UNPLUGGED - US TRUCK OPERATORS SHOW RETICENCE TO ELECTRIC TRUCK SWITCH

A SURVEY by a US truck website has found that more than three-quarters of US truck drivers indicated they would never add an electric truck to their fleet.

The survey conducted by Commercial Truck Trader, reveals that US truck operators do not appear to be eager to purchase electric trucks, with 79 per cent saying they would never add an electric vehicle to their fleet. Just 13 per cent of operators surveyed said that they would maybe add an electric truck, while just five per cent said they will buy an electric truck straight away, while 4 per cent indicated they will buy electric within five years.

More than 40 per cent of those surveyed said they would buy an electric vehicle to save money at the fuel pump, while about 20 per cent said they would purchase an electric truck because they produce lower emissions. Around 30 per cent of those surveyed indicated they would buy an electric vehicle because they require less overall engine maintenance.

Close to 60 per cent said they were worried about the low range and battery life, while close to 50 per cent were concerned about the time it takes to charge a battery. Around 45 per cent said they could see issues with finding a charging station, while only 11 per cent of those surveyed found no drawbacks to electric trucks.

Some operators said they were waiting for others to become early adopters of electric trucks before pulling the trigger themselves. The survey showed that about 30 per cent of those surveyed would feel differently if there were testimonials from current electric truck owners, while more than 20 per cent said seeing other fleets with electric trucks would change their opinion.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on 31 March, granted permission for California’s stringent future Advanced Clean Trucks rule, giving the state approval for two waivers of preemption to install emission standards that are stricter than federal regulations, which will mean California will require half of all new heavy-duty vehicles sales to be electric by 2035, but so for many operators electric trucks may come sooner than many are currently comfortable with.

Under the California plan manufacturers who certify Class 2b to 8 chassis or complete vehicles with combustion engines will be required to sell zero-emission trucks as an increasing percentage of their annual California sales from 2024 to 2035.

By 2035, zero-emission truck/chassis sales will have to account for 55 per cent of light duty Class 2b-3 truck sales, 75 per cent of medium- heavy Class 4-8 trucks, and 40 per cent of heavy prime mover sales.

Although California is the only state allowed to receive a waiver of preemption, other states can potentially follow suit. From 11 April, six states also adopted California’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule, including Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

At the US federal level, the EPA implemented a final rule on 27 March that deals with heavy-duty truck emission standards, which increases the current standards by 80 per cent. The program will begin with model year 2027, which is the earliest year the new standards can be applied. Congressman. Troy Nehls, a Texas Republican submitted a joint resolution in opposition of the EPA’s final rule, while in February, Republican Senator. Deb Fischer, from Nebraska introduced a similar measure in the Senate, while the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association also has spoken out against the EPA rule.

“If small-business truck operators can’t afford the new, compliant trucks, they’re going to stay with older, less-efficient trucks or leave the industry entirely, once again, the EPA has largely ignored the warnings and concerns raised by truckers in this latest rule,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said.

SCANIA HAS CLEARLY STATED THAT ITS NEW DOUBLE OVERHEAD CAM DIESEL ENGINES WILL BE THE LAST INTERNAL COMBUSTION TRUCK POWER PLANTS IT AND ITS PARENT COMPANY TRATON WILL DEVELOP BEFORE WE RUSH HEADLONG INTO THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF ZERO EMISSION. WE HAD THE CHANCE TO DRIVE BOTH THE ‘SUPERMARKET SPEC’ 460P AND THE LINE HAUL TUNED 560 R VERSIONS OF THE SWEDISH MAKER’S NEW MACHINES AND WE RECKON THEY WILL SELL AS MANY AS THEY CAN BRING IN.

As the sun rose on a clear Autumn morning, we eagerly prepared for the road test of two of Scania’s new Super models, both the 560 and its smaller counterpart, the 460. New trucks from a maker that is well known as a heavy-duty specialist and revered for its exceptional levels of performance and reliability.

We were keen to get behind the wheel and experience both of the new Scanias, particularly since the company has already stated quite plainly that this will be the last new internal combustion engine it will develop ahead of the long transition to zero emission trucks.

The new engines have been developed across the Traton family and are already being used in trucks from its US Navistar operation in International trucks, and will we imagine likely find their way into MAN models in due time.

The Scania Super is a further refinement of what is already one of the most impressive European prime movers in the market both with the smaller P cabin of the 460 and the larger R cab 560. It would be difficult to pick a Super from a previous model Scania at first glance, apart from the obvious badges.

The new trucks have the same sleek design, with subtle aerodynamic curves, which exude a sense of strength and sophistication.

We had been given the chance to drive both of the new Scania Super models back to back enabling us to assess two variants of the new twin overhead cam six cylinder diesel powerplant.

The new engine is only part of the deal, along with the powerplant, the transmission and axles have been refined and matched, to foster even better performance from what is an impressive, powerful, low-revving, torquey unit that delivers fuel economy that is up to eight per cent better than similar power plants.

As we said the new Super engines are double-overhead-cam configuration and will be available in a number of variants from 420 to 560hp and delivering up to 2800Nm of torque.

But as mentioned the new iteration of Scania’s Opticruise AMT transmission along with axles that have been refined and re-engineered to lower engine revs to ensure the truck stays in best rev band for maximum torque while using minimal fuel. We got to sample both the 460 P with a single semi trailer and the larger 560 R cab model hauling a B Double rig. We drove both trucks up the demanding Calder Highway from Melbourne to Bendigo and back and in both instances we recorded strong fuel economy and impressive performance as well as a really noticeably quiet ambience in both trucks.

The 460 P with the smaller and lower height cab was specced in the sweet spot for logistics operations, or as some makers are referring to it, the ‘Linfox’ spec, the 13 litre Super engine was tuned for the less demanding needs of metropolitan and inter urban logistics operations with the 460 horsepower enough to give it strong performance hauling a single with a shade under 40 tonnes gross.

The larger 560 R is an impressive rig and proved that it can easily cope with the rigours of interstate line haul with low fuel consumption aiding the argument for lower cost and lower fuel consumption engines in what sometimes can be an application that attracts a horsepower arms race when it doesn’t need to.

The R cab is the top of the range and ideally suited for interstate line-haul work, with plenty of room for the driver to grab some shut eye and to store gear while on the road.

The Super 560 was grossing around 60 tonnes with its B Double set.

The first thing that you notice when cruising on the highway with the Super 560 R is its quietness. The new engines and the revised cab insulation means that the power plant is a distant hum, not an obtrusive rumble as it often is with many trucks.

Both trucks tackled the climbs up the ranges to Bendigo with relative ease, powering along and aided by the even faster shifts of the revised Opticruise. Our drive came just a few days after the trucks completed a major customer and dealer launch event at the Anglesea proving ground south of Melbourne, where Scania showed the trucks to customers, who apparently are super keen on the new truck. In fact Scania has been taking orders for the new truck since last March and demand has not surprisingly been strengthened by the launch event.

Fuel economy was outstanding on both with the 460 returning just shy of three km/litre and the 560 close to 2.3 km/litre, which given the terrain was absolutely outstanding.

The return leg, ‘downhill’ to Melbourne again showed the benefit of the outstanding and renown Scania retarder which has been boosted further with the addition of Scania’s new Compression Release Brake (CRB), which is a separate system from the retarder, working independently and which has been able to be developed because of the new double overhead cam architecture of the engine.

There is, we are told, nothing that has been carried-over from the previous engines with everything being redesigned from the injectors to the fuel pump, to the crank, and of course the twin cam design.

With the engine rumbling to life, we set off onto the open road. The Scania 560 Super effortlessly glided through the gears, and we were impressed by the smoothness of the transmission. The acceleration was brisk, and you could feel the quiet fuss free and smooth torque of the 560 engine as it effortlessly propelled the truck forward.

As we powered up the highway, we were blown away by the Scania 560 Super’s handling and stability. Despite its size and weight, the truck felt remarkably agile and responsive. The advanced suspension system soaked up bumps and potholes with ease, providing a comfortable ride even on rough roads.

One of the standout features of the Scania 560 Super was its cutting-edge safety technology. The truck was equipped with a host of advanced safety features, including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and collision mitigation system, which kept me confident and secure throughout the journey.

As we tackled the various terrains, including the steep climbs, the Scania Super’s effortlessly conquered them all. The engine’s power was always readily available, and the transmission shifted smoothly to keep the truck in the optimal gear for maximum performance.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Scania 560 Super was its fuel efficiency. Despite its powerful engine, the truck delivered excellent fuel economy, which was surprising for a vehicle of its size and power.

As the road test came to an end, we were thoroughly impressed with the Scania 560 Super. Its new engine, advanced safety features, superior handling, and excellent fuel efficiency made it a top contender in the heavy-duty truck segment.

The Scania 560 Super had truly lived up to its reputation as a reliable and highperformance truck that was a pleasure to drive.

In conclusion, the road test of the Scania Supers was a memorable experience. Both trucks exceeded expectations in terms of performance, safety, and fuel efficiency.

Driving the new Scania’s was a great experience, and it left us with a deep appreciation for the engineering prowess and innovation that went into creating Scania’s last internal combustion engine and the trucks to wrap those in.

Supply will be Scania’s biggest challenge with these new trucks but we feel sure they will be a huge hit in this market if they can secure enough to satisfy demand.

We hope to have a longer drive of the new Super range in the near future.

THE TRUCK BUSINESS IS ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS. TONNAGE, LENGTH, NUMBER OF PALLETS, HORSEPOWER AND TORQUE RATINGS, SIZE OF THE SLEEPER, BUMPER TO BACK OF CAB DIMENSIONS, DIFF RATIOS, THE NUMBERS GO ON AND ON. ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS ARE NOTHING NEW, BUT THEY GAINED ADDED RELEVANCE RECENTLY WHEN WE HAD THE CHANCE TO DO A ROAD TEST IN A FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA 126 CONFIGURED FOR 34 PALLETS USING A B DOUBLE SET UP. SEE WHAT WE MEAN? NUMBERS, NUMBERS EVERYWHERE BUT WHAT DO THEY ALL MEAN?

Freightliner in Australia had hoped to be selling more of its Cascadias since it launched America’s top selling heavy duty truck here in 2019. However the ravages of Covid, the supply chain issues that have beset the planet, and a misguided belief by many that the Cascadia did not measure up well for B Double operations having all seemingly conspired against it so far. The consequence of all that is that is that the numbers ( there’s that word again) have been modest when it comes to Cascadia sales volume and market share, and while most of this can be attributed to the trickle of trucks available to Stephen Downes and his team at Daimler Trucks Australia, there is no escaping the situation that there has been some market resistance.

Part of that can be sheeted home to some residual reputation from some bad early Argosy publicity ( you only get one chance to make a first impression), and part of it is that belief amongst some that the dimensions are wrong for a B Double line haul operation.

The Argosy backwash was so long ago and so misplaced today that it astounds us that it still gets mentioned, while the dimension situation is also not valid either, which was why we had the chance for a reasonable drive in a Cascadia with a 26 metre 34 pallet B Double.

The truck we were set to drive was a big banger 16 litre 600hp Cascadia 126 model with a 36 inch sleeper cab. It can also be specced with a 48 inch or a 60 inch sleeper, but for this exercise with the purpose of proving that the spec will work with a 34 pallet set up, the 36 inch not only worked but provided plenty of room.

The task we had was to pilot the Cascadia along with Daimler engineer, Darryl Fourter, from Daimler Trucks dealership, Velocity Truck Centre in Laverton on the western outskirts of Melbourne to Mildura. Heading west up the stern climbs to Ballarat and then through the quaintly named Pyrenees region of Central Victoria and then up through the Wimmera to Mildura was our planned route.

It was a typical hot and sunny early Autumn day in Western Victoria as we pounded the highways on the way to our goal in the capital of Sunraysia.

A few weeks after completing the drive, in fact the day before this story was written, a discussion point came up on ABC Local Radio about the imminent death of manual transmissions in cars but equally in trucks. It made us cast our minds back a couple of weeks to the Cascadia drive and the pleasure of the DT12 AMT gearbox, which had made our drive to Mildura so effortless and easy. When drivers tell us they prefer a manual we usually ask them if they have driven the latest crop of AMTs, like the DT12. Most who prefer shifting themselves haven’t driven trucks with AMTs, if they have the opinion usually changes pretty quick.

In this instance the departure from Laverton again proved the benefits and the ease of operating with the AMT. It shifts quickly, allows strong acceleration in traffic and enables the driver to concentrate of steering the truck and avoiding the kamikaze car pilots and tradies in their overloaded utes. Before that however, we re-familiarised ourselves with the Cascadia and its key points. It had been about two years, in the midst of the first stanza of the pandemic, since we drove a Cascadia 126 from Sydney to Murwillumbah, just short of the closed Queensland border. We enjoyed that drive immensely and it again reinforced the efforts Daimler had gone to in Australia with the testing and development of the Cascadia for local conditions. In fact they claim to have spent around $100 million on the development program for our conditions, and that is noticeable when you steer a Cascadia. It is a long way from those early Argosy models.

Climbing aboard the Cascadia 126, as we mentioned and as you can see from the photos, it was not difficult to know that this truck was a 126, and that it had the 36” sleeper as well as a 34 pallet B Double set up. Those numbers were there for the world to see, clearly to press the point with other truck operators along the highways this truck would be traversing.

Interestingly, despite the relatively low numbers that have been popping up against Freightliner in the TIC truck sales figures each month, anecdotally at least, we have to say that we are starting to see a lot more Cascadia’s on the main interstate routes. We are not sure if this is because the Cascadia’s distinctive aero shaped ‘conventional bonneted’ styling stands out particularly or what, but if, as has been the case, that they’ve been selling around 40 a month for the past 40 months then there should be around 1500 or so Cascadia’s on our roads, which probably explains why we are seeing so many of them.

Climbing up into the cab has a degree of familiarity about it, for despite the fact that the Cascadia was very definitely designed and engineered in the US, there is more than a touch of family resemblance with the cab of its sibling Mercedes Actros.

The new digital-dash version in the Freightliner we were testing looked a lot like the one we had driven in an Actros recently. The dash has a 12.3-inch screen with a digital tacho and speedo as well as other ancillary gauges, trip data and adaptive cruise control information. However the new digital dash is an option on the Cascadia, which would normally come with the standard analogue dash. Given the choice we would go with the digital version because of the great design and ease of use as well as the added information that can be accessed by the driver.

Across to the left of the main dash is the centrally mounted 10-inch infotainment touchscreen which gives the driver easy access to a plethora of information and settings, including nav, audio, with Carplay and Android Auto interface and good old terrestrial radio.

As we mentioned, everything is easy to operate and use along with all the switchgear, which includes two banks of switches for such things as the diff locks, lane departure warning switch as well as cabin lighting etc..

The air-conditioning and heating controls are to the left and are operated by conventional dials. Controls for Cruise Control, scrolling through the various info screens and audio controls can be accessed on the toggle switches on the steering wheel as well as through the screen controls, just like it is on the Actros. It is logical, particularly for fleets that may only buy Daimler product, delivering a degree of familiarity between the various Daimler brands, allowing drivers to more quickly adapt. powered us along nicely and the generally easy flow, good gearing and final drive and the aero shape of the Cascadia meant that fuel economy was also excellent with the numbers indicating an average of 1.87 km /litre on the run to Mildura.

The cab with its flat floor between the two Isri suspension seats for driver and passenger, enables easy movement around the interior and access to the sleeper bunk.

Not surprisingly for a truck from the Daimler family, the Cascadia has an impressive array of safety features and technologies. The list includes standard ABS, ESP, seatbelt pretensioners, radar adaptive cruise control, and autonomous emergency braking, to avoid or reduce the impact of collisions.

Once out on the Western Motorway heading toward Ballarat the ride in the Cascadia was smooth and comfortable and tracked well on the at time bumpy and badly maintained tarmac. The Cascadia’s rear airbag suspension and its taper leaf front springs delivered across all the road conditions while the typical accurate and precise Daimler steering allowed for an easy and comfortable drive , whether on the motorway or the narrow bitumen as we headed north-west into the Wimmera.

While we admit we did not use the sleeper for shut eye for the evening in Mildura, choosing instead to take a bed in a hotel for the night, the sleeper bed looked very comfortable and one of our colleagues who did sleep in it for the night reckoned it was extremely comfy and easy to sleep in. Certainly the flat floor of the cab makes the whole sleeping experience a lot easier, given you can easily stand and change into your ‘jarmies’ and equally to get ready for the day’s drive ahead. There appears to be plenty of storage space and nooks to safely stow things and be able to easily access the next day.

By the time we reached Mildura mid-afternoon we felt like we could have continued on perhaps on down to Adelaide or turned right across the Murray and headed East to Sydney across the Hay Plain, such was the level of ease and comfort in the Cascadia after 540 km of driving. We could easily have knocked out another 1000km without raising a sweat.