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VOLVO’S ELECTRIC HEAVIES NEW WESTERN STAR X-SERIES INSIDE UNIMOG BASE AIR REVOLUTIONISE SUSPENSION
Keep your business moving. We know how important it is to keep your business on the road. That’s why we’re offering a 6 year factory warranty and 6 years of 24/7 roadside assist on Isuzu trucks.
Warranty is subject to the conditions outlined in the IAL New Vehicle Warranty. For further information please visit isuzu.com.au or contact your local dealer. FSA/ISZS1301
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Publisher Jon Thomson admin@truckandbus.net.au Editor in Chief Jon Thomson Art Director Fiona Meadows fiona@kududesign.com.au Advertising Sales Jon Thomson Mobile 0418 641 959 admin@truckandbus.net.au Editorial Contributors Barry Flanagan, Mark Bean, Warren Caves, Peter Barnwell and Joel Helmes
After a four year break due to Covid, the IAA Transportation Expo in Hannover was back again for the first time since 2022, with an absolute extravaganza of zero emission technology Transport & Trucking was there to bring you all of the latest.
20 ZERO SUM GAME
What was it that famous music critic Jon Landau said? “I saw rock and roll future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen!” A recent trip to Germany with Daimler made us think the same thing about trucks. “We saw truck future and its name is hydrogen fuel cell!” Here is what we discovered on our zero emission mission.
30 CURRENT THINKING
A trip to Sweden gave us the chance to sample Volvo’s latest battery heavy duty electric truck models, capable of single semi work up to around 40 tonnes. But while we found the trucks very impressive in many ways, we did discover one interesting contradiction with the new electric Volvos, which was countered by a reveal a few days later at the IAA in Hannover. Here is our full report on the Swedish truck giant’s current thinking.
34 IT’S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP (BUT NOT IN A UNIMOG)
Since 1950 Mercedes-Benz has been the builder and purveyor of the legendary Unimog truck brand. On a recent trip to Germany to look at Daimler’s zero emission advances, we got the chance to visit the Unimog proving ground outside its hometown of Gaggenau, pitting the go anywhere truck against some fearful climbs and descents and in an impressive display of its capabilities, the ‘Mog made it look easy.
40 FOLLOW THE LEADER
Volvo was the centre of attention in Hannover. Yes sure electric trucks and buses were everywhere but Volvo was the only truck maker to feature a totally electric show stand. Not a single diesel truck or engine anywhere to be seen. While there the Aussie truck media had the chance to sit down with three key Volvo executives to get the inside story on the Swedish company’s road to zero emissions.
44 A STAR IS BORN
The Western Star brand has always had incredible presence on the road and a very loyal following in Australia. But it’s fair to say it has spent a long time waiting for some new trucks that could be competitive with other brands, that have been able to march away from the Penske distributed brand with new technology and refinement. HOWEVER finally the wait is over and it now has the weapons to take the fight up to other conventional trucks. We take a look at the Western Star X Series and why the wait has been so long.
50 ACE OF BASE
The stratosphere is full of revolutionary new inventions that promise the world and many times fail to even deliver an atlas. That scenario has been experienced often over a lifetime writing about trucks and cars, and so scepticism is often the starting point for any new system or gadget that arrived with great bravado and hype. We take a look at one such invention, the Australian Base Air suspension system, to see if the reality measures up to the hype.
56 ON TARGET CANNON Transport & Trucking Australia is published under licence by Transport Publishing Australia, and is distributed to road transport professionals, fleets, business professionals and the industry throughout Australia. All material contained herein including text, photography, design elements and format are copyright and cannot be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Grayhaze Pty Ltd is a member of the Copyright Agency Limited (1800 066 844). Editorial contributions are welcome for consideration. Contact the Editor or Publisher for guidelines, fees and level of interest. All unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by a stamp, addressed envelope for their return. We will not be held responsible for material supplied electronically. Proudly printed in Australia
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Chinese manufactured utes have been around in the Australian market for night on 20 years now and in fact the pioneering brand was the quaintly named Great Wall. We take a look at its latest flagship, the Cannon X and come away impressed, particularly for the price.
60 LAST PATROL
A big petrol V8 engine, luxury trim and enormous off road capability. Sounds like a Range Rover, but in this test we review Nissan’s off road flagship, the mighty and venerable Patrol. But if you want one with a V8 we reckon you shouldn’t delay it too long lest the big bent eight be swallowed up in the feast of more environmentally friendly power plants of the future.
DEPARTMENTS 04 BACK TRACKS
Musings from the Editor
06 HIGHWAY 1
News and info from all over
64 MONEY
Paul’s latest advice on finances
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Talk to your local distributor or find out more about Caltex fuels and lubricants. www.caltex.com/au/business-solutions
J
WHY AUTONOMOUS COULD BE INEVITABLE
W
hen people start talking about autonomous vehicles and commence a gnashing of teeth about the fact that it is going to take all the skill out of driving and remove the joy of driving, we start to roll our eyes. The fact is that if human beings were so good at driving we wouldn’t be killing around 1000 people a year on our roads as well as maiming a whole lot more and costing a huge insurance bill in damage and repairs. The thing that got us thinking about this again the other night was a white knuckle drive up the M1 Motorway from Sydney to Newcastle in a torrential downpour as thunderstorms swept into the Sydney basin and made their way to the lower Hunter. The rain was diabolically heavy, to the point where visibility on the motorway was at time less than 100 metres, while massive torrents of water were streaming across the road at various places. In fact at one point near the Berowra interchange there was pooled water about 30 to 40 cm deep which created a frightening wall of water, vehicle instability and very little vision. The real point about all of this was that while we were at time reduced to 80km/h or less to ensure we could see and cope with the conditions, the entire situation was made all the more hairy by several B-Double drivers who believed they had the right to terrorise the car drivers on the road with demonstrations of just totally irresponsible and downright dangerous driving. We understand that there are a lot of truck drivers who are incredibly skilled and understand the discipline of driving a heavy vehicle well. But skill is one thing, understanding what can go wrong in these dicey conditions is also a part of being a great driver. Co-operation with all of the other drivers, car, truck or otherwise in dangerous conditions is also vital. As a truck driver who has had a HC or MC licence for close on 40 years and a car licence for 46 years it pained me greatly to witness these displays of irresponsible truck driving on the M1 in pouring rain.
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We understand that these guys are professionals, they are on a tight schedule and they have to meet deadlines. However slowing down in treacherous conditions is also an imperative. Using the Waze app on our trip slowing down to 80km/h for much of the storm affected parts for the trip only added one minute to our original schedule. The storm passed so quickly and the rain finished so completely coming out of it onto completely dry roads happened in a matter of moments. Slowing down would have cost those truck drivers 10 minutes at the most on a drive to Brisbane. Fortunately there were no crashes that particular night, but the next day a truck tangled with five cars in the Blue Mountains, in similar conditions, totally blocking the Great Western Highway, and we have it on good authority that the truck was at fault. Simons National Carriers has a long stated rule that limits its trucks to 90km/h, mainly for better fuel efficiency, which has in fact saved the company large amounts of money over many years, but also has resulted in lower accident rates. The thing to also understand is imposing a 90km/h limit only adds about 45 minutes to a Sydney to Brisbane trip, which is nothing in the bigger scheme of things and the fuel saving more than makes up for the three quarters of an hour it costs in trip timing. All of this leads back to autonomous vehicles. As we said a lot of people question whether autonomous driving could manage the task, and as well, that gnashing of teeth about taking away from driving skills comes into the argument. An autonomous truck would not have charged on at 100km/h kicking up spray and creating more danger while cars were struggling on near flooded roads at 80. As we said if we were that good at driving as humans then we wouldn’t have as many crashes, injuries and deaths as we do. The point is if we continue to have rogue irresponsible driving on our roads then the responsible drivers among us may finish up without a choice and as the technology
grows it will be imposed on us whether we like it or not. The technology is there already, in fact there are a lot of truck on our roads right now that with a very little bit of reprogramming could do the Hume or Pacific without driver input. Perhaps a few drivers should think about that next time the conditions get hairy but then again the ones who drive irresponsibly don’t do much of that, do they? We will leave you to contemplate that as you read this issue. In this edition we have a full rundown of the high tech Hannover IAA Truck Expo in Germany, along with first drives in the latest zero emission trucks from industry giants, Daimler and Volvo after trips to both Germany and Sweden recently. They represent a techno tour de force that is part of the zero emission revolution that is on its way. We also take a closer look at what we reckon is the “Swiss Army Knife” of trucks, the Mercedes Unimog which we sampled at Unimog’s dedicated test facility in Germany. In another interesting story we look closely at Western Star’s all new X-Series models and we have a story on a revolutionary Australian developed system called Base Air, that improves the stability and safety of air suspension systems on trucks and trailers. All that and a whole lot more in this issue of Transport & Trucking Australia, so settle back relax and enjoy the read, and for heavens sake, slow down out there. JON THOMSON
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*T&Cs apply. See fuso.com.au/warranty
ALL THE LATEST NEWS AN
D VIEWS FROM ACROSS TH
E GLOBE
HYUNDAI BACK IN TRUCKS / ALL NEW IVECO DAILY / ISUZU TRUCK OF THE YEAR / NIKOLA GOES ON AUTOPIL OT
ITS OFFICIAL - HYUNDAI AUSTRALIA IS BACK IN TRUCKS
IN A STORY which we broke on our website, (www.truckandbusnews.
Motor Company Australia, the current distributor of Hyundai passenger
com.au), Hyundai has confirmed it is
commercial vehicle momentum, and
prime mover for a potential trial in
vehicles and vans will handle the
follows on from its Xcient Hydrogen Fuel Cell truck, the brand’s first-ever
Australia, saying that the Mighty’s electric capabilities perfectly
getting back into the truck business in Australia and is set to launch a battery electric version of its Mighty
importation and distribution of all future EV and hydrogen-powered trucks into the Australian market.
hydrogen-powered heavy truck, currently deployed in Switzerland, California and recently in New
complement those of the Hydrogen Xcient. Hyundai pointed out Heavy vehicles
Light duty truck in Australia around
Sydney based car dealer group,
Zealand.
make up only four per cent of the
the middle of this year. The company made the announcement the day after we ran
Peninsular Motors, headed up by Dilip Kumar, won the rights to distribute trucks in 2015 and has sold a modest
Hyundai claims the Mighty electric will have an estimated laden range of approximately 240km and is aimed
national vehicle fleet, but that diesel internal combustion powered heavy vehicles are responsible for 25
the story on T&B News, saying the light duty zero emission Hyundai
range of Hyundai diesel trucks and it is believed it will still handle the
as a zero-emission workhorse for metropolitan and last-mile deliveries.
per cent of all vehicle emissions in Australia, claiming that this means
battery electric truck will join its growing local electrified passenger
diesel range leaving zero emission to Hyundai Australia. In the eight years
The electric Hyundai Mighty will be powered by a 120kW, 320Nm electric
each Mighty electric ‘will have a disproportionately large impact
vehicle line-up later in 2023. As flagged in the earlier story, current
since it won the right to sell Hyundai trucks, Peninsula has only sold
motor and will use a 114.5kWh battery system with rapid charging
on total emissions reduction’. The company says that the zero-
distributor Hyundai Trucks Australia (Peninsula Hyundai Trucks & Bus), will continue as the local importer of
around 700 Hyundai diesel trucks in that time.
capability, which the company claims can take it from 0 per cent to 100 per
emission Mighty electric will join its electric passenger car range,
diesel Hyundai commercial vehicles,
HMCA said in its statement that the launch of the electric Mighty is a
cent charge in under 70 minutes. HMCA said it is studying the long-
including the Kona Electric, Ioniq 5 and the upcoming Ioniq 6 state-
while the factory subsidiary Hyundai
continuation of Hyundai’s sustainable
haul, heavy load Xcient Fuel Cell
of-the art EVs,
006 www.truckandbus.net.au
The HMCA says that expressions of interest in the new electric Mighty will be coordinated directly through the company. HMCA’s CEO, Ted Lee said the arrival of this efficient and effective electric truck will mark another important step towards Hyundai Motor Company’s global ambition to be carbon neutral in products and operations by 2045.
SNAP YOU’RE A WINNER ISUZU TRUCK OF THE YEAR CONTEST UNDERWAY AGAIN
“We are excited to announce Mighty electric truck for Australia as a key step in driving growth in emissions-free commercial vehicles,” Ted Lee said. “Mighty electric will bolster our growing EV line-up and underlines Hyundai’s continuing commitment to developing sustainable mobility solutions,” he said. Hyundai said that in addition to its efficient EV technology the Mighty electric represents the latest in cab, including comfort and convenience features such as a digital dash display, a multi-function steering wheel and a suspended driver’s seat. Hyundai says that Mighty electric will come with an extensive suite of safety technology features including Forward Collision-avoidance Assist, Lane Departure Warning System, Electronic Stability Control and Electronic Air Brake System. In announcing the spec of the Mighty electric that will be available later this year HMCA says it will be a Light Duty Truck in the 3.5 to eight tonne GVM sector and will boast an approximate cargo capacity between one and 3.5 tonne, depending on the variant and upper body specification It says that from launch it will be available in a single 7.3 tonne GVM
MARKET LEADER, Isuzu has announced its popular annual truck appreciation competition is underway for 2023, in a competition that has now run for 26 consecutive years. The 2023 round of Australia’s longest-running truck appreciation competition will have 10 months of open rounds kicking off on 1st February before wrapping up on 24th November. The company says that thousands of dollars in prizes are up for grabs but emphasises that only one lucky entrant can take out the top spot and be named the Isuzu Truck of the Year for 2023. Isuzu says that last year saw a huge volume of entries, and to mark the dual milestones of 50 Years of Isuzu trading trucks in Australia and 25 years of the Truck of the Year Competition, it created a special section especially for longtime Isuzu Trucks fans, known as the Heritage category. IAL marketing manager Sam Gangemi said the long-running competition created a sense of community and
3,300mm wheelbase.
belonging for Isuzu truck owners, as evidenced by the strong response each month and the heartfelt comments that entrants submit. The competition began in 1996 in the company’s own customer magazine, Truckpower, which was originally
The company added that it will be
distributed by Isuzu dealerships.
available as a bare cab-chassis, with either regular or refrigerated
Nowadays, competitors can enter online via the portal on the Isuzu website, submitting the make and model of their Isuzu truck, their business name and a photo of their truck. “It’s a piece of Australian trucking history and it’s important to give back to the customers who have supported the
versions being offered for Australian
brand over the years,” Sam Gangemi said.
customers, while a tipper variant is The company said that Mighty electric
“Isuzu’s Truck of the Year recognises the hard work Australian truck drivers do and it brings together the stories and businesses from across the country to share their pride in their trucks.” Isuzu says that entering the Truck of the Year competition puts the competitor’s trucks in a monthly spotlight by way
production for Australia is scheduled
of Truckpower online, with the monthly winner taking home an Isuzu Trucks merchandise pack.
to start in Q2 2023, saying that final
The company said that customers can
The big-ticket item though is winning the Grand Prize at the end of each year, with 2022’s Grand Prize being a $6,000 prepaid gift card – and the honour of being named the Isuzu Truck of the Year! “With such an impressive year of sales for the brand and high number of entries for Truck of the Year in 2022 there is no doubt that the prizes and support will be well received by the competition winners,” Gangemi said.
register their interest in Mighty electric
Isuzu says that the Truck of the Year Competition features multiple avenues to win. Not only is there a monthly winner
at: https://www.hyundai.com/au/en/
between February and November, but there are also series winners (known as ‘Kings’ of their series) selected from the monthly entries for N Series, F Series, FX Series and FY Series.
variant, in 4x2 configuration with a
or with a tray or Pantech body
also currently under study.
specifications and pricing to be confirmed closer to launch.
cars/coming-soon/ev-mighty-truck
www.truckandbus.net.au 007
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KEEPING IT GREEN - EU PASSES LANDMARK BILL BANNING NEW ICE VEHICLE SALES FROM 2035 THE EUROPEAN UNION has passed a landmark bill that reworks its
emissions for new cars sold from 2030 versus 2021 compared to the
meet weaker targets until 2036. While there has been pushback
standards for all new heavy-duty vehicles, including city buses and
previous law banning all new sales of ICE vehicles from 2035, while
previous target of 37.5 per cent. However despite the very strident
from the auto industry over the past year, most European manufacturers
long-haul trucks, and gradually shift to zero emissions in the coming
at the same time the European Commission has also proposed new targets to cut CO2 emissions from city buses and trucks from
rule making there are some caveats, including the fact that the law only addresses new vehicles, not the used vehicle market, meaning that
are already on board with heavy investment in electrification, including Volkswagen’s commitment to only produce electric cars in
2030 and onward. The landmark bill regarding ICE
a brand-new ICE vehicle bought in 2034 will still be legal to drive in
Europe from 2033. Others, such as Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, and
vehicles was approved last year and still needs to go through one more round of approvals in March, but will see the the sale of all new petrol and diesel vehicles across the EU’s 27 member countries banned by 2035. The big change in the latest revision also sees a 55 per cent cut in CO2
2035 and onward. Given the life cycle of most vehicles of between 10 and 15 years that’ means there will still be a lot of ICE vehicles on the roads in Europe well into the 2040s. The final deal also includes a workaround for smaller vehicle makers producing less than 10,000 vehicles a year to
Jaguar, have already begun shifting their global production strategies toward an all-electric future. The European Commission has also turned its eye toward cutting greenhouse emissions from the transport section, with an aim to phase in stronger CO2 emissions
years. The plan, announced yesterday, suggests a 45 per cent emissions reduction from 2030, then 65 per cent emission reduction from 2035, to 90per cent from 2040. Yet, the plan is a tad more aggressive for city buses, requiring zero-emissions
008 www.truckandbus.net.au
standards by 2030. Heavy-duty vehicles currently account for more than 6 per cent of total EU greenhouse gases and more than 25 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions from road transport.
The future is Super. And now it’s 8 % better. While no one can say for sure what the future will bring, we’re confident that it’s a bright one. The new Scania Super powertrain is not only said to be the smoothest drive on the road, but also the most efficient we’ve ever built. It sets an entirely new industry standard in terms of powertrains and combustion engines, with a fuel saving of at least 8 %. Ready today to meet the challenges of tomorrow. A tomorrow that will be 8 % better.
The new Scania Super powertrain, with the combustion engine as its centrepiece, will deliver a fuel saving of at least 8 % compared to Scania’s current 13 l engine (DLU). The comparison is made for long distance operations.
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DAILY UPDATE
- IVECO GIVES ITS STAPLE A MAJOR UPGRADE IVECO HAS ANNOUNCED it has introduced a raft of changes for its latest Daily van and cab chassis line-up, which it says are designed to provide prospective owners
head rest has also been introduced, while cabin ingress and egress is now even easier thanks to an improved seat ‘get-off’ angle. According to Iveco other changes to
this function reduces steering effort by up to 70 percent helping to reduce fatigue. Iveco says that the new steering allows the introduction of Proactive
with additional comfort, safety and functionality. The Daily has become the main
the cabin include longer seatbelts to accommodate Aussie and Kiwi bodies and lengthened seat rails
Lane Keep Assist which it says complements the already present Lane Departure Warning feature.
staple of Iveco’s operations in Australia with the rapidly dwindling
to allow greater adjustability. It has also given the Daily a slightly deeper
The company says the Proactive Lane Keep Assist uses a windscreen-
conjunction with standard reversing sensors, which the company says
sales volumes for Iveco’s medium and heavy duty models. Iveco said that the new Daily will
bulkhead for van models, which it says also assists in providing a more comfortable driving environment for
mounted camera that recognises road markings and sounds an alarm if the vehicle strays from its lane without
are the are a first for the light truck cab chassis segment and
build on its predecessor’s long list
taller drivers.
the driver first signalling.
of operator benefits, and is part of an evolutionary approach to its line-up, saying that it further increases the
Iveco says that a shift from hydraulic to electric power steering on the new models delivers several benefits
From a maintenance and functionality perspective, electric power steering means there’s no additional energy
model’s credentials in the large van
for operators, with the change now
absorption from the engine reducing
prominent horizontal louvres, which
segment while strengthening its standing as the best-selling European light truck cab chassis in Australia
enabling both tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment for improved ergonomics compared
fuel consumption, while lowering vehicle weight and eliminating the chance of oil leaks said Iveco.
is finished in black for manual models and in black and with chrome
The company said that larger drivers
to earlier models’ telescopic only
In the load space, Iveco has changed
should appreciate the new Daily’s revised seating which it says offers additional bolstering and introduces memory foam, which it claims makes
adjustment. The company says that in slow speed driving situations or when negotiating tight loading zones or
the black grab handles to yellow for added visibility and safety, while it says that positioning and manoeuvring the latest Daily range
it the first vehicle in the commercial
carparks, drivers can actuate the
is also now easier thanks to a new
space to offer this feature. A taller
new ‘City Mode’ button on the dash,
high-resolution reversing camera
010 www.truckandbus.net.au
for all van models. Iveco says the new camera features dynamic lines for extra guidance and provides feedback of the distance to objects at the rear of the vehicles at low speeds (0 to 30km/h). This camera is also offered as an option on cab chassis models in
integrate with the instrument cluster, providing visual distance and acoustic indication. The new Daily models get a revised streamlined grill design with more
highlights for automatics, while there is a new shorter ‘shark fin’ style antenna, along with new rear taillights for cab chassis, and revised number plate lights to provide a further visual lift. Inside the cab there is harmonised white back lighting for dashboard panels, switches and instrument
cluster, while a transition to a uniform dark dashboard colour palette with matt chrome finish, provides a more premium car-like appearance . Iveco says that the new Daily introduces a revised six-speed manual transmission with better precision and reduced free play, along with an optimised synchronisation system that delivers a passenger car shift feel the company claims. It says that the transmission also reduces servicing costs by more than doubling oil change intervals from 150,000km to 350,000km, while also delivering a 0.5 per cent reduction in fuel use over its predecessor. Iveco says the updated Daily van range is available in 35S, 50C and 70C variants with single and dual wheel options and volume capacities of 7.3 , nine , 12, 16, 18 and a van classleading 19.6 cubic metres. There are also four GVM options starting from 3.8 tonne and 4.49 tonne through to a light truck licence 5,2 tonne and market-leading seven tonne. The cab chassis line-up consists
includes an Advanced Emergency braking System (AEBS), Adaptive Cruise Control and ESP9, IVECO’s
additionally, the system can be optioned with GPS Navigation by TomTom as part of pack contents .
suite of nine electronic stability technologies. Further safety such as
Other benefits include a dashmounted electronic park brake
Queue Assist*, City Brake* and Lane Departure Warning System can also
that provides additional space and makes it easier to move around the
be optioned at additional cost. Queue Assist is ideal for slow moving
cabin, with the added functionality of automatically engaging at key off,
start and stop traffic and allows the vehicle to automatically accelerate and brake to a complete stop, helping
and disengaging once the driver’s seatbelt is fastened, the key is on and ‘drive’ selected, or when the park
to safeguard against driver distraction
brake senses that the vehicle is trying
and reducing driver fatigue. City Brake is designed for similar conditions and prefills the braking system for faster
to move off in the case of manual transmission models. Also aiding convenience is optional
response if it detects an imminent
cordless inductive charging for
collision. It also provides visual and audio warnings to the driver and if no action is taken, will apply the
mobile phones and other devices, while innovative storage solutions throughout the cabin provide plenty
brakes automatically. The latest Daily features a high
of room to stow PPE along with other equipment and documents.
new Proactive Lane Keep Assist, new Daily models get a wide range of
resolution TFT instrument cluster with seven dedicated screen menus and
A heated and suspended fully adjustable driver’s seat is standard
active and passive safety features. In addition to front and rear disc
over 100 points of information. It’s also equipped with the Hi-Connect
across the range (standard for front passengers on Dual Cab Chassis
brakes with ABS and driver, passenger and curtain airbags, the range
multimedia system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth;
and optional for front passengers of other models).
of 50C and 70C models in both single and dual cab guise. GVM options start at 4,49 tonne and extend to 5,2 tonne, seven tonne and 7,2tonne. There are also multiple wheelbase options. Cab chassis models are available with an expansion module and Power Take-Off, while braked towing capacity for both van and cab chassis models is 3,5 tonne, with selected models available with rear airbag suspension and diff lock options. There is now a choice of three Euro6 turbodiesel engines beginning with a 2.3l 100kW (136hp) 350Nm variant, a three-litre 132kW (180hp) 430Nm, option, and a 155kW (210hp) 470Nm version of the three litre. As well as the upgraded six-speed manual the latest Daily is available with the ZF eight-speed full automatic. Along with the introduction of optional
www.truckandbus.net.au 011
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GLOBE
GOES ON AUTOPILOT
NIKOLA GOES ON AUTO PILOT AS IT REPORTS DISAPPOINTING SALES AND REVENUE IN 2022
movers is designed to be an “eyeson-road, hands-on-wheel” system. Nikola CEO Michael Lohscheller said in a release that the electric steering and braking systems already used in the company’s trucks will simplify
produced 133 battery-electric trucks in the fourth quarter, but delivered just 20 to dealers, generating revenue that fell well short of Wall Street’s expectations. Nikola said it made a series of
share across the full year. The report also gave light to the amount of cash the often troubled startup is burning through as it pushes forward into full blown sales mode. As at 31 December last year
the integration of Plus’ system, which includes radar, cameras and lidar
changes to its battery-electric truck during the quarter in response to
the company had $US233.4 million in cash available, down from $US315.7
highway driving systems offered by other vehicle makers including Tesla,
sensors to detect obstacles around the truck.
feedback from early customers. The company also confirmed that the
million at the end of September. Nikola’s fourth-quarter production
General Motors and Ford. While a human driver must be present and attentive, the system can handle most
Plus already provides the PlusDrive system to Italian heavy-truck maker
fuel-cell version of its truck is still on track to begin production in the
tally took it to just 258 trucks built in 2022, which was enough to just
Iveco, a significant shareholder in Nikola. Iveco began testing its own PlusDrive-enabled trucks earlier this
second half of 2023, in line with earlier guidance. As a result Nikola’s share price fell
hit the guidance range it provided in November, when it said it expected to produce between 255 and 305 trucks
month.
more than 5 per cent, with other
for the full year.
Nikola said that several of its fleet customers, including PGT Trucking and Christenson Transportation, have
revelations showing that the adjusted losses per share amounted to 37 cents compared with the expected
In fairness Nikola’s production should ramp up in 2023, with the company saying investors should expect it
agreed to test prototype PlusDrive-
loss of 43 cents. per share. Weighing
to deliver between 250 and 350
enabled Nikola prime movers. The company expects to begin offering PlusDrive on its regular production
heavily however was a much lower revenue of just $US6.6 million compared with the expected revenue
battery-electric trucks and 125 to 150 fuel-cell trucks this year. The company also says it expects to
battery-electric and fuel cell trucks
of $US32.1 million.
reduce costs on its battery-electric
by the end of 2024. Nikola also reported its fourthquarter and full-year results to the U.S. markets this week, revealing it
The company’s fourth-quarter net loss was $US222.1 million, or 46 cents per share. The truck maker lost $US159.4 million, or 39 cents per
trucks by about $105,000 per truck by year-end as it realises savings from its acquisition of battery-pack maker Romeo Power.
US BASED hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric truck start up, Nikola has announced it will begin offering an advanced driver-assist system on its electric heavy trucks starting late next year. The system, made by Plus and called PlusDrive is apparently similar to the
highway driving tasks on its own, in addition to assisting the human driver in non-highway situations including backing up to loading docks. Plus says its “autonomous driving technology offers the industry’s bestin-class perception system and deep learning models to quickly, accurately, and safely perceive the vehicle’s surroundings, predict what’s coming next, and control the vehicle to make its next move.” However a Nikola representative told a US news outlet that the system as it will be integrated into the company’s prime
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STOP IT - BENDIX LAUNCHES A RANGE OF HEAVY COMMERCIAL DISC BRAKE PADS BENDIX has announced it has stepped up to serve the needs of operators
well as to achieve better emissions performance.
with all hardware included and ready to
using disc brake equipped European trucks, particularly in refuse collection
it says that on the safety front, these trucks feature a wide range of active
application, such as front lift, rear and side loader compactor work.
and passive technologies as well as excellent visibility and easy cabin
Bendix points out that there has been a notable shift in recent years
access and that another performance benefit of the European trucks
in technology to further reduce installation time as they’re ready to use without a bedding in procedure. Specifically developed for high stress applications such as the stop and
towards European brand trucks including Mercedes and Volvo models
compared to North American driveline alternatives is the use of disc brakes
for refuse collection applications, so the well known brake manufacturer has addressed the market with a new
on all axles. As we all know disc brakes offer superior stopping performance
range of disc brake pads particularly
compared to drum brakes, but
for this market. Bendix says that the wider adoption of these vehicles is largely being driven
were traditionally not favoured for heavy vehicle applications because of their added cost both to
by private and government operators, wanting to provide improved safety for drivers and other road users, as
manufacture and maintain. Bendix says its Protrans HD Disc Pads are cost effective and easy to install
fit, and also feature Titanium Bedding-
start conditions experienced by waste collection trucks, concrete agitators and buses working on inner city routes, Protrans HD Discs feature friction material that is formulated to cope with the high temperatures found in constant braking environments at high GVM loading, overcoming any
at elevated operating temperatures. Additionally Bendix claims its Protrans HD pads were also found to reduce rotor wear – together this can result in longer service intervals, reduced fleet maintenance costs and less downtime. Bendix says the Protrans HD Disc Pads meet ECE Regulation 90 (ECE-R90) which specifies the design, construction, performance requirements and test protocols for strict European regulations. The company says the Protrans HD range is comprehensive with pads
fear of premature wear.
available to suit a wide range of European truck and bus brands as
Bendix says its inhouse testing shows the Protrans HD pads offer improved durability when compared to many aftermarket and OE pads, particularly
well as certain Japanese models. Additionally, the pads are compatible with many popular truck trailer brands.
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Truck Show
AFTER A FOUR YEAR BREAK DUE TO COVID, THE IAA TRANSPORTATION EXPO IN HANNOVER WAS BACK AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2022, WITH AN ABSOLUTE EXTRAVAGANZA OF ZERO EMISSION TECHNOLOGY TRANSPORT & TRUCKING WAS THERE TO BRING YOU ALL OF THE LATEST.
Britain’s Tevva showed its zero emission range
Ford’s Turkish built electric F-Max
Daimler’s Mercedes Benz e Econic
hen you walk into the Brisbane Truck Show this May it might seem like a big show full of the latest and greatest in the Australian market, but when you walk into the IAA Transportation Expo in Hannover you quickly realise that Brisbane is a mere sideshow in the bigger scheme of the global truck market. As Michelle Shocked once sang about Alaska in her song ‘Anchored down in Anchorage’, you know you’re in the biggest state of the union when you’re anchored down in Anchorage. Well likewise you can echo those words with Hannover, because you know you’re at the biggest truck show in the world when you walk into the IAA in Hannover. The difference is a factor of about 15 to1. Hannover has at least 15 pavilions, all around about the same size as the single Brisbane Exhibition hall where the HVIA organises its biennial Show. In total there were 1,402 exhibitors, 60 per cent of which IAA said were
international companies from 41 countries, while more than1,400 journalists from around the world covering the show. On site, the “IAA Test Drives” allowed visitors to try new products in person, with a claimed 7,500 test drives taking place over the six days of the event, with the entire test operation being climate-neutral. Hannover requires, a good set of walking shoes and plenty of fortitude, even with its own network of shuttle buses running around the Hannover Messe, which is the name for the massive exhibition park where the Show is staged. Not surprising for a truck show staged in Germany, Mercedes Benz had pole position in pavilion number one and the privilege of being first to present its ideas and concepts to the waiting media corps, all thirsty after a four year gap since the last Hannover Show. Mercedes-Benz announced its batteryelectric eActros LongHaul long-distance truck as its headline display, after first
announcing in 2020, but with the “concept prototype” breaking cover in Hannover this time. The company emphasised the eActros LongHaul prime mover shown was a part of the LongHaul test fleet, with series production planned for 2024. Benz claimed a range of around 500 kilometres on a single battery charge, using lithiumiron phosphate cell technology (LFP), with a long service life and more usable energy, claiming it can be charged from 20 to 80 per cent in well under 30 minutes at a charging station with an output of about one megawatt with the ability for fast “megawatt charging” It also presented other new batteryelectric trucks, including its eActros rigid, which had been in build at its Wörth plant since October ‘21, along with the eEconic waste disposal truck which commenced production a month or so before the show. Daimler also presented the evolution of its Fuso eCanter, with modular battery packs and a range of up to 200 km, with the updated
W
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Nikola attracted plenty of attention with its stand alongside Iveco’s
model on its way here sometime in 2024. There were no crusty old white blokes presenting on the Daimler stand because Mercedes-Benz trucks is headed up by the whip smart and uber capable Karin Rådström, who said that the electrification of heavy long-distance transport is the next milestone on its road to CO2-neutrality. “The eActros LongHaul is a batteryelectric vehicle which is planned to be economically feasible for our customers,” said Rådström. Rådström underlined Daimler Truck’s ambition that by 2039 it would only offer new trucks that are CO2-neutral when driving in Europe, Japan and North America. Mercedes did have a couple of diesel trucks on its stand, unlike rival Volvo, underlining that while the excitement is all around electricity, the meat and potatoes are still ICE trucks and will be for some time to come. Volvo as we said, went full electric displaying an FH Electric 4x2T, a FM Electric 4x2T, an FMX Electric 8x4R
flatbed with crane, an FE Electric 6x2 and an FE Electric on its stand along with the unveiling its first e-Axle installation, which on closer inspection was a very early prototype, which in fact appeared to be a 3D printed model. Volvo said the new e-Axle is intended for both BEV and FCEV trucks and will allow greater design freedom and importantly more space to house battery packs within the chassis, which should result in longer vehicle range. Alongside the Volvo stand, was a very impressive presentation taking place at the DAF stand, with the long-awaited XD distribution truck that completes the Paccar Euro subsidiary’s New Generation range. The new XD, which currently is available with an optimised version of the Paccar MX-11 ICE diesel engine, also won the coveted Truck of the Year for 2023. There is a clear family DNA now running through the XD, XF and XG with the cab design of the XD featuring a similar large, curved windscreen with big side windows and a low waist line for enhanced vision,
underlining the now distinct DAF styling. DAF says the completely new XD is also fully prepared for ‘zero emission’ drivelines with the brand also showing brand new electric drivelines for the medium duty XD as well as the flagship XF range, claiming a range of up to 500km. The Dutch based manufacturer told us that both the full electric versions of XD and XF will be in production at a dedicated plant in Eindhoven from the first quarter this year (2023). It also launched vocational versions of the XD and XF models at IAA, which feature raised access for off-road construction use and wear the letter C in their model ident. For Australians though, we may have to wait some time before we see the new XD, with our archaic and much criticised truck width rules proving a hurdle for the Paccar brand. The Euro standard 2.55 metre width rule means that the new DAF, both Diesel and Electric versions , like many Euro products, exceed the Aussie rules by the grand sum of five cm. Hopefully
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at some point in the near future this lunacy will be stopped. We hear versions of the new XF will be launched in Australia later this year. Iveco boss Gerritt Marx held centre stage at the Italian truck maker’s massive stand, taking the opportunity to announce some significant new zero emission models and a surprise alliance with Korean maker, Hyundai. Significantly, Marx unveiled the long awaited electric Daily van and cab chassis light truck. The electric Daily apparently has only slight external differences from its ICE siblings. Its electric motor is claimed to have a maximum output of 190 hp and 400 Nm and Iveco says it will have no change in load capacity to the ICE models. The electric Daily and uses a modular battery configuration with customer able to choose one, two or three packs, for a range of up to 400 km. The recently renamed FPT (Fiat Power Train) Industrial and US battery maker Microvast took care of the development of the batteries. The big surprise at Iveco was the
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unveiling of the hydrogen fuel cell Daily using a Hyundai fuel cell and 140 kW electric motor and. The Hyundai hydrogen collaboration took many by surprise, particularly given Iveco’s tie up with US start up and hydrogen specialist Nikola. Iveco and Hyundai claim the FCEV Daily will have an expected range of 350 km on a tank of hydrogen with a 15 minute refill time. Watch this space as Iveco and Hyundai could prove interesting bedfellows. Despite spending the last few decades distancing its brand from its original parent brand Fiat, Iveco’s power plant/ engine arm is now called FPT Industrial, as explained earlier this stands for Fiat Power Trains, so the more things change the more they stay the same. But the real heavy duty interest on the Iveco stand was shared with its recent partner Nikola, which Iveco has a shareholding in, and which showcased examples of its Nikola Tre 4×2 BEV for Euro markets along with a prototype hydrogen fuel cell 6×2 Euro prime mover. Despite its travails and scandals with founder and former chair Trevor Milton, Nikola seems to have found a solid
partnership with Iveco, who desperately needs the start-up’s, BEV and FCEV tech. Across in another pavilion Traton brand, Scania continued on its path of electrification debuting its new fully BEV electric prime mover for regional applications. Scania and Traton boss, Christian Levin was the key presenter on the Scania display revealing the new heavy-duty Scania BEV prime movers, which feature the choice of either R or S cabs and with power outputs of either 560 hp or 610 hp, which Scania says are ready for ultra-fast megawatt charging. Scania claims a range approaching 350 km and battery capacity of 625 kWh, with the truck, like its prime mover counterparts from Volvo and Benz, aimed at the close inter urban and metro work complementing its rigid BEVs for urban transport. Scania has been strongly opinionated for some time on the fact that BEV is the future and that hydrogen FCEV would be a pie in the sky with little future. This is a view that has softened in recent times, but was not the case on the adjoining stand. Scania’s fellow Traton subsidiary MAN was on that stand and its boss, Alexander
Volkswagen’s new electric Kombi, the id Buzz Transporter
GM electric delivery van subsidiary Brightdrop was at IAA
Volvo’s prototype e-Axle was a mere shell
Vlaskamp, was front and centre with the German maker exhibiting its electric truck prototype for the first time. Vlaskamp has been an even stronger envoy for BEV and a vocal opponent of FCEVs, and he again restated MAN’s clear vision that puts its chips almost exclusively on battery electric, and poured cold water on hydrogen as a fuel solution. The apparent problem child of the Traton family of truck brands, MAN declared that extracting hydrogen from that cold water would remain out of reach economically for some time to come and was pointed in his comments, dismissing synthetic diesel or e fuels as well as hydrogen fuel cells, saying all three would be too expensive for some time to come, and simply could not match battery electric vehicles powered by green power. MAN also announced in Hannover that it had opened orders for its mediumto long-haul electric truck, promising a range of between 600 and 800 km, with Traton’s new production factory in Nuremberg producing the batteries, while the production lines of its Munich manufacturing plant have been
reorganised to create room for electric truck production. Not content with winning the International Truck of the Year award at the last IAA Truck Show at Hannover in 2018, Ford was back at the Hannover show presenting the latest updates to it’s award winning F-Max truck range, and showcasing zero emission versions of the truck that shocked the European truck industry when it debuted four years ago. Ford’s only heavy commercial vehicle models globally, the F-Max range has slowly started to infiltrate European markets from its base at Ford Turkey, with the Blue Oval also using the IAA to unveil its first electric truck prototype. The futuristic electric Ford was shown with a waste collection configuration and boasting 392 kWh battery packs and a load capacity of up to 26 tonnes with the first electric models set to be produced in Turkey in 2024. Hannover was also a big event for German electric vehicle start up, Quantron, which made a big splash at IAA, showing both battery electric and fuel cell trucks. Quantron unveiled its light truck, the
QLI with a GVM up to 7.2 tonnes, in both BEV and FCEV versions, along with its headlining heavy duty QHM also in battery and fuel cell. Quantron has promised availability of the QHM with a total mass of 44 tonnes for most markets and with even higher payload for Scandinavian markets-by next year, with a range of between 600 and 700 km in the FCEV version equipped with the latest generation of Ballard fuel cells, as well as Allison’s eGen Power 130 D e-axle. The hydrogen tank is integrated into the chassis and holds up to 54 kg of hydrogen. Volta Trucks was another start up shouting loud and proud in Hannover with its Volta Zero being shown just days after the Swedish truck maker announced the start of mass production truck at its Steyr production site in Austria. The third electric start up with some degree of prominence was British maker Tevva which showed its 7.5-tonne BEV with several configurations, as well as the prototype of its new 19-tonne hydrogen fuel cell truck with a claimed range of about 500 km and a 10 minute refuel. Tevva has already started production
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Swedish electric start up Volta was a significant presence at Hannover
of the 7.5-tonne truck in the United Kingdom and is firmly targeting Europe at first and the United States later. Tevva executives at the Hannover IAA show told T&TA that the brand was keen to explore opportunities in Australia and NZ with the new electric trucks, particularly since they share right hadn’t drive with the models produced for its home market in the UK. Apart from truck makers, IAA also played host to key component makers like Cummins, Allison, ZF and a myriad of of other power train companies. Cummins showcased its new ‘fuelagnostic’ X Series internal combustion engine platform with hydrogen, biogas and advanced diesel fuel options which it claims offer low-to-zero carbon fuel capability from a traditional internal combustion power plant. The next generation 15-litre and 10-litre displacement X Series according to Cummins is designed to accelerate the decarbonisation of heavy-duty, longhaul truck fleets while able to meet proposed ultra-low emission levels, including Euro VII regulations expected
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to take effect in 2027. Cummins said the fuel-agnostic architecture utilises a common base engine with cylinder heads and fuel systems specifically tailored for the X15H to use carbon-free hydrogen and for the X15N to use biogas with up to 90 per cent carbon reduction. It said that the X15H offers power ratings up to 530 hp while the X15N delivers up to 510 hp and both are well suited for trucks up to 44-tonne GVM. It said that the X15 advanced diesel can use either sustainable HVO fuel or B100 biodiesel with power ratings up to 650 hp for demanding heavy haul duty-cycles. Allison, realising the writing was on the wall for the long term viability of automatics has for some time been developing electric driveline options to enable the company to transition to zero emission. It used the IAA to unveil its eGen Power 130S with the new single-motor model offering a continuous output of 225 kW and a peak \ of 325 kW. Allison says it was developed specifically for the higher permissible gross axle weight of 13 tonnes
aimed and at markets in Europe and Asia. Allison now offers four electric axle drive models for different applications with production of its first e-axle having started in November 2021. Quantron’s QHM FCEV truck also revealed at IAA was equipped with the Allison e-Gen 130D and others are set to follow. Likewise German company ZF underlined its commitment to an electrified future of mobility by presenting its latest eMobility technologies at IAA, including its new CeTrax 2 electric central drive which it describes as an integrated, modular e-driveline system for heavyduty commercials. Although not just a transmission maker like Allison, ZF also understands that providing alternatives for drivelines in a zero emission future will be vital for its survival. All in all Hannover was a massive treasure chest of new technology and underlined the massive investment the truck industry is pouring into de carbonisation. We expect a similar level of wonderment at Tokyo this October and can’t wait t see what is revealed at Hannover in 2024.
A SMALL STEP ON OUR PATH TO CHANGE FROM 2021, ALL CASTROL PRODUCTS WE SELL IN AUSTRALIA ARE
COMMITTED TO CARBON NEUTRALITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH PAS 2060** A SMALL STEP TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
* **
in accordance with PAS 2060, see www.castrol.com/cneutral for more information. The C02e emissions are calculated in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Product Life Cycle Standard and includes life cycle emissions. The demonstration of carbon neutrality will be assured by an Independent Third-Party and certified to BSI’s PAS 2060 carbon neutral specification. See www.castrol.com/cneutral for more information.
The Future
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T
he big Actros prime mover attached to a single streamlined trailer, looked like any other Actros, save for the custom black, blue and silver colour scheme and the graphics spelling out, ‘GenH2 Truck’. The truck and its trailer combo glided, almost silently and effortlessly to where we were standing in Daimler’s engineering and test facility, not far from the truck making giant’s Wörth manufacturing plant, the largest truck factory in the world. There was no diesel rumble, no emissions and no fuss. Just the whirr of fans and other low level sounds. But more of this later.
THE HARD CELL
WHAT WAS IT THAT FAMOUS MUSIC CRITIC JON LANDAU SAID? “I SAW ROCK AND ROLL FUTURE, AND ITS NAME IS BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN!” A RECENT TRIP TO GERMANY WITH DAIMLER MADE US THINK THE SAME THING ABOUT TRUCKS. “WE SAW TRUCK FUTURE AND ITS NAME IS HYDROGEN FUEL CELL!” HERE IS WHAT WE DISCOVERED ON OUR ZERO EMISSION MISSION.
That event happened on the last day of a three day visit in Germany. However, to take a step back from that, on the previous day we visited Cellcentric, a ‘skunk works’ near Stuttgart, which is a joint venture operation that has seen Daimler’s original hydrogen fuel cell development operation rolled into a new separate company, jointly owned by Daimler Truck and Bus and the Volvo Group. It cost Volvo about $AUD870 million (€600 million) to buy into the JV, underlining just how big this is and how seriously the biggest truck makers in the world are taking hydrogen fuel cell power. That near silent semi-trailer we mentioned was a test bed for Cellcentric’s fuel cell technology. Although it is a prototype, this truck has the potential to move a 42 tonne mass around 1000 kilometres using about 100 kilograms of hydrogen, most importantly emitting only water vapour along the way. There is still some time before this ‘miracle’ technology will be widely adapted and utilised on the world’s roads. What does ‘Some time’ in this instance mean? Well the boffins at Daimler and at Cellcentric reckon that we will start to see the first of their commercial hydrogen fuel cell powered trucks available before the end of the decade, maybe a bit earlier, depending on how fast technology moves. However, prototypes are already running, which is the biggest hurdle. The challenges that are exercising the best and brightest minds at Cellcentric, focus around how best to store and use the hydrogen and various relatively minor engineering questions, mainly to do with efficiency and packaging. But have no doubt hydrogen fuel cells work, and when it comes to heavy trucks travelling
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long distances, it will almost certainly be the way we will power them as the 2030s unfold. Conservative companies like Daimler and Volvo don’t bet close to $2billion on a prospect they aren’t reasonably certain will deliver a win. Cellcentric is based in a plain, uninspiring building in the middle of a small industrial park around 60km from Daimler HQ in Stuttgart. Although externally uninspiring, what is revealed inside Cellcentric is anything but uninspiring. This realty is a skunkworks in the truest sense, with serious brain power that is exploring the frontiers of hydrogen fuel cell tech that will take us deep into the 21st Century. This is a partnership between the two global superpowers of truck manufacturing. It would be like NASA and its Russian equivalent RosCosmos joining forces in the midst of the 60s space race. Arguably what the scientists and engineers discover and develop at Cellcentric will have an even more important influence on the future of our planet than putting a man on the moon ever did.
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In fact Cellcentric already lays claim to about 700 patents around hydrogen fuel cell development, which in many ways serves to underline the technical superiority of the operation, and the sort of advantages that will flow to Daimler and Volvo products as we advance to hydrogen fuel cell trucks. Management at Cellcentric has been drawn from the ranks of both Daimler and Volvo. They also go out of their way to emphasise that it is independent of both its shareholders, and that the fruits of what it develops will flow equally to both companies. It employs several hundred scientists, engineers and technicians across its four engineering laboratory centres, three of which are based in Germany with the fourth in Canada. The joint venture’s stated goal is to ‘become the number one supplier of fuel cells to support Daimler Truck and Volvo Group’s vision of CO2 neutral transportation’. A visit to the company’s Stuttgart operation leaves you in no doubt that they are determined to achieve that goal.
Our host on the visit to Cellcentric HQ was chief tech officer, Nicholas Loughlan who not surprisingly is a total hydrogen enthusiast. Loughlan, emphasised that the biggest advantage hydrogen delivers is that it is relatively easy to transport and that storage and refuelling infrastructure is similar to what’s needed for current diesel trucks, and much easier than building charging infrastructure for battery-electric. “Australia is in fact perfectly placed, both environmentally and geographically to make the most of hydrogen technology and to become a world leader in green hydrogen,” Loughlin said. Hydrogen, while being the most abundant element on earth, is still tricky to extract from water, and requires significant amounts of energy. Green hydrogen is ‘electrolised’ from water using renewable electricity from solar, wind and hydro electric generation. Blue hydrogen is derived using gas fired electricity, while brown hydrogen is derived using electricity from coal fired power stations. Before we go any further, let’s just
underline exactly how hydrogen fuel cells actually work. The biggest falsehood is that the hydrogen is ‘burnt’ in some sort of internal combustion engine, similar to petrol or diesel. That is not how a fuel cell works. Hydrogen fuel cell trucks, are electric vehicles, simple as that. Instead of requiring a massive bank of batteries to power a heavy truck over long distances, a hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle, an FCEV, to use the accepted acronym, has a much smaller battery bank supplying power to electric axle motors, just like a battery electric truck. What the hydrogen fuel cell does is produce electricity by passing hydrogen and oxygen across an electrochemical cell similar to that of a battery, which produces electricity, water and small amounts of heat. Consequently there is a regular supply of electricity to power the e-axle motors and keep the batteries charged across a long journey hauling a heavy load. For a single semi hauling around 42 tonnes from say Sydney to Melbourne, expectations are that it will need about 80 to 100 kgs
of hydrogen, give or take. That tank of Hydrogen should take about 15 minutes to easily refuel at a station similar to current fuel stations. That is a very simple explanation, certainly one that we can get our tiny mind around. Having said that various engine makers and OEMs, including Cummins and Toyota, have either already developed or are experimenting with internal combustion engines that burn hydrogen with no harmful emissions. Inside a fuel cell there are positive and negative electrodes – or as they are known cathodes and anodes respectively. These are positioned on either side of fine mesh panels and stacked inside the cell alongside an array of other anode/ cathode mesh panels. On each of those panels, hydrogen is fed to the anode and oxygen is fed to the cathode. A catalyst on the anode separates the hydrogen into protons and electrons, with the electrons creating a flow of electricity while the protons migrate through electrolyte to the cathode producing water and heat. That electricity provides power to
the electric motors with enough torque to make diesel engine trucks look and perform like 50kg weaklings by comparison. However more of that later. Daimler has already stated that it wants to have all its new trucks and buses in the major markets of Europe, Japan and North America, CO2-neutral while driving by 2039’ and to have series production battery-electric vehicles on the road in all core regions by 2022. Not all major corporations always get it right, however remember Daimler, invented the automobile and has been in business for around 130 years. So the evidence is that this is a company that has endured, is still a leader in an industry that has seen many come and go over the past 13 decades. The interesting background to Daimler’s (and Volvo’s) bet on hydrogen for long distance and high mass trucks and buses is that, unlike a capital hungry start up, such as Tesla or Nikola, development of the new zero emission technologies can be funded from the established company’s ongoing revenue, selling
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internal combustion engine (ICE) trucks and buses. The start-ups have to spend the money of backers and shareholders to develop the tech, build the plants, make the prototypes, test them, fund marketing for awareness and positioning, before series production even begins and any revenue comes in. It underlines just how high the stakes are, but it also emphasises just how well positioned Daimler is, particularly as the largest truck maker in the world. Daimler Trucks’ global boss, Martin Daum has been quite emphatic that the company is committed to the decarbonisation of the transport industry, and he has put his money where his mouth is. “Truly CO2-neutral transport only works with battery-electric or hydrogen-based drive,” Daum has said. While some may think this is a bet each way, it is, to continue the gambling theme, actually horses for courses. If the path to zero emission was a horse race then the Daimler Volvo horse, Hydrogen Hero is part way down the back straight
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trailing their other entrant , let’s call it, Battery Bravo, by a few lengths. We reckon. That by the time they reach the winning post around 2030 that it will be a photo finish and both will be judged winners. Far from being fortune tellers or hopeful tipsters, we are basing these forecasts on the commitments and enormous funds Daimler and Volvo have invested and will continue to invest in these technologies. While it seems as though everything is focussed on zero emission, the reality is that diesel has some years to play yet, because infrastructure, incentives and all manner of other factors will mean that it will take time for the industry to adopt and adapt to the new drive technologies. Our visit to Germany came in the midst of a major heatwave and climatic conditions that were extreme, with the mercury climbing into the 40s, water levels in the mighty Rhine dropping significantly, with farmer’s crops coming under the sort of drought pressure we are familiar with Down Under. Back home in Australia of course our winter and spring were waterlogged disasters, with flooding
across vast areas of the country. All of this has only served to strengthen the resolve of Daimler management to address this existential crisis.
HYDROGEN – NO CHARGE The day after our visit to Cellcentric, we travelled to Wörth for the next revelation in our Daimler future truck tech odyssey with that hydrogen fuel cell truck we mentioned at the start. After the single trailer semi glided to a near silent halt next to us on the apron between the development workshops and the banked test track we were given a walk around of the truck by Daimler Truck Advanced Engineering engineer, Andreas Hoefort, who heads up the zero emission technology program. Hoefort took us through the various components essential in making the Fuel Cell technology function and how they had been positioned around the truck. Aside from the whirring of various electric pumps and cooling fans, the Hydrogen truck was ‘idling away’ next to us, but without the rumble that would accompany
WHILE IT SEEMS AS THOUGH EVERYTHING IS FOCUSSED ON ZERO EMISSION, THE REALITY IS THAT DIESEL HAS SOME YEARS TO PLAY YET
a diesel truck. There was, however, plenty of water dripping from various places, the by-product of that chemical reaction in the fuel cell. At least it is clear, clean water and as Hoefort explained, it is an aspect that is exercising the minds of the Daimler engineers in terms of capturing and potentially using the H2O in some way. In the passenger seat of the prime mover, hauling a gross of around 42 tonnes, we departed silently and smoothly. No jerks as gears were changed, because there is no gearbox per se. In its place is a two speed e-axle set up, that seamlessly shifts up as we accelerate away. A few smooth and silent laps of the banked oval with various bursts of acceleration to illustrate that pushing the throttle further does not produce a roar as an ICE powered truck would. Then it was off the banked oval on to a small network of connecting roads for what turned out to be the piece de resistance. Hoefort pulled the truck on to a steep incline, which was labelled as being an 18 per cent grade. He stopped mid-way up the hill, paused for a moment or two and then
moved off. There was no fuss, no bother and no noise, just pure unadulterated torque. The 40 tonne rig moved away like an empty truck on a flat surface, such was the smooth silent turbine of torque the electric motor produces. In reality it’s no different to any other electric truck we have driven, however, in this instance, instead of having to find a rapid charger a couple of hundred kays down the highway, the driver will be able to cover 1000km or more, without having to refill the hydrogen tank. No range anxiety, no uncertainty and no large scale loss of payload due to having to carry a vast battery array. Some may see all this as a pipe dream, a future as uncertainly predicted as jet cars, hoverboards and more leisure time, amongst other things promised to us in the ’60s, but which never materialised. However, rest assured, this is technology that is coming, and Daimler is very certain it will be here before the end of this decade. My colleagues and I shared glances in the cab of the hydrogen fuel cell truck
at Wörth, as the various hill starts and manoeuvres were tackled, glances that we would later confirm in discussion were about that ‘Bruce Springsteen’ moment mentioned earlier. We had just experienced the future of long distance transport and any scepticism and disbelieve was melting as fast as an ice cream in that hot German sun. On the test track the Daimler engineer explained the energy frugality of the fuel cell which he told us was programmed to conserve energy whenever it can, sensing and understanding the truck’s power needs, whether it is on a steep hill start, tackling hilly terrain, on the flat, descending hills or delivering just partial power while crawling in heavy traffic, or if manoeuvring in depots or restricted space. Hoefort explained that the battery and fuel cell outputs adjust to the changing power demands of the truck while working. One of the major aspects of the fuel cell technology that Daimler and Cellcentric engineers are yet to make a final decision on is the way to store and carry the hydrogen fuel on the trucks.
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THE INTENSE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IS AIMING TO HAVE A PRODUCTION HYDROGEN ON ROADS BY AROUND 2028.
At the moment the truck we rode in was one of just two prototype fuel cell powered trucks running, with the one we sampled having been in trials for around a year and having covered about 24,000km on public roads and test tracks. It used hydrogen stored under pressure as a gas and as Hoefort explained this was the starting point. The newer prototype truck utilises a different hydrogen storage concept with the fuel stored as liquid under higher pressure and at a temperature of 250 degrees below zero. The Daimler engineers say that this system will provide significantly better range than the gas storage version. Start looking around the back of the cab of the truck and it is soon obvious that there is more going on here than with an ICE truck. There are lots of pipes, storage tanks electric pumps and fans supplying cooling for the high voltage batteries and the fuel cell. Of course there is no big engine sitting under the cab, just batteries and the fuel cells supplying the electricity to the e
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Axle with its integrated electric motor, differential and two-speed hub gears. Interestingly Hoefort tells us that the GenH2 Mercedes is in fact 300mm longer in the wheelbase than an equivalent 4x2 diesel prime mover, enabling the fitment of all of the necessary systems and components. The Gen H2 machine is also around two tonnes heavier than its diesel counterparts, but Hoefort is confident that Daimler will achieve its goal of weight parity by the time the trucks hit production later this decade Hoefort says that the goal is for the Hydrogen fuel cell trucks to have a life expectancy of around 10 years or 1.2 million kilometres in European operating conditions, but said that this was a conservative estimate and reckoned that it could be a little on the conservative side. Only time will tell. While the two current test trucks are very European spec machines as 4x2 variants, Andreas says that more ‘Australian type’ variants with 6x2 and 6x4 formats are down to be added to the test and development schedule.
It is certainly clear from our visit to the nerve centre of Daimler’s future truck development, that Hydrogen is going to be the future for long distance and heavy operations, while rechargeable battery electric trucks will meet the major part of the freight task in and around major cities.
ASSAULT ON BATTERY In fact later that day down the road at the giant Daimler factory we were shown battery electric eActros coming down the line to the point where the chassis and cab are mated together. After that electric versions are rolled to the specialised Future Truck Centre to be ‘finished’ off with high voltage wiring and battery packs. Daimler’s intention is to eventually have battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell and conventional diesel trucks produced on the same production lines at Wörth, such is the versatility and flexibility of the World’s largest truck factory. Across the road from the factory an eActros 300 model awaited. This was a two axle 4x2 rigid electric truck, featuring
three batteries, and loaded to a gross of 15 tonnes. There is also a three axle version of the, eActros which is rated at a GVM of 27 tonnes. Daimler Trucks Australia has indicated it will commence local trial and evaluation of the eActros in the first quarter of 2023, with four trucks set to be placed with key customers as part of the development program, as the company has successfully done with the conventional Actros and Freightliner Cascadia and the Fuso eCanter. Despite relatively small volumes Australia is considered a key market for the German giant and so in time we are set to have the full suite of zero emission trucks across all three brands. Local Daimler execs tell us that eActros rigids should be available some time in 2024 and since the trip to Germany the eActros Long Haul prime mover broke cover at the IAA in Hannover, with Daimler execs confirming that we should see those versions under evaluation in early 2024. Although the ‘up start’ start-ups will trumpet the fact that they are debuting
or signalling they’ll debut zero emission trucks, the fact is that Daimler has been leading the scene working on battery electric trucks for the past 13 years and debuted its first series production BEVs back in 2017, in the form of the Fuso eCanter. The Canter is of course a light duty machine, the eActros is a whole different proposition, being roughly twice as big and twice as heavy. It was hard to know what to expect from the eActros. Would it be a bigger version of the eCanter ? Or would it have its own character and identity? And how would it cope with a much larger GVM? In those searing conditions we didn’t have to wait long to discover that in every way it was a very different proposition to its Fuso sibling. In the searing temperatures, with sun baked turf of the nature strips, it felt more like the western suburbs of Sydney than central Germany as we climbed aboard the eActros. Again, just like the Gen H2 hydrogen truck earlier in the day, the eActros delivered seamlessly smooth and quiet
acceleration, quite literally blasting away from traffic lights and stops signs with car like performance. The eCanter is a nice truck but the eActros, with a more relaxed feel in the cabin and very high standards of build quality is a different beast altogether. The eActros offered up high levels of steering feel and the braking, aided by the extraordinary retardation from the electric driveline was exceptional. It is smoother and more refined than any electric truck we have driven so far. All the while we were cossetted in the eActros cabin with the air conditioning keeping us cool as we snaked along German country roads, through villages and suburbs as well as a blast down an Autobahn. The performance of the eActros could not be faulted, and we feel confident, knowing Daimler’s track record, that evolution will further improve the breed over coming years. German customers can already buy the eActros, while that option will not be available to Australian truck buyers until early in ’24.
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IT IS CERTAINLY CLEAR FROM OUR VISIT TO THE NERVE CENTRE OF DAIMLER’S FUTURE TRUCK DEVELOPMENT, THAT HYDROGEN IS GOING TO BE THE FUTURE FOR LONG DISTANCE AND HEAVY OPERATIONS Another part of the Daimler BEV strategy will be the eEconic specialty electric waste truck, which recently commenced series production at Wörth. As inner city residents we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of an electric waste disposal truck like the eEconic, for our early morning sleeping habits if nothing else. The fact is that the refuse sector is one that is ideally suited to a battery electric model, given the relatively short distances, stop-start activity and the sensitivity to noise and pollution in high density population areas. While we didn’t get to drive an eEconic in Germany, there was a thorough briefing that underlined the importance of the electric Econic in the corporation’s plans for Australia and the fact that it will pretty soon join the eActros in local trials and
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evaluation down under. However at this point in time, there is no dual control model eEconic available yet, a factor critical for Australian waste operators, but we are told there is one on the way. While skyrocketing oil prices and the Euro push to zero emission is driving demand for the electric garbage trucks, eEconic product manager, Linda Fritzenwanker explained that real numbers are still relatively small, given the electric truck is three times the price of the conventional ICE model. However Fritzenwanker says that with increased volume, the cost of purchasing eEconic, like the other Daimler zero emission vehicles will drop in time, while fuel costs will continue to weigh heavily on company balance sheets making the switch to electric even more attractive.
Pressure from not only national and regional politicians but also in local government is driving the move to electric refuse trucks like the eEconic according to Fritzenwanker who went on to say that the pressure from Daimler’s own culture and its goal to reduce CO2 is also driving the move to a zero emission model. Ever the conservative corporation, Daimler suggests that the battery life for an eEconic should be about six to eight years, but Fritzenwanker says that errs on the side of pessimism. Under promise and over deliver, is Daimler’s philosophy, clearly. That a three day trip to Germany could reveal as much as this one did about the future of road transport is quite remarkable. We certainly enjoyed our Bruce Springsteen moments and our insight into the future.
New Technology
A TRIP TO SWEDEN GAVE US THE CHANCE TO SAMPLE VOLVO’S LATEST BATTERY HEAVY DUTY ELECTRIC TRUCK MODELS, CAPABLE OF SINGLE SEMI WORK UP TO AROUND 40 TONNES. BUT WHILE WE FOUND THE TRUCKS VERY IMPRESSIVE IN MANY WAYS, WE DID DISCOVER ONE INTERESTING CONTRADICTION WITH THE NEW ELECTRIC VOLVOS, WHICH WAS COUNTERED BY A REVEAL A FEW DAYS LATER AT THE IAA IN HANNOVER. HERE IS OUR FULL REPORT ON THE SWEDISH TRUCK GIANT’S CURRENT THINKING.
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weden in September is a wondrous place. The beech trees are still covered in green leaves, the lush grasses are in full growth and the skies are a marvellous cobalt blue. It is a long way from the frigid days of winter when the sun only bobs above the horizon for a few hours each day. So it was that Australian truck journos were taken by Volvo to its home town of Gothenburg for the chance to drive the brand’s latest heavy duty battery electric prime movers and then afterward to all the wonders of the IAA Transportation at Hannover, the world’s biggest truck show. There is a lot of debate raging across the truck industry about the exact way zero emission power will be rolled out across the various types, applications and distances trucks have to cope with. However most agree that battery electric will be the preferred option for lower weights and shorter distances where back to base options are available , with most agreeing that hydrogen fuel cells will
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produce electricity on board for larger, long distance trucks. Volvo is of course a partner in the Cell Centric joint venture with Daimler for fuel cell development so the two biggest truck makers are on the same page with that one. Similarly Volvo and Daimler are also going down the path of battery electric for shorter distance and lower weight operations. Volvo of course already has its lighter FL rigid running in various places including in Australia and our mission in Sweden was to take a look at its FM and FH battery electric prime movers. The Aussie truck noters were honoured to be the first people apart from Volvo personnel, to get to drive the new ‘Heavy’ battery electric prime movers. The trucks had clearly been in a long and arduous test program for some time but ahead of their unveiling at the Hannover Show, but now they were able to be shared with the truck media for the first time. In fact series production of the new
electric heavies had only just started at Volvos Tuve truck plant in Gothenburg a few days before we slipped behind the wheel of the electric machines. Like many electric trucks unveiled in the last year or so Volvo’s latest additions to its zero emission fleet, the FH and FM Electrics, ostensibly look very similar to the internal combustion engine trucks they aim to replace over the next couple of decades. The trucks we were to drive were parked outside a multi-story building in the Gothenburg Port precincts, where Volvo has based some of its battery electric boffins in a large area that houses various aspects of the Swedish truck maker’s operations. The two electric trucks could have been a couple of express freight diesel semis awaiting loading or unloading, except that they had a very obvious ELECTRIC emblazoned above the windscreen and a large ELECTRIC POWERED livery on the trailers. Both the FM and FH Electrics, not surprisingly were finished in a deep green colour, obviously pointing to their
environmental credentials. Volvo had brought a contingent of Aussie truck trade writers along with a green vehicle journo to its home base in Gothenburg, to sample its two heavy duty electric debutants and to get a briefing on them, prior to their star turn on its stand at the IAA Transport Expo in Hannover a few days later. Our visit to Sweden coincided with the start of series production of the battery electric heavy duty prime movers at its Tuve plant near Gothenburg. Interestingly Volvo’s approach to the heavy duty electric prime movers it revealed to us, is quite different to that of rival Daimler, which is using e-axles with electric motors integrated into the diff housing and running through two-speed hub gears. Volvo’s design for the Electric FH and FM instead follow the more traditional design architecture of a diesel truck, in that three electric motors are positioned in the chassis just behind the cabin, mated to
a traditional 12-speed IShift AMT with a prop shaft back to a traditional differential in the back axle. The configuration brought questions from the media contingent, which none of us really believed were satisfactorily answered. Largely Volvo’s party line revolved around ‘versatility’ being the main reason why it had chosen this design, rather than an e-axle like Daimler. According to many engineers and e-axles are a more efficient, lighter and overall better solution for electric trucks. The addition of a full 12-speed AMT with the Volvo design also rings of overkill , given the torque of electric motors, and this is born out by the fact that the Volvo FH and FM electrics we drove started in seventh gear and skipped many shifts straight to tenth and the into top. Once there, even when climbing the shift only drops one or two gears to maintain speed. In fact Volvo engineers we spoke to admitted that the bottom half of the box is rarely if ever used in most operations, begging the
question, isn’t this a waste? The thought we had initially was, does Volvo know something the rest of don’t? Well a few days after we drove the new electric heavies in Gothenburg, the company unveiled its own e-axle. Our speculation is that Volvo needed to get its electric prime movers on the road and into customer fleets to satisfy the demand of Euro transport operators. In other words was this a short term fix to plug the hole and buy it some time. That theory was given some credence when we arrived in Hannover the following week where Volvo headlined its presentation on media day with the unveiling of its own integrated e-axle. The Volvo e-axle unveiled at the show is due in the next two years, and in the meantime it is pressing ahead with the central motor and I-Shift architecture until that new e-axle concept is ready. The battery electric heavy duty prime movers we drove in Sweden can be configured with a variety of battery
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packs and with up to 660 hp from three electric motors mated, as we said, to that conventional Volvo I-Shift 12-speed AMT. While the Volvo short term approach is fairly unique, our chance to drive both the FM and FH Electrics showed the mating of the I-Shift did deliver a smooth and cohesive drive, with barely perceptible shifts and smooth delivery of power and torque. We tested the trucks over a 50 km course on a variety of roads and conditions including suburban, motorway, narrow country roads and in a tight industrial complex near Volvo’s electric truck operations centre close to Gothenburg. It was a very impressive demonstration of exactly how good an electric driveline can perform in a prime mover with around the maximum weight for a single trailer operation, in the vicinity of 40 tonnes. In fact the FH was grossing at 38 tonnes and its lighter FM sibling, with a smaller two axle trailer in tow was grossing at around 35 tonnes. Several times at traffic lights we tested
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the take-off ability of the truck and it showed strong acceleration that would leave a conventional diesel powered rig struggling in its wake. While pure accelerative performance is not necessarily a good metric to judge a truck on, the fact is even when taking a more conservative approach, the Volvo’s pulled away smoothly, efficiently and above all quietly. We are told that a week later when Volvo took an Aussie dealer contingent to Gothenburg to drive the trucks, that one dealer said to a Volvo Australia exec, that the acceleration of the trucks was impressive, but that it was a pity the trucks weren’t loaded. The Volvo exec told the dealer that in fact the semis were loaded to around 40 tonnes, much to the surprise of the dealer. Such was the torque and flexibility of the electric Volvo heavies that the dealer could hardly believe they were carting a full load. We could understand the Volvo dealer’s surprise, because the performance of the truck is very impressive. Even when
baulked on a hill by a car driver, the Volvo FH we were driving gathered up its Newton metres in no time and charged rapidly up the incline, where a diesel truck would have been labouring severely. The Volvo FH and FM electrics can operate at a total weight of up to 40 tonnes with three models which Volvo says represent around two thirds of its sales. The new additions, mean that Volvo now has six electric truck models in series production globally which it claims is the broadest electric truck line up in the industry. Volvo Truck’s president Roger Alm, said that the launch of the electric FM and FH was a milestone and proves that Volvo is leading the transformation of the industry. That could be considered to be a bit of an overreach, given rival Daimler has been in the electric vehicle market for at least six years and is at the very least, as well advanced, if not more so than Volvo. Similarly Traton, with whom Volvo and Daimler have joined a joint venture to develop charging infrastructure across
“ VOLVO NOW HAS SIX ELECTRIC TRUCK MODELS IN SERIES PRODUCTION GLOBALLY WHICH IT CLAIMS IS THE BROADEST ELECTRIC TRUCK LINE UP IN THE INDUSTRY”
Europe, is also highly advanced in this sector. We would probably say more accurately that Volvo is amongst the companies leading the transformation. To emphasise our assessment Alm revealed in a further comment that the company’s heavy duty electric models were revealed just two years ago. “It’s less than two years ago since we showcased our heavy electric trucks for the very first time. Now we are ramping up volumes and will deliver these great trucks to customers all over Europe, and later on also to customers in Asia, Australia and Latin America,” said Alm. Some may speculate that fairly rapid advance from unveiling to actual production is one of the reasons the conventional architecture for the electric driveline was adopted, shortening the development period and buying time until the e axle set up could be readied. While series production of Volvo’s heaviest electric trucks started in the Tuve factory in Gothenburg in September 2022,
this will be expanded to the company’s Ghent plant in Belgium this year. Volvo has since revealed that these trucks will also be built at its plant at Wacol in Brisbane from 2025 Just as Daimler flagged to us recently, Volvo will also produce its electric trucks on the same line as its conventional trucks, as we witnessed on our visit to the Tuve plant. Volvo claims this gives higher production flexibility and efficiency gains. The batteries are built in house by Volvo at its new battery assembly plant at Ghent. Volvo said that the demand for electric trucks is rapidly increasing in many markets, adding that the driving force is the need for transport buyers to shift to fossil-free transports in order to meet their sustainability goals, and that its electric portfolio could cover around 45 per cent of all goods transported in Europe today. “We have sold around 1,000 units of our heavy electric trucks and more than 2,600 of our electric trucks in total. And we expect volumes to increase significantly
in the next few years. By 2030, at least 50 per cent of the trucks we sell globally should be electric,” said Roger Alm. Volvo says the electric line-up of six truck models will cover a wide range of applications such as city distribution and refuse handling, regional transport and construction work. Just how quickly and how extensively heavy duty battery electric trucks are taken up in Australia hinges on a lot of things, not the least of which being what policy settings and potential incentives our government chooses to adopt to drive this. That is in the lap of the relevant ministers and we will have to wait and see the thinking.
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Off Road
SINCE 1950 MERCEDES-BENZ HAS BEEN THE BUILDER AND PURVEYOR OF THE LEGENDARY UNIMOG TRUCK BRAND. ON A RECENT TRIP TO GERMANY TO LOOK AT DAIMLER’S ZERO EMISSION ADVANCES, WE GOT THE CHANCE TO VISIT THE UNIMOG PROVING GROUND OUTSIDE ITS HOMETOWN OF GAGGENAU, PITTING THE GO ANYWHERE TRUCK AGAINST SOME FEARFUL CLIMBS AND DESCENTS AND IN AN IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY OF ITS CAPABILITIES, THE ‘MOG MADE IT LOOK EASY.
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aggenau is an ordinary sort of town in central Germany, probably best known for its high end fancy kitchen appliances, but its other claim to fame is as the home of a line of some of the world’s most accomplished and amazing off road vehicles, the Unimog. The German town is not only home to the original factory where Unimogs were once created, but also the Unimog Museum and just a few kilometres away, a test track that is as close as you will get in this part of Europe, to an off road torture test. These days, Benz builds Unimogs in a special vehicle section at its giant Wörth factory, but Gaggenau remains the spiritual home to these very special off road ‘appliances’.
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Unimog has been a part of the Mercedes-Benz empire for the past seven decades and has grown and evolved over those years from a small go anywhere off road vehicle to a range of trucks that are spoken about with reverence and respect when it comes to tackling the most difficult terrain and conditions. Of course in Australia we have witnessed the versatility and utility of Unimogs in a range of applications including with the Australian army, in mining and resource exploration, with private off road adventurers, and of course most recently, with State Emergency Services in reaching flood victims with supplies or for evacuation. Out trip to Germany coincided with one of the most severe and blistering heatwaves Europe has ever endured and
to arrive at the Unimog test track to extremely parched and dusty conditions bore some resemblance to conditions we would normally experience in Australia, save for the pine, beech and oak trees. With the famed Black Forest less than an hour south of here, the dusty conditions were not what we were expecting at the Unimog test track. The test track is sited in a natural bowl with a steep hill running down one side and a near impenetrable forest along the other. Around the facility were a range of man-made hillocks, concrete obstacles and watercourses that looked every bit as daunting as they actually were. Just a few hundred metres away is a busy Autobahn, and the facility is reached along a nondescript dusty track that would largely
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go unnoticed by the car drivers passing at speed on the other side of the gate. Mercedes builds around 2500 Unimogs a year at Wörth, which makes it a very niche product line when compared with the total annual production of around 170,000 at the World’s largest truck factory. The interesting thing about Unimog is that they did not originally set out to be a truck per se. In fact they were more like specialised farm implements, developed in the years immediately after the Second World War as a more versatile form of a tractor if you will, and to some extend they are still a little like a tractor. However, in reality, it is a specialised off road truck that can be driven safely and speedily on the highway. For our visit the Unimog team had two Unimog models on hand to test, a generalist U5023 and a very specialised short snouted U530, which could be equipped with a range of powered
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implements and attachments, that makes it attractive to farmers, local councils and utilities , enabling them to complete complex tasks and cart loads to places normal trucks simply could not reach. While agriculture was the major focus of the original designers of the Unimog the brand has become much, much more to an enormous number of users around the globe. In many ways the Unimog has become the Swiss Army knife of the off road truck world, a vehicle that maybe McGyver would have invented to enable him to rescue a near impossible situation. The performance capabilities of the Unimog are well documented around the planet, but our visit to the test track enabled us to see for ourselves whether this range of off road trucks could climb a seemingly near vertical cliff face. Not only did we prove it could climb extremely steep and slippery slopes but that it could do it in reverse, as well as ambling over
various whoop-di-dos, deep corrugations, impossible descents and deep water fords. A few people have asked how the name Unimog came about and if it stands for something, well it does. In fact it is a derivation of Universal Motor Gerät or in other words, universal motorised vehicle, Unimog for short. In the aftermath of WWII a bloke called Albert Friedrich started work on designing and developing a vehicle that could tackle the jobs of a tractor while also being capable of driving on the road or across paddocks and mixed terrain. Friedrich wanted it to offer four wheel drive, carry a cargo, be capable of having various tools attached on the front, back and on both sides, to pull a plough or push a snow shovel on the front, in short, to become just like a Swiss Army knife as we described earlier. Of course prior to this, there were trucks and some of them offered four or six wheel
IN THE AFTERMATH OF WWII, ALBERT FRIEDRICH STARTED WORK ON DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING A VEHICLE THAT COULD TACKLE THE JOBS OF A TRACTOR WHILE ALSO BEING CAPABLE OF DRIVING ON THE ROAD.
drive, but they were heavy, cumbersome and prone to becoming bogged. Apart from that they couldn’t do the work of a tractor. So Friedrich set to work creating a universal motorised vehicle that could do all of that to meet the growing and desperate needs of a devastated and war ravaged Germany that faced a massive rebuilding task. His first prototype used portal axles, permanent all-wheel drive and of course, unlike a tractor the Unimog used four wheels of equal size so that it could drive at speed on the road with stability and safety. Along with all that it had substantial ground clearance and a flexible frame that aided the long travel suspension. Friedrich originally teamed up with a small German automotive company called Still, while Unimog was never designed to carry as much load as regular trucks, it is essentially engineered to carry its load just about anywhere.
However, Mercedes-Benz parent company, Daimler, was not Unimog’s original manufacturer. Herr Friedrich’s design was initially developed by the small German automaker, Boehringer Brothers, which built the first prototype that was first revealed at a machinery show in Frankfurt in 1948. Like the British Land Rover that also grew out of the ashes of WWII, the Unimog quickly garnered fans and market success and in the first year of production 600 Unimogs were built and the brand was on its way to its place in automotive history. Demand quickly outstripped supply with the relatively small Boehringer Brothers, Apparently, success came quickly, no doubt buoyed by the desperate need for effective machinery in the aftermath of a devastating war. Because of the limited manufacturing capacity at the small Boehringer Brothers operation it rapidly became apparent that
a massive capital injection was needed to expand manufacturing to satisfy the demand for the Unimog in the economic boom of Germany in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Enter Daimler-Benz, which saw the opportunity and quickly signed to take over the Unimog brand and production, providing the capital, manufacturing expertise and resources to take it to the next level. That is exactly what Benz did in 1950 and the rest they say is history. Today 72 years on the Unimog brand is globally known and while Daimler only builds about 2500 a year, there is clearly good money in the automotive ‘Swiss Army knife’ and the German giant continues to build them to satisfy global demand. Clearly the appearance back home in Australia of the NSW SES Unimogs as a tool to pluck stranded flood victims and take them to higher ground while also delivering supplies again emphasised the versatility and usability of the ‘Mog.
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DOWN AND DIRTY IN GAGGENAU So there we were, in Germany, with a couple of versions of the ‘Mog and the chance to clamber up those near cliff like ascents, along with the stomach in mouth descents. Climbing aboard the U5023 variant, which uses a four-cylinder 5.1 litre Daimler turbo diesel mated to an eightspeed AMT, the Unimog instructor pointed to the hill in front of us and said “let’s climb that one please”. Drive was engaged and the truck was aimed at the loose gravel face of the 80 per cent grade ahead. The ‘Mog went straight to task, making short work of the grade and giving us a view to the sky as we climbed to the small plateau that acted as a manoeuvring areas at the top. We quickly turned the off-roader around and at the instructor’s behest pointed the truck back toward the hill we had just ascended. With a clear view of the tree line and skyline a couple of hundred metres ahead on the other side of the test facility, and not much else, we plunged over the edge with the view through the windscreen transitioning to nothing but the gravel at the bottom of the 15 metre descent. It was heart in mouth stuff with the
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‘Mog’s descent control using its excellent two stage engine brake and fourth gear in the AMT to amble down the slope with absolute control and the sure footedness of a mountain goat. The tour de force was when Herr Instructor commanded that we stop about two thirds of the way down the precipitous descent. The command was then to reverse back up the hill and once R was engaged and the throttle applied it easily backed its way up the climb. It was little different in the six cylinder short snouted 530 model ambling up the steep climb, on the gravel, on the concrete section and on a concrete staircase area as well, before tackling some of the other obstacles with equal ease. They clambered over the various hillocks, waded through the metre deep water, angled along their way with one side’s wheels on a high concrete platform, the other side 600 or 700mm lower on the gravel, all of with relaxed ease. The Euro 6 four cylinder Daimler OM934 delivers 231hp or 170kW and 900Nm from its 5.1 litre capacity torque, while the six cylinder engine in the 520 model delivers 299 hp or 220kW and
1200Nm of torque from its 7.7 litres, with both mated to the UG 100/8 eightspeed AMT. Front and back axles are both equipped with portal axles (as the very first Unimog was back in 1948), which are a Unimog trademark, and allow the axle tube and differential to sit higher in the chassis, with the hubs positioned lower and driven through the hub reduction portal gears. It’s a clever way to win back ground clearance and enable much greater off road versatility The snub snouted 530 model boasts a GVM of 16.2 tonnes while its four cylinder sibling comes with a GVM of 14.5 tonnes, giving both, a degree of versatility that further set them apart from anything else in the market. The excursion to Unimog was finished with a trip to the Unimog museum where the evolution of the machine could be tracked across the past seven decades. All in all it was a fascinating insight into the incredible truck brand and its exceptional capabilities. Can’t wait to pit one against some challenging Australian outback terrain, but that might be wishful thinking.
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Interview
VOLVO WAS THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION IN HANNOVER. YES SURE ELECTRIC TRUCKS AND BUSES WERE EVERYWHERE BUT VOLVO WAS THE ONLY TRUCK MAKER TO FEATURE A TOTALLY ELECTRIC SHOW STAND. NOT A SINGLE DIESEL TRUCK OR ENGINE ANYWHERE TO BE SEEN. WHILE THERE THE AUSSIE TRUCK MEDIA HAD THE CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH THREE KEY VOLVO EXECUTIVES TO GET THE INSIDE STORY ON THE SWEDISH COMPANY’S ROAD TO ZERO EMISSIONS.
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here is only one person more important than Roger Alm when it comes to the realm of the global Volvo Truck operation, and that is his boss, Martin Lundstedt. Alm is the executive vice president of the Volvo Group and president of Volvo Trucks globally, so what he has to say about the future of the world’s second biggest truck maker matters. He is a regular visitor down under and has declared several times in interviews with Transport & Trucking in the past, that Australia is an important chess piece in Volvo’s global electric ambitions. In Hannover last year, he again restated that view with a couple of his key lieutenants alongside him speaking with the Australian truck media. Those lieutenants included Volvo’s boss of global product management and sustainability, Jessica Sandström, as well as the jovial and gregarious Per-Erik Lindström, Volvo Trucks International’s senior vice-president with responsibility for everything outside Europe and North America, most importantly for us, that of course includes Australia.
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“Australia will be a driver of the transformation and I promise we will be producing them in Wacol,” Alm told us in Hannover. Jessica Sandström backed him up by stating that Australia is a very important market for Volvo Group and that manufacturing in Wacol will be important in achieving the transformation. However the focus in Hannover was on the bigger picture and decisions that will affect the entire planet not just the Great Southern Land. Alm was asked many times during our interview, about the provocative strategy of not having any diesel on the stand at Hannover and whether he was nervous about going in so hard with electrics, given that it was the only manufacturer there with no diesel on the stand? It was an all or nothing strategy and it raised plenty of comment. “Well, we all know that we will have a growing population around the world. We will have increased infrastructure challenges around the world. We need to change and we need to really handle the world in a different way to the way we are doing today.
We as the Volvo group and Volvo Trucks are very committed to driving sales in the most sustainable ways,” Alm said “We want to make it easier for our customers to help them into the transformation, because that is so very important, it will have big impact on a lot of things. “We have to think what do we want to leave for our children and our children’s children, I don’t want my grand-children asking once upon a time, why didn’t you do something about it,” he said with a degree of passion and commitment. “In a number of years from now, there might be prices on co2 for example, and it may be that you will not be allowed to go into certain cities with diesel trucks, and our customers will need to make the transformation because that will not just be a competitive advantage,” he added. “If they don’t do that they risk not being able to transport goods to those place and we need to help our customers to meet these obligations. So we are now focusing on the future really and we are dedicated to moving forward for zero emissions and zero access.
“By 2030 50 per cent of our global volume will be electrified. So we can think about 50 per cent and that is eight years from now, we started serial production of the medium beauty range in 2019, with a medium duty FL, we added on in North America with all-electric trucks in 2020, and we are already now on the third generation of batteries which shows this development is going on, and we have now started series production of our heavy duty trucks worldwide, and I promise you we will produce them one way or the other,” said Alm. “We need the politicians to be part of these transformations to come up with the subsidies that will speed up the transformation, adding on infrastructure in terms of chargers and current and so on and we need that to be confident that we can make it happen for the planet,” he added emphatically. “I was down in Australia way through 2022, and we met a lot of customers and we talked to our dealers and so forth and we were discussing the ongoing costs of the equipment and also the transformation as well, and I think that Australia will be
one of the countries that is actually going to thrive with zero emission,” he said. Per-Erik Lindstrom came into the conversation at this point saying that he has noticed a difference already in Australia, a country he has responsibility for in the Volvo truck universe. “Yes, this past year it has really come onto the agenda very quickly, with many of our customers in Australia and we actually had a number of customers visiting Sweden a few weeks back, and they came out from the cab smiling from ear to ear, and one of the guys said, hey Erik, I want to change a number of trucks from diesel to electric because he had an application where it makes sense,” Lindstrom said. “Yeah, you have long distances, and your economy is built on the trucking industry because you don’t have as much railway dependency, as here in Europe, but let’s focus where we can make changes here and now and if you think about all the transportation around your big cities, fuel, medicine, food, everything, there is lots which can be done already,” he added. “In Europe about 45 per cent of all
road transport is a distance of about 300 kilometres, and we have that in Australia also, so let’s focus on where we can make a difference now,” he added. Roger Alm piped up, saying with certainty that they have to take on the task one step at a time. “We need to take that step by step and we need to close it segment by segment, customer by customer which is what we are doing, and as we said before, we have sold electrical trucks into 27 countries around the World, and we have electric trucks operating in commercial operations with customers in 27 countries,” said Alm. When asked about the fact that it had just showed us the FH and FM electrics, equipped with a central motor mated to a conventional I-Shift transmission and a conventional diff, while many of its opponents had gone straight to an e-axle, only for Volvo to unveil its own e-axle at the Hannover show, Jessica Sandström quickly jumped in to explain its stance. “ We will continue with both, so we would have what we have already and that will of course continue to evolve and then we will complement that with e-axle,
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which is for the long range trucks, so when we need to be able to really pack a lot of energy that’s the type of configuration we will need,” she said. “But as we all know a truck is not just a truck and we need to be able to accommodate so many different types of applications and that is why we need both, so yes, again, normally I say that there’s not one silver bullet solution,” Sandström said. Per-Erik Lindstrom said that the company is investing heavily in battery electric vehicles as well as investing in different hydrogen solutions and added that it will continue to also invest in internal combustion engine technology and other conventional drive configurations. “We are still working on internal combustion, reducing losses on the vehicle, working with the transmission and everything, and so you could say we are really working on all the shots, because no one can say what is the solution for the future, because they will be different solutions for different applications,” Lindstrom said. Lindstrom added that there is also a need for co2 neutral fuels to keep the small percentage of internal combustion engine trucks running into the future and that the company is collaborating energy
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companies to bring that about. “We have had quite good discussions in Australia, to find what we call E fuels and we are looking at that as well, but we also know the logistics around it and distribution and everything, and we are working on it because we see that as a part of the solution,” Lindstrom said Jessica Sandström said that Volvo’s desire is to have batteries that deliver a little bit longer range, charge quicker and added that the current state of things is not the end game but that this is only the beginning. Roger Alm at this point had to leave our media scrum to head to another commitment, but was again at pains to point out the importance of Australia in the Volvo truck ecosystem. “Australia is a very important market for Volvo, we have been successfully handling a strong business there for 50 years, developing our footprint, we have been manufacturing right for local market, we have a great supplier base and a strong dealer network in Australia. So Australia is important to us and again I have to reiterate that we will in time produce electrical trucks at Wacol,” Alm emphasised. “You know, we see Wacol as an important and powerful place and it’s
important to have Volvo Trucks produced in house there,” he added. With both his boss Roger Alm and Jessica Sandström having to depart we were in the hands of Per Erik, who was asked about how important government support will be in speeding up the transformation to zero emission transport Lindstrom was quite clear about the need for government support to drive the transition. “Of course, government help will be needed to speed up the transformation, for instance in Australia you have the ARENA funding. I see that as a good start. But of course in the best of worlds if we could have more subsidies, in Australia, to help to overcome the hurdles now, before the cost of batteries is going down and everything, that will of course help. “But I think society will more and more realise that okay, we need to pay a little bit extra to have sustainable goods that I’m buying. Because we see what’s happening in the world now with so many droughts and then floods straight after on to ground that is so dry it’s like concrete so it can’t really suck up water, these are the real signs of catastrophic weather from climate change, so yes government subsidies are needed,” said Lindstrom. Lindstrom also pointed to the ageing
Volvo’s boss of global product management and sustainability, Jessica Sandström
“AUSTRALIA IS A VERY IMPORTANT MARKET FOR VOLVO, WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY HANDLING A STRONG BUSINESS THERE FOR 50 YEARS”
truck fleet in Australia, with the average truck age blowing out beyond 12 years, saying that getting that down would also be important in delivering lower emissions and a cleaner environment. Lindstrom in answering questions about the high price of zero emission trucks and how long it will take for the initial sticker shock buyers are now experiencing to reduce, compared the situation to that of flat screen TVs, which are now a faction the price they were when they first arrived on the market. “I mean you buy an 85 inch TV set today at the same price as you paid for a 40 inch a few years ago, so the price is coming down all the time, so we see the same pattern,” he said . “But we have a period of global instability at the moment with the Ukrainian situation and the fuel price issues and supply chain problems so we are in a tricky situation just now, but in a couple of years I hope that it will become better and more stable in the global economy,” Lindstrom said. “But we are working hard with our suppliers and optimising the different processes of course but it’s also a volume game, as we know, so price comes down with volume, but what you also have to
take into consideration when you do the math is that the price of kilowatt hours and what is the price of diesel fuel. “The other thing is if you look across the life of a truck even though the capital cost is higher in the beginning, when you look over the lifetime of the truck then the operating costs of an electric will be lower and then it is not that bad,” Per Erik emphasised Despite investing close to a $1 billion Australian in the Cell Centric joint venture with Daimler, Lindstrom is guarded about how much influence Hydrogen will have in the overall future complexion of road transport “In Europe and especially in Scandinavia, we have all different types of fuels, I mean, we have LNG or biogas which are a viable solution today, and then there is synthetic diesel which we have here in Europe, so there are different roles ahead and that’s why we’re saying that there is no silver bullet solution. We work with BEVs, we work with different hydrogen solutions, but we also need to have a combustion engine but the combustion engine will be burning other types of fuel,” said Per Erik “I think there’s a misconception here that hydrogen is the holy grail for the future,
because when you think of a hydrogen solution, it’s a fantastic invention but first of all, it takes a massive amount of energy to produce hydrogen into chemical energy then into electrical energy and then you have an efficiency loss, and then you take that energy you put it into batteries and then to the electric motor to get tractive effort. So this is a good solution for certain applications, but that’s the reason why we say that it’s not the only solution for the future,” said Lindstrom. “We see that hydrogen also has a future, but no one can say this is the one solution for the future, we need to work with all the solutions, along the three paths strategy, BEV, fuel cell electric and ICE. We call it ICE because we don’t want to talk about diesel engines anymore, we’re talking about internal combustion engines with renewable fuels . And with that our time with Per-Erik was over and we were left to ponder the things these three vital Volvo execs had told us. As we look forward into the crystal ball and ponder the future of truck power, we realise that every truck maker is taking a few bets each way. They think they know the winners but they also realise the technology track conditions are going to change in the next decade..
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New Models
A
lthough a part of Daimler Trucks North America, here in Australia Western Star had to wait in line to get a new gen truck from Portland, Oregon, that might get it back on a better footing with its market leading, big bonnet rival, Kenworth. The Star had dimmed considerably and seen its sales slip in recent years as buyers looked to newer, better equipped trucks from the likes of Kenworth, the European brands and even Daimler and its Freightliners, which are made in the same factory as left hand drive Western Stars. Right hand drive Western Stars, however are built on the West Coast at Daimler Truck’s North America HQ. Daimler’s other US brand, Western Star looks like it is back in the main game in Australia, with its Australian distributor,
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Penske, unveiling the new X-Series range to the trade press In Brisbane late in 2022 to much acclaim, in what is the first all new Western Star truck to be developed from the ground up , since Daimler bought the brand. Penske executives were clearly wearing smiles on their faces, and so they should, the new Star 47X, 48X and 49X models demonstrate a significant and major step up in technology, performance, safety and design, with the Penske team believing that these are the trucks that will take the brand back to double digit market share in the Australian market. Western Star occupies an interesting space here in Australia, thanks largely to a quirk of history and timing. These days Western star is a Daimler Trucks North America brand but it is distributed by Penske Australia, not
Daimler Trucks Australia. Exactly why that is the case can be traced back to Australian based American Terry Peabody, a man who made his fortune in waste disposal and a quirky trade in fly ash, a by product of burning coal for power generation, which Peabody had discovered was much needed for cement production. Peabody was a great fan of Western Star trucks for his business and when it looked like the brand was on the edge of extinction back in the 1990 he swept in with a deal for the brand and for an investment of around $US10 million he controlled the truck maker. Sixteen years later Peabody would sell Western Star to Daimler for close to $700 million. One caveat Peabody placed on the deal was that his Transpacific company would retain he rights to Western Star in Australia. Another seven years on, Roger Penske
THE WESTERN STAR BRAND HAS ALWAYS HAD INCREDIBLE PRESENCE ON THE ROAD AND A VERY LOYAL FOLLOWING IN AUSTRALIA. BUT IT’S FAIR TO SAY IT HAS SPENT A LONG TIME WAITING FOR SOME NEW TRUCKS THAT COULD BE COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER BRANDS, THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MARCH AWAY FROM THE PENSKE DISTRIBUTED BRAND WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY AND REFINEMENT. HOWEVER FINALLY THE WAIT IS OVER AND IT NOW HAS THE WEAPONS TO TAKE THE FIGHT UP TO OTHER CONVENTIONAL TRUCKS. WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE WESTERN STAR X SERIES AND WHY THE WAIT HAS BEEN SO LONG. rode into Brisbane and bought Peabody’s Commercial Vehicles Group from Transpacific for around $220 million. Leaving out the profits Peabody earned from truck sales, the brand he bought for $10 million had earned him around $1 billion in capital gain, not bad work if you can get it. Penske‘s purchase gave his company the Australian distribution rights to Western Star and MAN, and the famous octogenarian entrepreneur is so feared and admired by the likes of Daimler that they would not dare demand the Western Star brand back, lest Roger decide not to buy trucks for his massive rental business in America. Penske Truck Rental alone is said to buy as many trucks each year as are sold in Australia every 12 months. Although the brand has been owned by Daimler for two decades it took its time
in updating and renewing Western Star models in line with its market leading US brand, Freightliner, but the wait is over with the latest X-Series models being the first Stars to be engineered and developed by Daimler since it bought the brand. Thanks to that, Western Star now looks like it is back in the main game in Australia, with Penske, unveiling the new X-Series range to much acclaim. As we said in this is the first all new Western Star truck to be developed from the ground up, since Daimler bought the brand in 2000. Penske executives were clearly wearing smiles on their faces, and so they should, with the new Star 47X, 48X and 49X models demonstrating a significant and major step up in technology, performance, safety and design, and the Penske team believing that these are the trucks that will take the brand back to a more respectable
market share in the Australian market. As we said earlier, it’s fair to say that the ageing ‘legacy’ trucks that have underpinned Western Star’s offerings locally have been overtaken in the last few years by other US based brands in terms of technology, safety and design, and that has been reflected in a diminishing sales volume, as the likes of Kenworth charged ahead with the likes of its T610 and T410 ranges. Penske Australia’s executive general manager of on highway, Craig Lee, says the new X Series models have taken some time to arrive in Australia, six years to be precise, but now that they are here, he believes the brand will take back a significant share of the conventional bonneted heavy truck market. “We are thrilled to unveil the brand new X-Series to our Australian customers,” said Craig Lee.
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“ WE RECKON THAT WESTERN STAR MAY HAVE CRACKED THE RECIPE FOR SALES SUCCESS WITH THE X SERIES”
Kurt Dein head of WST Penske Australia
“Our team has worked closely with Daimler Trucks North America on the design of these three models, including the 48X which is a global exclusive, to deliver a product that is bespoke to our local needs. “We’re excited by what the X-Series means for Australian customers. We have passionate Western Star enthusiasts who will want a 49X 6x4 with the 600 hp Detroit DD16, drum brakes, spring suspension, and an Eaton Fuller manual transmission – a space in which we are renowned – and we can deliver that,” said Craig Lee. “On the other side of that, for a fleet operator after a 47X or 48X to haul B-doubles with Detroit’s DT12 transmission and all the advanced
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telematics that come with that, we can deliver that too,” he said. “The Detroit DD13 13 litre engine in the 47X and 48X also open up new markets for Western Star, such as local distribution or B-double intrastate,” Lee added. Lee and his team claim that this is the most tested Western Star ever, and emphasised that the X-Series was designed from the ground up. Although Penske execs were at pains to emphasise that the X Series models are very much Western Star trucks and have their own character and appearance, the truth is they do share a significant amount of DNA with the Freightliner Cascadia, which of course is sold in Australia by the factory controlled subsidiary, Daimler Trucks Australia.
Supply issues aside, the Cascadia sales numbers have been meagre since the truck arrived here in 2019, however on viewing and briefly driving its siblings, we reckon that Western Star may have cracked the recipe for sales success with the X Series, a recipe that has so far eluded the Cascadia. Importantly the new X Series models have a better Bumper to Back of Cab (BBC) dimension than Cascadia and that, particularly with the 48X, will make it more attractive for a whole range of activities than the Cascadia. But just as important is the X Series more aggressive design and presence on the road, which we reckon will make it more attractive to traditional Australian bonneted truck
buyers, and is sure to win back many Western Star buyers who may have migrated to Kenworth in recent times. One downside is the lack of a driver’s airbag, although there is an optional RollTek driver’s seat that has a roll over restraint and a seat mounted airbag, but there is a strong suite of safety assists that are a big step up from the previous gen Stars The big shiny, silver grille and radiator surround gives the new Western Star a really aggressive look which will satisfy a number of conventional buyers, but significantly the X series now has the safety tech, spread of drivelines and cab comfort to make it a real alternative to the Big K The new Western Star range starts with the 47X, which Penske describes
as ‘highly versatile’ and features a short, sloped bonnet that delivers good payload flexibility, a set-back front axle, and a choice of a Cummins L9 or a Detroit DD13 Gen 5 as engine options. In terms of transmissions, it is available with the Detroit DT12 AMT, the Allison fully automatic, or Eaton Fuller ‘RoadRanger’ manual options, while there is also a range of sleeper options. As we mentioned earlier, Penske can rightly claim that the 48X was designed specifically for Australia, and is powered by the Detroit DD13 Gen 5 in a range of horsepower specs from 450 to 525 hp, or with the DD16 engine, offering between 500 and 600 hp. The 48 X features a setforward front axle, and with that attractive
113.5 inches BBC measurement, which will give it added market appeal as well as delivering a range of flexible solutions. The flagship of the new Star range, and what Penske is declaring is the ‘toughest of the tough’, is the 49X , which is powered by the 500-600 hp DD16 16 litre, and , boasts a GCM capability of 200 plus tonnes. The 49X will also be available with multiple cabin options, including the largest cab on the Australian market, the 72” Stratosphere sleeper. One of the real revelations is the latest generation DD13 engine, which is labelled as being GHG21, and is a later evolution of the Detroit 13 litre than is available in current Cascadias. The 525 hp versions we drove were extremely impressive,
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grunting their way around the tight and hilly Mount Cotton facility on Brisbane’s outskirts, demonstrating a low flat torque characteristic and the ability to dig deep from 1000rpm even with a B-Double and 58.5 tonnes aboard. The Penske organisation is saying the X-Series is underpinned by the legendary durability that customers expect from a Western Star but that fact that it now features an integrated driveline, the advanced safety package, and much better comfort, particularly in the most rugged applications. will be the big attraction for buyers. Penske Australia’s head of Western Star Trucks, Kurt Dein, says the new X-Series is lighter, safer, stronger, and more spacious than any Western Star before it. “Ingrained with the tough Western Star DNA for which we are renowned, the X-Series-specific cab is reinforced with steel for added strength ensuring
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customers can continue to depend on Western Star in the most challenging of applications – whether that is heavy haulage on-highway or heavy haulage off-road,” said Dein. “Inside the cab, premium noise and temperature insulation and triple door seals deliver a quiet and comfortable environment, and the multi-function steering wheel and primary instrument cluster result in a highly intuitive workspace,” he said. “From the 36” mid and trench sleeper options to the market-leading 72” Stratosphere sleeper, the cabin options are unbeatable. The 72” Stratosphere is seriously spacious and includes a 65-litre fridge, generous storage solutions with microwave prep, and either a Murphystyle bed – with a foldaway dinette/ worktable – or a double bunk option. Those electronic driver’s safety aids
include Active Brake Assist 5, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, side guard assist, tailgate warning, brake hold mode, an improved visibility package, and of course that RollTek driver’s seat with rollover restraint and a seat-mounted airbag we mentioned earlier. From a brief time driving the trucks and the very thorough briefing we received from the Western Star team on every aspect of the new trucks, we came away very impressed, not only about the new models themselves, but also about the clearly strengthened resolve on the part of Penske to take the Star back up the sales charts. As we told several of the Penske staffers at the launch, the new X Series means that there are now no excuses for not achieving renewed sales success in Australia. We look forward to an extended drive in the X Series in the near future.
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New Technology
W
hen we received a call back in late 2022 from a PR wanting us to attend a lunch to hear all about a ‘revolutionary’ air suspension system that makes trucks and trailers safer and more stable on the road, our scepticism meter was pinging. Our sceptical nature meant that, while going along with a reasonably open mind we still had a thought in the back of the brain that this might be another ‘truck whisperer’ that had more of an affect on the brains of gullible victims than it did on the road going dynamics of a heavy truck and trailer combo. At the event in a fancy Sydney eatery, the bloke behind Base Air, as the system is known, Matt Vaughan was on hand
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to explain what it was all about, along with a bloke better known for his probing interviews on 60 Minutes and an esteemed life as a broadcast journalist. You may have heard of him… his name is Ray Martin. At this point a little nagging voice at the back of the brain made us think that perhaps Ray was there for some bedazzlement, that his star power would win us over and that would perhaps hide the truth about this supposedly ‘revolutionary system’. Then again he has a career marked by integrity and credibility, so why would he put that on the line for some hick invention that didn’t deliver? We make that preamble to this story to let you dear reader know that we exercised a lot of thought about Base Air before writing this yarn and didn’t swallow the
PR line without analysing the system. At the lunch Matt Vaughan and his right hand man and CEO of Base Air, Mark Thiele spoke plainly and openly about how the initial idea came about, the blood, sweat and tears that went in to take the idea from thought bubble to reality and how some pretty significant, and well run fleets had embraced the Base Air concept. Not only had these fleet operators embraced the system, but these hard bitten, hard to impress, industry veterans had actually been willingly recorded on video tape singing the praises of Base Air. Ray Martin, as we found out at the lunch, was merely an enthusiastic barracker for Base Air, who after a chance meeting with Matt Vaughan at a café
THE STRATOSPHERE IS FULL OF REVOLUTIONARY NEW INVENTIONS THAT PROMISE THE WORLD AND MANY TIMES FAIL TO EVEN DELIVER AN ATLAS. THAT SCENARIO HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED OFTEN OVER A LIFETIME WRITING ABOUT TRUCKS AND CARS, AND SO SCEPTICISM IS OFTEN THE STARTING POINT FOR ANY NEW SYSTEM OR GADGET THAT ARRIVED WITH GREAT BRAVADO AND HYPE. WE TAKE A LOOK AT ONE SUCH INVENTION, THE AUSTRALIAN BASE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM, TO SEE IF THE REALITY MEASURES UP TO THE HYPE.
some years ago, was won over with the enthusiasm of Vaughan and the concept of Base Air as a valuable Australian invention. Martin decided to lend his experience, his name and profile to Matt Vaughan in a bid to help get Base Air off the ground. As the lunch event went on, we heard the video testaments of the likes of Graham Keogh of Wickham Freight, Martins Stock Haulage MD, Jason Martin and Blenners’ owner, Les Blennerhassett, all of whom cited improved stability, reduced tyre wear and more comfort and less driver fatigue, as well as a dramatic reduction in freight damage. These testaments were backed up by some of their drivers who were even more enthusiastic about what BaseAir did for their rigs on the road.
Still for all of this evidence, we wanted to see and understand the system for ourselves and told Vaughan and Martin that we wouldn’t pass judgement until we had a chance to drive and experience the system for ourselves. Vaughan eagerly agreed and so organised for a trio of truck scribblers to drive some rigs equipped with Base Air back to back with a rig that did not have Base Air fitted. But more of that later. Before that, let’s go back to the beginning and understand how all this came about. Matt Vaughan, does not come from a transport industry background. In fact he is a former Melbourne publican. The Victorian-born founder and director, initiated the Base Air venture in 2008,
following a conversation with truck driver friends which highlighted the need for a low cost stabilising safety technology for heavy-duty vehicle air suspension. “For decades, the trucking industry has faced criticism and challenges around driver and load safety,” said Vaughan. “2019 saw the most truck driver fatalities in Australia of the last decade. Couple this with the fact there are more and more truck driver registrations each year, and that means there’s an urgent need to work together to ensure the industry is better equipped,” Vaughan added. Understandably Vaughan has had plenty of challenges and hurdles over the past 15 years but says in the end the ‘science has proved the benefits and has won hardnosed transport operators over’.
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Vaughan explained to us that he spent many years patenting and testing variations of his Base Air product in the United States, which he rightly cites as the ‘the largest market for heavy, medium and light-duty vehicles in the world’. He tells us that since he started the company Base Air has raised in excess of $12 million in financial backing from major industry players, particularly across rural Australia. While Vaughan is the founder and director of the company, he has since recruited former Toll Group executive Mark Thiele as managing director. Thiele came on board in 2021 after spending 20 years as national procurement manager at Toll Group and having had 45 years in the transport industry. Thiele says he was won over by the Base air system following trials on Toll vehicles. But what about Ray Martin I hear you say? Well Martin tells us that he has no
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financial involvement in the company and is an independent advisory board member of the company who was simply won over by Vaughan’s enthusiasm and commitment to a concept that Martin believes will eventually be seen as another ‘great Australian invention that will change the face of road transport’. “We met in a coffee shop in Sydney more than a decade ago when Matthew approached me with such enthusiasm, knowledge and determination that I was instantly drawn to the Base Air business and wanted to be involved and see him succeed,” said Martin, who adds that while he is on the advisory board he is not a shareholder in the business. “I’ve spoken to truckies and seen their excitement for this product knowing the difference it will make to their industry,” Martin told us. Martin has also helped open some important doors for Vaughan, introducing
the idea to Dick Smith who gave his endorsement, as well as well-known businessman and entrepreneur, Mark Bouris. Also on the advisory board is Dr Aidan Harston, a patent attorney and biochemist, whose firm handled the patents for the Base Air system.
SO WHAT IS THIS BASE AIR THING AND HOW DOES IT WORK? The essence of the Base Air system is that it ensures what the company describes as ‘front-to-back and independent side-toside dynamic suspension control’. The system also provides symmetrically equalised air pressure and balanced suspension loads when dynamic control isn’t required. Air is independently delivered to each suspension airbag, improving the vehicle’s handling and ride-height. The system actively adjusts vehicle suspension
mechanically in real time and in response to changing vehicle dynamic and driving conditions, such as offset weight, weight shift, load changes, body roll, axle input, braking and accelerating. Base Air says that by adding its compact air management system to any heavy-duty vehicle, drivers will experience ‘best-inclass ride and load stability, which in turn reduces tyre wear, freight damage, and most importantly, increases safety for all drivers on Australian roads’. The bottom line according to Base Air, is it provides a heavy-vehicle combinations with a dramatic improvement in overall stability as well as potential fuel consumption, tyre-wear and driver fatigue improvements, while also improving load integrity with less vibration and shocks. Base Air’s initial concept of stabilising heavy vehicles was in using two heightcontrol valves rather than one, which came after consultation with a close-knit
community of rural Victorian truck drivers, with the focus being on improving vehicle stability and reducing driver fatigue. The key difference and major leap forward is the fact that the system links the two sides of the air suspension system to allow equalisation and balance side to side, something they say many believed couldn’t be done. When we head to Toowoomba to see for ourselves how the Base Air system works in real life, we meet up around dawn at the Martins Stock Haulage depot near Oakey. The well known stock haulage operator has, as we explained earlier, been an enthusiastic fan of the Base Air system and was happy for the three truck journos to drive rigs with and without the system fitted. However while they were happy for us to drive their trucks, they would only let us steer them unladen, without the added risk of a full load of hostile Brahman bulls onboard. That was fine by us, if the shoe was on the
other foot we would have made a similar decision and not put the load and rig at risk with an unknown steerer at the wheel. In some ways an unladen B Double stock crate rig can be less stable and more bouncy on bumpy back country roads than one loaded down with 60 raging beasts, which we were to soon discover. Like so many areas around the country the Darling Downs has seen its roads decimated by the massive downpours brought on by the La Niña weather patterns of the past three years which provided a further test for the with and without Base Air trucks we were driving. First up we were in the Martins Kenworth T909 B-Double without the Base Air. We climbed behind the wheel while Martins’ driver, Nathan McLaughlin climbed into the passenger seat. The big Kenny rocked and rolled its way down the Oakey Pittsworth road as I constantly adjusted the wheel to keep the empty rig
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straight and stable. Off the bumpy tar and on to a gravel side road the task of flying straight and level was made even more difficult by the undulations and bumps on the dirt track. Half-way to the feedlot where we were due to load the trucks with cattle, we stopped and swapped into the Base Air equipped truck, with driver Matt Lanagan alongside. The difference in handling, ride and stability, both in a straight line and when cornering between the near identical Kenworth 909s, both with similar Cannons stock trailers behind them, was to say the least, stark. The Base Air equipped truck sat still on the road and road over bumps without being thrown off line. More importantly though was when we cornered the rig sat up in corners with the Base Air valve feeding air to the outside airbags to reduce lean, keeping the truck flat and stable in the turn. All three truck journos on the journey expressed near amazement at how well trucks with Base Air handled and how noticeable the difference was, but all of us agreed it was a very obvious improvement. Interestingly when we each had a stint travelling in the chase car behind each of the trucks, the stability of the Base Air equipped truck was also obvious, with the trailers demonstrably more stable, with less rock and roll on the back country Darling Downs roads. Later as passengers we road with the drivers with the trucks fully loaded and
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again the Base Air equipped machine felt clearly better, even from the passenger seat, than the standard truck. Both Nathan and Matt, the drivers we travelled with that day were strong advocates for the base Air system, with both saying they would rather drive a Base Air equipped truck than one without. Their boss Jason Martin says his company is currently fitting Base Air progressively to all of its prime movers and more than 260 stock trailers, which in itself is a massive endorsement. According to Base Air the system can be added to any heavy vehicle, either as an aftermarket addition or hopefully soon on the production line. It costs around $3500 to retro fit to existing trucks or trailers and Base says it is working closely with truck suspension specialist companies such as Hendricksson and SAF Holland as well as OEM trailer makers. The Base kits are assembled at its factory at Yatala near Brisbane, using valves and components from suppliers including Italian based global pneumatics specialist, Camozzi. Although Base Air is only now publicising its concept, its air management system is already fitted and running on more than 120 vehicles spread across those hard marking fleets we mentioned earlier, including Martin’s Stock Haulage, Wickham Freight Lines, Toll, and Blenners Transport. Possibly one of the most telling endorsements is that of the cautious and conservative Paccar organisation, is already
suppling Base Air kits to its dealerships throughout New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, through its Paccar Parts division, with plans to expand across the nation in the very near future according to Base Air. This followed a program of testing of the system that attracted the endorsement of its former chief engineer, Noelle Parlier, who recently left Australia to take up a new role at Paccar HQ in Seattle. Vaughan sees the system potentially being fitted to Kenworths as they come down the line at Bayswater in the near future. Vaughan says that the decision to first introduce Base Air in Australia was an easy one. “As a country boy, I’ve grown up around many who work in and for the industry and have heard stories about driver fatigue and safety first-hand. Australia relies on its transport and logistics and it’s a no-brainer for me that Base Air shows its impact here locally first,” he added. “Soon after, we will emerge in overseas markets,” said Vaughan said. On the surface Base Air appears to be a massive leap forward in terms of safety, ride, efficiency and cargo management, and after trying it in unladen trucks and riding in laden ones with the system fitted, as well as talking to drivers who live with it day in and out, we reckon the claims are pretty genuine and not over hyped marketing. Sometimes you have to let reality effectively erode that natural scepticism and that is exactly what Base Air did for ours in this instance.
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CHINESE MANUFACTURED UTES HAVE BEEN AROUND IN THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET FOR NIGHT ON 20 YEARS NOW AND IN FACT THE PIONEERING BRAND WAS THE QUAINTLY NAMED GREAT WALL. WE TAKE A LOOK AT ITS LATEST FLAGSHIP, THE CANNON X AND COME AWAY IMPRESSED, PARTICULARLY FOR THE PRICE. 056 www.truckandbus.net.au
T
here were the typical sniggers and derision from blokes who vowed they’d never buy one of these bargain basement jalopies. Funny thing is that some of us are old enough to remember when similar things were said about Japanese cars and commercials back in the 1960s, and now they dominate the market. This scribbler reminded many colleagues of this and the fact that Japanese quality improved exponentially and the early adopters who bought in cheap and found themselves with a reliable, serviceable if somewhat unexciting machine that just kept on going, and who became enthusiastic, unpaid ambassadors for the Japanese miracle. This week we found ourselves behind the wheel of the latest generation of that pioneering Chinese brand, these days called a GWM, not a Great Wall Motor as it once was. The vehicle in question is flagship of the GWM Ute range, the Cannon X and we have to say it has come an awfully long way since both of the last two generations of GWM utes. This is by far the best Chinese made ute we have driven so far, and is proof that Chinese makers are edging ever closer to the Japanese in terms of quality dynamics and styling. Key word closer, for while the Cannon X is a massive improvement, it’s not quite on the same level as the Japanese utes in every department. Having said that, just like the olden days when the likes of Toyota, Datsun and Mazda arrived here, the Cannon does represent very strong value when it comes to price. To get the money details on the table first up, the GWM Cannon at $43,490 plus on roads, is about the same as the pricing for entry level utes from some of the Japanese brands, but as we said, the Cannon X is the top of the line in the GWM line up and bristles with an equipment list that would make many other brands green with envy. For that you get a handsome looking 4WD ute with a 1050kg payload, a 9-inch infotainment touch screen, 360 degree cameras, a 7-inch digital instrument panel, 18 inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and push button start, climate control air con, and a really clever and neat slide away step built into the tailgate. As well you also get LED exterior lighting, single-touch power windows on all doors, tilt and slide steering wheel adjustment, and a chrome grille, mirrors and door handles. The fact is it has a luxury feel that is only present
on the top of the line models from the opposition at an extra $30,000 or more. Now it might sound like the glowing prose of a GWM brochure, but it is excellent value any way you cut it, and sitting in the cab alone is enough to convince you of that. From the quilted leather seating upholstery to the overall fit and finish, the GWM exudes a quality feel. However there are a couple of downsides. Firstly the two-litre turbo diesel under the bonnet is a little shy of horses compared with its opponents, on paper at least. The Cannon has a claimed 120kW of power and 400 Nm of torque, which is down about 30kW and around 50 Nm on most of the other utes in this class. Having said that driving it day to day you just don’t feel like the GWM is lacking in grunt. The other point of contention with the Cannon is its three tonne tow capacity, which again is shy of what its opponents offer, most of whom boast a 3.5 tonne tow capacity. Couple that quality interior with the fact that it also has plenty of room and the GWM will easily meet most people’s expectations. There is plenty of leg and head room both in the two front bucket seats as well as in the rear, where the benchseat has a really clever feature that allows the base of the seat to be folded up so that extra load can stacked directly on the floor. There is plenty of air vents, around the cab and a highy efficient air conditioning system, while there are also a brace of USB outlets including in the rear, while it also boasts a 220volt outlet, although it has an International outlet so you will need an adaptor for local plugs. The front console also boasts a wireless mobile phone charging pad for your mobile phone, heated front seats, an autodimming rear view mirror and more USB points in the front console. Behind the wheel the 7- inch instrument panel does a reasonable job , however the one in our test car wouldn’t allow us access to any trip computer information, such as average fuel consumption, distance to empty and other things that our tiny mind likes to play with while tackling longer drives. That may have been an issue with our car or a limitation of the system, we still haven’t been able to find out. Apart from that it delivers all of the basic info like speed, engine revs, odometer, fuel gauge and temps are all easy to read and decipher. Move to the 9-inch infotainment screen in the middle and it also works fine, although it is still a little clunky in some areas of its
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THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE ENGINE IS HELPED BY THE EIGHT SPEED AUTOMATIC WHICH WORKS PARTICULARLY WELL AND ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE IN THE RIGHT GEAR.
interface, which just takes a while to get used to. The upside is that it is a big screen and delivers the driver and passengers easy access to all the info it is delivering. The infotainment system gives touch screen access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but there is no built in navigation system, however with CarPlay and Android we find it easier to use Google maps or Waze for nav these days, they are generally easier to use and view, so no great issue there. Of course there is Bluetooth as well as AM/FM radio, but no Digital radio, which again is no great issue these day when radio tune in aps on your phone offer similar sound quality and better coverage than terrestrial radio station signals. In terms of safety the Cannon X doesn’t lack and actually has scored a five-star safety ANCAP rating and is equipped with all of the electronic safety features including autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning and lane-
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keep assist, lane-centring steering assist, blind-spot monitoring and rear crosstraffic alert, traffic sign recognition linked to the adaptive cruise control and traffic jam assist. As we mentioned earlier the Cannon X boasts a 360-degree camera with a nifty interactive 3D flyover view function, while there is also a door-open warning that alerts occupants to approaching vehicles or cycles that could help avoid collisions. The GWM falls a little short on the spec sheet when it comes to power, but this doesn’t translate to seat of the pants feel and in fact when driving the Cannon X it performs and feels more than a match for its opponents. We covered more than 1000km on some challenging country roads and we really got to like the way this GWM performs and handles. The flexibility of the engine is helped by the eight speed automatic which works particularly well and always seems to be in the right gear.
Although when you get moving the performance is more than adequate, the Cannon’s throttle is a little slow off the mark when you give it a big stab, although if you are a bit more subtle and roll into it then it does come on a bit more smoothly. There are three drive modes on the Cannon X with Eco, Normal and Sport. Select Eco and it is locked into 4x2 mode, while in Normal and Sport the system accesses the torque on demand transfer case to deliver drive to the front wheels when extra grip is needed. The Sport mode also gives better throttle response and will hold gears longer for better performance. The Cannon does also have selectable 4WD although it doesn’t have an array of electronically controlled off road modes like a lot of other 4x4 utes seem to have these days. We aren’t that worried about this because we prefer to be in charge of this and use our own brain rather than something that an engineer
in a lab has come up with. Cannon’s diesel is a little noisy by comparison to its contemporary rivals, mainly at idle and low speed, but is not an issue at higher revs and at highway cruise The Cannon X is a comfortable car to wheel through the countryside or in city traffic. It sits well on the road, and is pretty well damped, particularly by comparison with previous Chinese attempts. It is certainly the match for the Japanese crop of utes, which are generally over sprung and under damped. Somehow the GWM engineers have got this ride and handling package pretty right. Four wheel disc brakes mean the Cannon is a step ahead of the opposition with most other utes in the class using a disc drum set up. We gave it a pretty intense workout over a couple of mountain passes and it never looked like fading or losing braking performance. The one annoying thing about the GWM from our point of view is the
slowish steering particularly around town, however it is not a major deal breaker, just something you need to adapt to. Again if you are saving $20,000 to $30,000, then we would find a way to get use to it. It has a fairly large 13 metre turning circle so it is not the most manoeuvrable ute around, but let’s face it’s not a sports car. Another confidence inspiring feature of the GWM range is the seven year unlimited kilometre warranty and a five year roadside assistance with five year capped-price service plan. The peace of mind that delivers to some sceptical potential buyers could be the thing that gets them across the line. Certainly with that sort of protection and coverage along with those significant savings, it certainly waters down a lot of doubts. The Cannon X might be a bit shy on power on paper but it certainly delivers strong economy on the road and on paper. GWM claim a rated fuel economy of 9.4 litres per 100km, which we reckon
is pretty good for a ute of this size and weight. We recorded an average of 10.2 litres per 100km during our time with the GWM which we were well pleased with. Overall the Cannon X provides a great value package with impressive equipment levels, much improved build quality and fit and finish, as well as reasonable handling and ride, very good warranty and service coverage, and all at a price that is unmatched for the package. As we said at the outset, this is the best Chinese ute we have driven and the quality is getting better all the time as the capabilities and standards continue to evolve. We have no doubt that in four or five years time the Japanese makers will have plenty to worry about, in fact they probably do now. Would we buy one? Yep I reckon that for the price, even with some of its foibles the GWM is a very good package and clearly it is already starting to win over sceptical buyers.
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Company Car
A BIG PETROL V8 ENGINE, LUXURY TRIM AND ENORMOUS OFF ROAD CAPABILITY. SOUNDS LIKE A RANGE ROVER, BUT IN THIS TEST WE REVIEW NISSAN’S OFF ROAD FLAGSHIP, THE MIGHTY AND VENERABLE PATROL. BUT IF YOU WANT ONE WITH A V8 WE RECKON YOU SHOULDN’T DELAY IT TOO LONG LEST THE BIG BENT EIGHT BE SWALLOWED UP IN THE FEAST OF MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY POWER PLANTS OF THE FUTURE.
B
ack in the day Nissan’s Patrol was a much closer rival for Toyota’s LandCruiser, before the latter became a rockstar, commanding higher pricing and dominating the market. Nissan Patrols had a formidable reputation in the bush, generally, but then Nissan sort of got out of the top end of the 4WD market with workhorse machines in the middle of the last decade, discontinuing its GU models, leaving only the luxury top end Y62 in 2014. The Y62 came only with a petrol 5.6 litre V8 , no diesel and that flew in the face of a lot of the common thinking at the time that screamed diesel, diesel, diesel. While that seemed like a poor piece of positioning it actually has not been as
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big a disadvantage for Nissan as some may have imagined. While Toyota’s V8 diesel LandCruiser has shedloads of fans and buyers, it drinks like an unreformed alcoholic and with diesel prices way higher than petrol, some Patrol Y62 owners have been smiling when they pull up to the pumps, while LandCruiser owners have been contemplating second mortgages. The big Nissan petrol V8, which was also the engine it used for its now discontinued Australian Supercar racing program, is high revving, relaxed and understressed. When you drive this V8 easily and without too much right foot, it can be surprisingly economical. But when you do bury the welly, boy does this machine gather up its skirts and sprint down the road, but when you do,
the fuel gauge drops like a rock. Climb aboard the Nissan Patrol and slide behind the wheel and you are surrounded by luxury fittings, albeit with a touch of finest Japanese chintz, with shiny woodgrain laminate around the central part of the dash. You sit atop big, cushy seats and there are a bunch of dials and switches that have first time Patrol steerers struggling to know what they all do. But once you become more familiar the plethora of controls, and what they do, becomes more obvious. However there is no escaping the fact that this old cowboy is ageing rapidly and its replacement Y63 Patrol, due in 2024 is a little overdue. Underlining this is a touch screen that is a throwback to another era, with no Apple CarPlay or Android auto
and a clunky interface that was fine back in 2014 but in 2023 it is antiquated at best and frustrating at worst. For all of that Nissan is selling every Patrol it can get its hands on and could probably sell twice as many if it could get them. Because for all of its foibles, it is a lovely thing to drive, with that big burble V8 smoothly delivering wondrous power and torque through a six-speed automatic that is also a little aged, but still works fine. There are two Patrol models, the vehicle we are testing here, the Ti which is the entry level model staring at $82,160, while the better equipped Ti-L starts at $95,115 before on-road costs. That doesn’t make the Patrol a bargain basement value pack, but, when you measure them up against their LandCrusier rivals they still represent
good value in the upper end of the large 4WD segment. Interestingly we reckon the Patrol feels a little like Range Rovers of the past, before that British marque became out of reach luxury machines that are so expensive few dare take them off road. The Patrol is a big machine with lots of room, and it should be roomy, given it tops the tape measure out at 5.2 metres in length. Given the Patrol’s size, it is also a very comfortable beast, effortlessly transporting a troop of six or seven adults in a calm and quiet, fuss free environment. There are few other vehicles that you would want to tackle a long drive through the Australian bush in. The seats are like big luxury lounge chairs, with fantastic vision from all around
the cabin, although from this driver’s point of view we would love to have more driver’s seat adjustment to allow you to not feel like you are over the top of the steering wheel, but that has a bit to do with the ageing design as much as anything and in our view it is not a deal breaker. There is heaps of storage all around the Patrol cabin with a massive centre console, a cluster of cup holders, nooks and holders for sunglasses, and deep door pockets that can hold all manner of things. It’s the same in the back seats with plenty of cupholders and storage. The third row of seats has a remarkable amount of room, far more than most vehicles with fold up back row seating. In fact the Patrol can sit three across the very rear bench, meaning it has a realistic
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capacity for eight occupants, while still providing a reasonable amount of space behind that for luggage. Of course the third row can be folded up to provide even more freight space, while still providing comfortable conveyance for five adults. I know I said that the Patrol Ti was excellent value for what you get, and it is but I keep being drawn back to the fact that it doesn’t have smart phone connectivity, which I just can’t fathom in any vehicle costing over $80,000. It’s crazy but should be resolved along with a bigger infotainment screen in the new model whenever that arrives. Currently the centre screen is an 8 inch unit which seems ridiculously small, particularly if you’ve been in Ford’s new Everest which has a screen that feel more like an 80 inch LED TV compared with the Patrol’s pocket handkerchief. There are plenty of 12-volt outlets around the cab along with a pair of USB ports, and another 12-volt outlet in the centre console. The suite of safety technology on the Patrol is good, boasting Autonomous Emergency Braking (but without no pedestrian or cyclist detection). There are front and side airbags for driver and passenger, and curtain airbags in all three rows, which is excellent, while there is a rear-view camera, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, rear cross-
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traffic alert, lane departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring. When you fire up that 5.6 litre bent eight you get all of its effortless 298kW of power and 560Nm of torque. There is no argument that, even given current environmental concerns aside, this is a terrific power plant that will fire the big Patrol down the road at a rather brisk pace, whether around town, on the highway, in the gravel or even if towing. We hauled up our rally car on the car trailer and the Patrol performed as if nothing was there, taking the task in its stride. It is an engine that is very definitely fit for purpose. As well as the comfort of the interior, the ride comfort of the Patrol is supreme and the handling is pretty good as well. Sure in really tight going in inner city streets or narrow tracks the Patrol can be a challenge, its turning circle of 12.5 metres is a clear impediment in city conditions. But in the bush it ambles over anything the road can throw at it and for a long trip few vehicles could match the patrol, particularly for the price. There’s one thing you can’t manoeuvre around, and that is its mass. The Patrol tips the scales at 2.71 tonnes and the physics of that means it takes a lot of energy to move it down the road or to change direction and stop it. But it is still effortless and handles all of this without too much fuss. It will also tow 3.5tonnes
which makes it ideal for those adventuring in ‘Caravanistan’ or towing the big runabout. What you also can’t escape with a vehicle of this size is the fuel required to deliver that motive force. Nissan quotes a claimed average fuel consumption of 14.4 litres per 100 km and we recorded an average of 15.9litres per 100km. As we mentioned before, bury the right foot and you can blow that figure out to around 20 litres per 100 or more. But it is easy to stroke the Patrol V8 along with a comfortable and easy gate that will deliver reasonable economy, that won’t require a second mortgage to finance. At cruise on the highway we saw averages of around 10 litres per 100km which is pretty reasonable all things considered. The Nissan Patrol Ti might be showing its age but there is something truly endearing and likeable about this La Stupenda of the large 4WD wagon class. It sits there in a shrinking market and might well be one of the Last of the Mohecans when it comes to big petrol V8 wagons. It’s still attracting enough sales interest for Nissan to keep them coming. Its replacement will probably use a turbo V6 like its rival Toyota LandCruiser. If you desire a big, luxurious, comfortable, ageing opera diva of the automotive realm, then hurry you might never get another chance to own a vehicle like the V8 Patrol Ti.
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MONEY MATTERS PAUL CLITHROE EIGHT OUT OF 10 AUSTRALIANS MAKE THEIR OWN FINANCIAL CHOICES AND INVESTING FOR YOUR KID’S EDUCATION RESEARCH BY FINDER SHOWS JUST 16 PER CENT OF AUSTRALIANS USE A FINANCIAL ADVISER OR PLANNER. THAT LEAVES 16.8 MILLION PEOPLE, OR 84 PER CENT OF THE ADULT POPULATION, MAKING THEIR OWN FINANCIAL DECISIONS.
W
hile research shows plenty of Australians believe they could benefit from professional financial advice, the cost is a key stumbling block for many. Finder’s study reported two out of five people say formal advice is too expensive. It’s a fair point. According to Adviser Ratings, the median advice fee has jumped more than 40 per cent in four years, and now sits at about $3,500, more than $1,000 higher than in 2018. That’s a lot more than many people are willing to pay. An Adviser Ratings survey found over 60 per cent of consumers who want advice said they could only afford to pay a maximum $500. For those who can afford face to face financial advice, it can offer valuable benefits – not just helping to create wealth but also providing mentoring. If you’re in the market for a financial adviser most services offer the first consultation for free so it’s a good opportunity to shop around and find a professional you’re comfortable with. Be sure to read an adviser’s financial services guide (FSG) because this tells you what fees they’re charging and whether they have any ties to products the advice service may be offering. However, not everyone wants or needs holistic advice. A range of digital tools including apps are helping Australians with money management basics like setting goals, tracking spending, setting and managing a budget, and growing personal savings. In my experience, it’s the issue of where to invest that often sees people lack confidence. There are plenty of options to pick from. But ultimately, your choice of where to invest should come down to your personal attitude to risk, your timeframe and the good, old “sleep at night” test. For many investors, a low-cost managed fund or exchange traded fund offers an affordable option that requires little upfront capital and costs next to nothing
in fees. Of course, these investments come with risk. But the thing that mitigates this risk is time in the market and diversification, which these funds offer. Exchange traded funds are also at the heart of many low-cost investment services from micro-investing apps to robo advice. Whether you invest directly or via a third party platform is a personal choice. What matters is that you spend some time researching your options to make an informed decision. Meantime thousands of parents with kindy-aged children who have just started the 2023 school year. For many, the excitement was tinged with concerns about how to pay for it all. Paying for schooling can be a financial challenge. However, by adopting a long term approach, parents can plan ahead and prepare for school costs while still enjoying those precious years when children are young. Five factors to look for in an investment With plenty of investments to consider, here are five features worth looking for to help you narrow the choice.
1. CAPITAL GROWTH Analysis by the Blueprint Institute shows that over the last decade, fees at independent schools have risen by over 50 per cent nationwide. It’s a compelling reason to look for investments that can deliver long term capital growth such as shares, property and many exchange traded funds (ETFs). The downside is that capital growth is not guaranteed. Nor is it linear. You may enjoy big gains in some years, and negative returns in others. It’s important to be sure you can tolerate this level of risk.
2. TAX-FRIENDLY RETURNS Tax breaks should always be regarded as the icing on the cake, and not the main drawcard of an investment. Nonetheless,
assets such as shares, listed property and ETFs can offer tax savings on ongoing returns as well any capital gains.
3. LIQUIDITY Liquidity refers to the ease with which you can convert an investment into cash. It’s an aspect worth considering because while major costs such as school fees will be known in advance, other bills can crop up unexpectedly throughout the year. When this happens it’s helpful to be able to access investment funds quickly rather than resorting to a credit card or buy now, pay later to cover the cost.
4. FLEXIBILITY By flexibility, I mean both the ability to steadily add to your portfolio while you are accumulating funds for education, and also to draw down the cash gradually when the time comes to pay education costs. This means the bulk of your money is left working for you right up until your child’s school days are over.
5. LOW COSTS Aim to keep a lid on investment costs because they can eat away at returns, and leave you with less money to spend on your child’s education. That said, think about the value you’re getting from investment fees. Share-based ETFs, for instance, charge extremely low annual fees, yet they provide considerable diversification in a single asset. This can mean valuable savings on brokerage compared to investors who opt for direct share investments. After 20 years of writing for Transport & Trucking, this is Paul Clitheroe’s last column and we thank him for all his contributions. Paul Clitheroe is Chairman of InvestSMART, Chair of the Ecstra Foundation and chief commentator for Money Magazine.
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