of opportunity, to do things differently”

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NOVEMBER 2020

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PARTING SHOT

CHARGING INTO A CRISIS

Nissan unveils RE-LEAF emergency electric vehicle

N

issan has unveiled a 100% electric emergency response vehicle concept which it says is “designed to provide a mobile power supply following natural disasters or extreme weather.”

The RE-LEAF working prototype is based on the Nissan LEAF passenger car, the world’s first mass-production electric car.

Alongside modifications to navigate roads covered in debris, the RE-LEAF features weatherproof plug sockets mounted directly to the exterior of the vehicle, which enable 110- to 230-volt devices to be powered from the car’s high-capacity lithium-ion battery.

The RE-LEAF can be driven into the centre of a disaster zone and provide a fully mobile power supply to aid the recovery process. The integrated energy management system can run medical, communications, lighting, heating and other life-supporting equipment.

“We’re constantly exploring ways that electric vehicles can enrich our lives, beyond just zero-

emission transportation,” said Helen Perry, head of electric passenger cars and infrastructure for Nissan in Europe. “Concepts like the RE-LEAF show the possible application of EVs in disaster management and demonstrate that smarter, cleaner technology can help save lives and provide greater resilience.”

According to Nissan, natural disasters are the biggest cause of power outages. A 2019 World Bank report found natural shocks and climate change caused 37% of outages in Europe between 2000 and 2017, and 44% of outages in the US over the same period.

“When a disaster hits, the time for electricity supply to be restored is typically 24 to 48 hours, depending on the severity of the damage. During that period, electric vehicles can provide zero-emission mobile emergency power,” says the company.

Nissan created the RE-LEAF to demonstrate the potential of electric vehicles in disaster recovery.

“Although it’s just a working concept, the technology is already being used in the real world.

In Japan, Nissan has used the LEAF to provide

emergency power and transportation following natural disasters since 2011, and the company has formed partnerships with more than 60 local governments to support disaster relief efforts.”

Acting as a portable power station, Nissan LEAF e+ with a fully charged 62 kilowatt-hour battery can provide enough electricity to power the average European household for six days, says the manufacturer. As a disaster recovery vehicle, the RE-LEAF can power multiple devices simultaneously such as an electric jackhammer, a pressure ventilation fan, floodlighting and an intensive care medical for 24 hours. Once electricity is restored to the area, EVs can be recharged and provide zero-emission transport – up to 385 kilometers2 on a single charge of a LEAF e+ battery.

“EVs are technologies that can improve resilience in the power sector,” Perry added. “By having thousands of EVs available on standby, either as disaster support vehicles or plugged into the network through Vehicle-to-Grid, they’re uniquely capable of creating a virtual power plant to maintain a supply of energy.”

NEXT ISSUE: LOOKING AHEAD TO 2021, COVID REGIONAL UPDATE, TOM-TOM KEEPING TRACK, AND MUCH MORE!

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