18 minute read
OUT IN THE RANGE
gear about on weekends. At its core, the message at the time was tough-not-rough – with an exceptionally strong ladder-frame chassis design complimented by engine and cabin mounts designed to isolate the occupants from typical vibrations and noise associated with vehicles in the segment.
Refinement was key: light commercial vehicle users appreciated the quieter cabin and smoother ride that came from Ford’s attention to detail in addressing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) design. Further refinements to the truck followed during a mid-cycle refresh – sound deadening under the bonnet helped to reduce powertrain, wind and road noise, making for a quieter cabin; updates to the engine management system helped to improve diesel performance and efficiency; and smart aerodynamic design also helped to further cut wind noise. New hydraulically damped engine mounts were also used to combat engine vibrations low frequency vibrations created by diesel engines
Other features also helped propel the Ford Ranger to the forefront at the time. It was fitted with a battery charge system that made the most of deceleration, engaging the alternator on over-run to charge the battery rather than charging when the engine is under load. It was the first pickup to be awarded a five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP for adult occupant protection and child occupant protection.
Today, Ford says the Ranger gives buyers a smarter truck that is packed with advanced technologies that help drivers work smarter, safer and achieve more. Powerful and efficient engines help business owners to carry more while saving on fuel bills; impressive four wheel-drive performance and water-wading capabilities help them to go further off-grid when required; and class-leading towing capability (up to 3.5 tons, depending on model) and cargo box capacity (up to 1425kg) means they can take more equipment and goods when they do. High-end models like the XLT and Wildtrak even come equipped with technology packages like Ford’s SYNC 3 system – which helps drivers to remain productive on the go, and assisted parking features.
The truck’s toughness should resonate well with fleet operators in the region – just as it has elsewhere. With a shift towards diversified economies, nations within the GCC are undergoing enormous
BUSINESS AND PLEASURE
The Ranger is suitable for both work and play and comes in a variety of chassis options, including a low-rider.
growth in many sectors. Saudi Arabia’s arid, mostly desert terrain and great temperature extremes calls for a tough, dependable truck designed to cope with the harshest conditions, year after year.
Ford markets the Ranger as truck for both work and play and splits those into five trim levels the Base, XL and XLS for more commercial applications – and the XLT and WIldtrak which up the comfort and technology levels considerably. The Ranger comes with a choice of two turbodiesel engines (2.2-
1982
First year that Ford introduced the Ranger nameplate for the 1983 model
A TRUCK WITH SMARTS?
Ford says the Ranger gives buyers a smarter truck that is packed with advanced technologies that help drivers work smarter. and 3.2-litre) and one petrol (2.5-litre inline four), two- and four-wheel drive, and high- and low-riding chassis designs.
All share the Ranger’s blend of reliability, durability, and dependability which have been proven on the most rugged terrain and in the toughest weather conditions in the Middle East, Thailand, South Africa, Australia, Europe and the USA.
Not surprisingly, the Ford Ranger is well established as one of South Africa’s top sellers locally and dominates the extremely popular double cab segment. It is also proudly one of the country’s top vehicle exports, and is comfortably the leading light commercial vehicle (LCV) export. It remains the best-selling pickup in Europe too.
The Ford Ranger is built in three locations around the world: Rayong, Thailand; Silverton, South Africa and Wayne, Michigan.
Ranger in South Africa
Ford has two manufacturing plants in South Africa – one based in Silverton, Pretoria, which assembles the Ranger, and an engine manufacturing plant in Port Elizabeth, which produces turbodiesel engines for local supply and export.
Over the past decade, the Ford Motor Company has poured invested ZAR11- billion (USD740million) in its South African operations, culminating in its
highest-ever installed production capacity for the Ford Ranger pickup and the Everest seven-seater sport utility vehicle (SUV).
“The past ten years have seen a complete transformation of Ford’s manufacturing operations in South Africa,” said Neale Hill, Managing Director, Ford Motor Company Sub-Saharan Africa Region. “We have progressed from a low-volume multi-vehicle business primarily serving the domestic industry to becoming a high-volume single platform manufacturer that is the Ranger production source for 148 markets globally.
“The award-winning Ranger has been the key driver of this success, with ever-growing local and international demand resulting in extensive upgrades and improvements to our facilities to significantly increase our production capacity over the years,” Hill added. “From the installed capacity of 110,000 units when we began assembling the newgeneration Ford Ranger in 2011, we now have the capacity to build 168,000 vehicles annually to meet future requirements.”
Investment in the global export programme commenced in 2009 to transform the local production facilities, comprising the Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria, as well as the Struandale Engine Plant in Port Elizabeth, into a high-volume flexible single platform operation for the trend-setting new-generation Ranger and its Duratorq TDCi turbodiesel engines.
In 2016, Ford invested in further expansion of Ranger production and, notably, for the local assembly of the sophisticated Everest SUV for South Africa as well as for export to markets across the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
Previously imported from Thailand, local assembly of the Everest gave customers
PLANT TRANSFORMATION
Ford’s South Africa operation has been transformed from focusing on the local market to now producing Rangers for 148 countries globally.
4,100
Total number of employees in Ford’s two South African plants
a far wider range of choice, as the lineup increased from just two models to a choice of eight derivatives – matched to a corresponding uptake in sales for this versatile seven-seater SUV. Localising production also contributed towards creating approximately 1,200 new jobs at Ford South Africa and within its local supplier network.
“We are extremely proud that Ford is one of the largest employers in the automotive sector, currently employing approximately 4,100 people in South Africa, and supporting around 40,000 indirect
PUTTING IT ON THE LINE
The Struandale Engine Plant in South Africa was established in 1964 and currently produces two engine lines. jobs within the value chain,” Hill stated. 2017 saw the announcement of another major capital injection into Ford’s local operations to accommodate further increases in installed capacity, with the current capability of producing up to 168,000 units annually. “The ongoing investments and extensive upgrades to our plants have ensured that we are ready to meet current and future demand, with the potential for increased job opportunities,” Hill said.
Struandale Engine Plant
Ford has had a presence in Port Elizabeth since 1923. The Struandale Engine Plant was established in 1964 and currently produces two engine lines: the Duratorq TDCi 2.2- and 3.2-litre turbodiesel engine, and a new generation 2.0-litre bi-turbo and single turbo diesel engine.
The Duratorq programme was launched in 2011 to produce engines for Ranger. Components from suppliers in the UK, Germany, France and Brazil are machined at the plant and then either assembled and sent to Silverton to be fitted to Ranger pickups or Everest SUVs or Kansas City in the US to power the Transit van. Struandale also supplies assembled engines to Russia, Turkey and Italy.
The plant also supplies machined engine component kits (cylinder heads, block and crankshaft) to Ford plants in Thailand and Argentina. Approximately 410 Duratorq engines are assembled and around 850 component kits are machined every day.
Installed capacity for the Duratorq TDCi program has grown from the original 220,000 machined component sets (cylinder head, block and crankshaft) in 2011 to 280,000 by the end of 2018. Engine assembly capacity increased from 75,000 to 130,000 engines per annum over the same period.
The second engine line was formed as part of the ZAR3-billion (USD200 million) investment in Silverton and Struandale in 2016. Construction of the new assembly hall started in 2017, and job one rolled off the line In November 2018. Since then, staff have assembled close to 52,000 2.0-litre single and bi-turbo diesel engines.
Using components machined by Ford Dagenham in the UK, the plant uses an automated sub-assembly line for the cylinder head. Highly skilled assembly crew members are employed on the line, using
FROM THE OUTBACK TO OMAN
Ford first introduced the Ranger for the 1983 model with the current generation Ranger arriving in the Middle East just under a decade ago in 2011.
advanced camera and scanning systems to eliminate production line errors.
Working in two shifts, five days per week, the team produces 320 assembled engines every day.
Installed capacity for the new engine assembly line is 120,000 units per year, contributing to a highestever combined capacity of 250,000 engines for the Port Elizabeth plant.
Proving efficiency
Fuel efficiency is a key driver for many fleet operators – and even small savings in daily fuel use can pay enormously over time. Ford recently demonstrated the efficiency
IMPRESSIVE EFFICIENCY
A recent test saw the Ranger take on 250km loops of the mountains and motorways of the northern emirates in the UAE on a single tank of fuel.
of its 2.2-litre Duratorq diesel engine by handing it to a pair of Dubai content creators and asking them to see just how far they could get on a single tank of fuel.
Completed at the height of the Middle East summer, the pair brimmed the 80-litre tank and drove the Ranger on 250km loops of the northern emirates, covering sections of motorway and mountain road driving.
Ahmed Jaffar, who drove throughout, said, “At first, we thought 1,000 kilometres would be a very ambitious target. But as the day wore on, and the Ranger indicated that we could easily exceed that, it became apparent that we were in for far more time behind the wheel than we anticipated.”
In fact, having covered 864 km in the first day of driving and still with a quarter tank of diesel left, the pair were very confident of breaking their initial 1,000 km target as they set out on the second day.
Little did they know that the remaining fuel would actually push them to add another 388 kilometres to their challenge, for a total distance of an incredible 1252 kilometres.
“When we started out, we didn’t really know what we were in for. We thought we might make 500 kilometres, maybe a little further – but to not only break that 1,000 kilometre mark but smash it, was really something,” said Jaffar. “It’s a test I’ll remember for a long time to come.”
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BRIDGESTONE AND AMAZON PARTNERSHIP / SAF-HOLLAND EXPANDS POD RANGE MAGNA DUMP TRUCK TYRE GOES INTO PRODUCTION / MCB AND DAYCO COMBINE WORKSHOP
Bridgestone ME partners with Amazon.ae
AMAZON.AE CAMPAIGN ENCOURAGED TYRE SAFETY DURING COVID CRISIS, SAYS REGIONAL MD STEFANO SANCHINI
TYRES
Bridgestone says its campaign run in partnership with Amazon. ae during September was conducted with the aim of “providing a better customer experience when buying tyres, especially as we face these extraordinary times”.
Throughout the month, buyers were able to earn up to 400 AED in vouchers to spend on the Arab world’s largest e-commerce platform when they buy complete sets of four tyres.
Customers buying four 17” tyres, customers could get an Amazon voucher worth over AED 200 ($54), meanwhile, a purchase of four 18” tyre entitled them to an Amazon voucher worth over AED 400 ($109).
Stefano Sanchini, regional managing director, Bridgestone, said partnering with Amazon was a strategic decision to encourage tyre safety by incentivising the purchase of a complete set of tyres.
“This campaign falls in line with our global efforts to continuously engage customers and maintain continuity at the highest level during this time
of COVID-19,” said Sanchini.
He added: “Bridgestone places great importance on the practice and observance of road safety. In fact, we strongly encourage that tyres are regularly replaced so that owners can benefit from optimum handling and control of their car – enjoying maximum performance of their cars when driving.
“Our promotion with Amazon. ae has been designed to encourage our customers into investing wisely – purchasing tyres from our authorised dealers and partners.”
AUTHORISED PANDEMIC PURCHASING
Stefano Sanchini said the voucher promotion was intended to encourage tyre replacement from authorised dealers during the COVID-19 crisis.
MAGNA BEGINS MANUFACTURE OF 29.5R25 E4 TYRE IN HOLLAND
TYRES
Magna Tyres has started manufacturing its 29.5R25 Magna M-Terrain E4/L4 tyre for articulated dump trucks and medium and large wheel loaders, in its factory in the Netherlands. The tyre, which has long been part of Magna’s M-Terrain range “has proven to be the ideal tyre pattern for earthmoving equipment operating on challenging off-road surfaces”, said the company. Previously manufactured around the world, the tyre will now also be made in the company’s facility in the Netherlands, giving it a EUR 1 certificate, which will enable customers in certain markets; such as Turkey to import it at zero or a reduced import duty.
The 29.5R25 Magna M-Terrain is now in production and with immediate effect, and being offered to the complete market, said the statement.
INSIDE THIS MONTH’S WORKSHOP: THERMO KING CLEARS THE AIR WITH ITS NEW HYBRID SYSTEM, HYUNDAI AND THE IONIQ, AND MORE!
SAF-HOLLAND EXPANDS POD RANGE
PARTS
SAF-HOLLAND is revising its virtual Parts on Demand (PoD) catalogue, available via its SH CONNECT app, to comply with new EU regulations which will come into force in September 2020.
The catalogue will offer spare parts from the secondary brand SAUER QUALITY Parts range from October with components from the Italian acquisition V.ORLANDI scheduled to be added in 2021. The SAUER QUALITY range includes typical wear parts for brake systems and air suspensions, but also features air reservoirs, landing gear, lubricants and steel rims. V.ORLANDI, meanwhile, manufactures couplings, crossmembers and drawbar eyes for trailers, other components and specialised commercial vehicles.
If a user needs a spare part, they can simply scan the code on the respective component with the QR reader integrated into the SH CONNECT app, which is updated continuously, explained the company: “Within a few seconds, the corresponding product with all relevant details opens in the electronic Parts on Demand spare parts catalogue. If the user is logged in to the PoD system, they can then order the spare part securely and directly online on their tablet or smartphone.”
The PoD online catalogue provides an overview of the SAF-HOLLAND product range: axle and suspension systems, fifth wheels and accessories, kingpins as well as landing gears and ball races. Special tools and exploded view drawings with part designations and order numbers are also integrated.
The ranges meet new EU regulations stipulate that manufacturers have to make information that is relevant to diagnostics, re-programming, re-initialisation or maintenance of a vehicle available online.
CVS/HYBRIDS TOP TARGETS FOR DAYCO AND MCB
TRANSMISSIONS
Leading power transmission components, engine products, and drive systems manufacturer DAYCO has agreed a regional distribution deal with Mineral Circles Bearings (MCB).
DAYCO said it opted for its new partner after it was impressed by Mineral Circles Bearings’ proven market and technical know-how in the MEA region.
The pair will now work to drive stronger brand recognition in the region with a focus on the commercial vehicles and hybrid car segments.
“Our lack of distribution network in the region hurdles our goal to penetrate the growing market,” said Alper Can, area sales manager, DAYCO. “Mineral Circles’ regional and market influence and its innovative approach of creating sustainable and long-term strategies will help
HYBRIDS TO BOOM
The UAE hybrid car market will surge at CAGR of 32.1% within the span of 2019- 2025, noted DAYCO and MCB.
us with our ambition to expand our footprint and presence in the burgeoning market of the region.”
DAYCO supplies its engine products and drive systems to an impressive who’s who of Original Equipment (OE) manufacturers, including Renault, Scania, Volvo, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Hyundai, Kia and Toyota - effectively covering 97% of European and Asian vehicle parc.
The company is also widely known as one of the global leaders in manufacturing OE power transmission components for the CV aftermarket and can claim a market share of more than 80%. DAYCO said in a statement that the deal coincides with a time where the region’s automotive aftermarket is starting to be dominated by European and Asian vehicle units.
CONTI LAUNCHES EXTREME TEMP AIR SPRINGS
TYRES
Continental has introduced a new rang of air springs, which it claims can easily withstand temperatures between -40 and +100 degrees Celsius.
The project is being implemented in close collaboration with a marketleading shock absorber manufacturer and will see a well-known Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer equip as standard all of its truck
SURVIVING STRESS
The sleeve air springs for extreme temperatures not only ensure significant improvements in use at high temperatures, but also increase the permissible range at minus temperatures. In addition, the sleeve can withstand an extreme long-term stress. drivers’ cabs with sleeve air springs. Continental claims the HiTemp solution performs reliably even under extreme temperatures
According to Continental, truck drivers often cover vast distances, with the vehicles frequently experiencing a wide range of different regions and climate zones over their service life. It says that the new system will keep the driver’s cab safe and comfortable in the summer heat.
“The air springs meet the increasing demands on truck components: the stricter exhaustgas standards heat up the engine compartment to a much greater extent, ensuring extremely hot operating conditions,” explained Continental. “The advantage of the sleeve air springs is that they allow for easier heat management and offer the manufacturer greater flexibility when defining the installation space of the cab mount.
“There is no need for a heat shield to protect the air springs against intense heat radiation. This makes the spring function significantly cheaper than previous solutions – reduced idle time and lower repair costs are further advantages. The development of this technology marks an important milestone on the way to establishing the HiTemp sleeve air spring as the standard in the commercial vehicle industry.”
GETTING EVS INTO HIGH SPEED
Bang Sun Jeong, VP, head of MEA operation, Hyundai Motor Co. returns to open the next chapter of the electric vehicles’ story
When it comes to electric vehicles, it may be a surprise to learn that it’s been around since the 1800s when the first car was made.
It’s been a bumpy road since then but with the evolution of technology and growing environmental issues, the next chapter of the electric vehicles’ story is set to be a significant one.
With technology transforming the industry worldwide, the automotive landscape is changing in so many ways that manufacturers are rethinking its strategies to building vehicles for the future.
At Hyundai it’s no different. We are already looking at the wider picture because vehicles running on fossil fuels, no matter how popular they have been in previous years, will not be the number one choice going forward.
We are already seeing the beginning of this trend with electric vehicles on its way to becoming the next big thing. In the first 10 months of 2019, electric vehicle sales accounted for 2.2 per cent of the global vehicle market. In 2018, there were more than 5 million electric vehicles worldwide – an increase of 63 per cent from the previous year.
So, why has there been an increased interest in electric vehicles?
There are a number of reasons but it’s largely down to more people being aware of the environmental benefits such as the reduction of emissions that contribute to climate change and cheaper operating costs. Governments across the world are also
playing a central role in encouraging the growth of electric vehicles. For instance, the UK is preparing its transition towards electric vehicles by bringing forward its intention to end of the sale of new combustion engine-powered cars and vans to 2035.
In Dubai, owners can now charge their electric vehicles for free until the end of 2021 as part of a move by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and Road Transport Authority to boost sales.
It’s encouraging signs and even more so that by 2040, more half of all new vehicles on the road are set to be electric. However, questions still remain especially among consumers whether electric vehicles are the way forward. As a company that is one of leaders in the industry, we are helping change their mindsets and accelerate the growth
