Articles by James Stanford

Hybrid trucks must be affordable to be taken seriously. Mitsubishi Fuso obviously had this in mind when it developed the second-generation hybrid Eco Canter.It’s not perfect, but it does offer significant savings at a much more realistic price. To the first Eco Canter hybrid, you had to pay a 40 per cent premium over the standard truck. This time, the premium is just 14 per cent.The first model was really only bought by those who wanted to project a green image and were happy to wear the extra cost. This time around operators running in certain conditions can argue that buying one makes both financial and environmental sense.TECHNOLOGYThe green Canter runs the same 110kW/370Nm 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel as the regular model, but the hybrid also has an electric motor in between the engine and the transmission that contributes 40kW and 220Nm.The electric motor can lend a hand under acceleration and is even able to provide all the power the truck needs at low speeds, although the diesel still needs to tick over in order to provide assistance to the steering and other systems.Like car hybrids, the Eco Canter collects energy when it decelerates and sends it to a battery pack. Fuso has stuck with advanced lithium ion batteries, but the new cell design means they run cooler.The fuel economy savings of the hybrid system very much depend on the way the truck is being used. Fuso says that in stop-start conditions, the Eco Canter could use up to 25 per cent less than the regular model.DRIVINGWe drove the Canter in country and city conditions, running along the Great Ocean Road from Lorne to the centre of Geelong. It was too short a run to get a fuel reading, but it gave a good idea of what living with an Eco Canter would be like. The overall impression was that this is a good truck that could be better.Fuso decided to use the dual-clutch automated manual transmission, which is a fantastic gearbox when used with the regular Canter.It doesn’t work so well in the Eco Canter and our test truck changed gears in the strangest of places. Even after a software re-flash, the automatic still wasn’t as good as the last generation single clutch automated manual and that wasn’t a great transmission.It’s not clear whether the more complex dual clutch transmission is too complicated to work well with the electric motor or whether it is a matter of calibration.The Eco Canter certainly has ample performance. The acceleration is excellent and it works well enough at higher speeds too. If you feather the throttle, it is possible to use only the electric motor for momentum, but the diesel kicks if you accelerate briskly. The electric motor appears noisier than the last and there is quite an audible electric whirr as it builds up speed.The diesel engine cuts off when you pull up at an intersection to save fuel. As soon as you lift your foot off the brake, the engine cranks up again and away you go.Last time around the electric motor was used to crank the engine and it started extremely quickly. This time around, the regular starter motor is used and it takes longer.If you are the first person to move away from a set of lights, this is a problem and you will hold people up. If you are second or further from the lights and get a little anticipation time, it won’t be an issue. Fuso should look to sort the gearbox out, but the other issues are not major.The second generation Eco Canter is not quite as easy to live with as normal Canter, but it is super efficient and, for the first time, affordable. That alone means it’s worthy of a test drive.

It’s taken far too long, but the federal government has finally twigged that utes and vans carry people too. Since late 2011 -- and even earlier in Victoria -- all new ‘passenger cars’ sold in Australia must be fitted with Electronic Stability Control. There is no such rule for ‘light commercial vehicles,’ including vans and utes, even the top-selling crew cabs. Given many crew cabs are now used as second family cars, the legislation fell well short. Even if they don’t carry families, light commercial vehicles need to be driven by someone and surely a person that drives a van or ute all day deserves the same level of care as someone driving a passenger car. At long last, the government has just announced it plans to change the Australian Design Rules to mandate ESC for light commercials. It hasn’t set a date, but is calling for submissions before deciding the details of the policy including when it comes into play. In these cases the government usually gives manufacturers around one or two year’s notice, so they can start the development process for ESC systems, which begs the question: Why has the government taken so long to act? ESC, which reduces engine power and uses brakes to stop a vehicle from spinning or sliding out of control, has long been considered a lifesaver among safety experts and has been around since the mid 1990s. Interestingly, the European Union decided ESC should be made compulsory on cars and light commercials at the same time (from last year) and also requires it be fitted to heavy trucks. The US is also working towards mandating ESC on heavy trucks by 2016. No trucks, light or heavy, are required to run ESC systems in Australia and no date has been set for such a rule to be introduced.  

While it appears to be sitting on a launch-pad waiting for a count-down, the B-double is actually just dropping-off a load of woodchips. It is a dramatic example of how people come up with clever ideas to improve freight efficiency. The truck is owned by Porthaul and is dropping off at the Australian Bluegum Plantations load facility in Portland on Victoria’s west coast. The concept is simple, instead of the truck tipping up its trailers to drop off the chips, the truck is tipped up and they drop out. It looks like an expensive way to save a bit of time, but James Williamson, who works in the Porthaul family business with his father Brian and brother Edward, says it delivers a significant efficiency boost. “This way, we can get in, unload, and get out in 10 minutes,” James says. “Normally that would take around 45 minutes.” The normal unloading process takes so long because the rear trailer needs to be tipped up, emptied and then unhooked before the front one can be unloaded. The Porthaul trucks are driven on to the platform and the driver engages the brakes and flicks a switch that enables the trailers to come together when the platform is raised up. The truck isn’t actually locked in position with any shackles or chains, it just doesn’t roll back because there is a large steel barrier directly behind it. Porthaul has made some changes to its trucks, including special vents for the fuel tanks to handle the angle, and trailer doors that open automatically. The trailers don’t need a hydraulic lifting system, which saves weight, and most carry 45 tonnes of woodchips. Porthaul collects woodchips from around the Western region of Victoria and across the border into South Australia. The logs are still in one piece when the trucks turn up. “The logs go through a big saw and the chips come flying out at 2.5 tonnes a minute,” James says. “The chips get spat out with such force that if you put your hand in front of them, you would lose it.” The Porthaul fleet is made up of mostly American product including several Kenworths and a few Freightliners, but the company has recently added two R-Series Scanias. One of the Scanias, an R 620, is used in another part of the Porthaul business and delivers trees to Melbourne and returns with a load of green waste. It does the runs along with an American truck that is carrying an identical load. Porthaul says the Scania uses 40 litres less than the other truck every day. “That’s about a free tank of fuel every week,” James says. His Dad Brian thought the drivers might not be keen switching to the Swedish trucks, but was pleasantly surprised. “We couldn’t get them out of the Scania’s once they had a go,” Brian says. “They appreciate the comfort, the quietness and the features Scania has put in.” Rob Blackley drives a Scania R 560 for Porthaul and enjoys the truck, singling out the retarder, which slows the truck using the transmission rather than the brakes. “The truck is great. I love the retarder and I feel less tired at the end of the day.” Blackley says the comfort makes a big difference to him. “My back feels better and doesn’t play up anymore,” he says. The Scania R Series trucks are unique because they run V8 engines. The model names include the amount of horsepower the truck’s engine produces, which means the Porthaul Scanias generate 418kW (560hp) and 463kW (620hp). The most powerful model in the Scania range produces 545kW (R 730).  

If there is ever a global shortage of stainless steel, I know who to blame. My finger would be directed at the guys who build the incredible custom trucks that duke it out at the Mid America Truck Show’s Truck Beauty competition in Louisville. It is the first round of the national PKY Truck Beauty Championship, but one of the entrants tells me it is more important than the others. “This is the king of shows. You win here, you’ve pretty much won everything,” he says. The guy’s name is Jared Whittwer and we’re standing in front of his black Peterbilt show truck that he says owes him about $500,000. Yes, that’s right, half a million dollars. All that money and countless man-hours of work by him, custom truck builder Todd Roccapriore and others has created the truck called Family Buziness (his spelling not mine). Whittwer runs Utah’s Performance Diesel Inc, so the truck was always going to have some muscle under the bonnet. He settled on a whopping 1343kW (1800hp) and the wheels, a truly astounding amount of force. A hot camshaft, big intercoolers, special pipe work, bigger turbos and a mean engine tune all turned the C16 CAT into “an animal.” “When we put it on the (rolling road) dyno, if you don’t strap the front left side down, it will lift off the ground.” Whittwer says he spun a test truck, running this engine, at close to 200km/h when it started spinning the wheels. He didn’t crash but says he did need a new pair of underpants. The bodywork is remarkably detailed, with major sections designed to take on the shape of PDI’s logo. Even the turbo piping is shaped in a way that ties in the theme. But none of this is enough to secure Whittwer the win, which goes to another Peterbilt.  Whittwer was not the only one to spend up on his truck. More than 150 rigs enter this year’s Truck Beauty contest and none of them were done on the cheap. The car park behind the undercover part of the truck show is filled with three lines of trucks with so much stainless steel it would probably be visible from space when the sun shines. American trucks rule here, with Peterbilt a clear favourite from Kenworth and then Mack and the rest. The show-goers love the custom trucks and walk slowly through the rows admiring the craftsmanship, the paint and the chrome. Kenny Meadows has brought his six-year-old grandson, Issac, who is taking particular interest in a Peterbilt with a flaming paint job and stainless steel wheels sporting pointed studs straight from a Ben Hur chariot. “We like to look at some of the new trucks, but its really the pride and polish that we come for,” Kenny Meadows says. The crowd isn’t all male, lots of women come and check out the trucks and some couples even bring their dogs, who sit in baby strollers or special trolleys. Owners seem to spend as much time naming their trucks as they do working on them. Some of the more interesting were: Flirtin’ with Disaster, Cream Puff, Highway Vacation, Wicked Obsession and Slick. Most rigs have a special bonnet emblem, with everything from a Rolls Royce Spirit of Ecstasy, to cigarette smoking ducks and a pig with disturbingly green eyes. The owners also express themselves with interior touches. One rig features a steering wheel and giant gear-shifter made from steel chain links. Paint is one of the most important elements and some of the airbrushing can only be described as artwork. These guys seem to be less interested the kinds of murals you see at several Australian shows, opting more for certain colour combinations and patterns, with the odd picture. Even engines are included in the paint scheme. One truck has flames painted on the cylinder head and tube work, which could be seen as inviting disaster. Another truck owner chose to paint $100 dollar bills on the turbo tubing. It was drawn in a way that made it look like the notes were getting sucked into the engine. It was a clever observation of how costly these remarkably impressive machines can be.  

Making drivers sweat is not something truckmakers set out to do. But Freightliner is bucking that trend with a new feature that promises to turn a truck’s sleeper cab into a mobile gym. It’s called the Freightliner in Cab Training (FIT) system and was launched this week at the Mid America Truck Show in Louisville Kentucky. Truck drivers know all too well the challenge of staying fit and working long hours, sitting most of the time and putting up with an often-sporadic timetable. Then there is the lack of facilities. It’s not like drivers can go for a nice run around a park or pop into the gym. The FIT system is, like most good ideas, simple. It uses rubber resistance bands that are tied down to hooks at the bottom of the rear of the seats and on the wall of a sleeper cab. The hooks just slip in under the nut like a washer. This means the driver can close the curtains, pump up some music and get a workout. The FIT system was developed by Freightliner and American fitness company, Snap Fitness, which sent its development man, Sean Mohr, to demonstrate. Mohr says the fitness bands might be simple, but allow for a pretty serious workout. “Some people say you can’t get a good cardio workout with bands,” he says, before crouching down and springing up into a star jump and then back down again. A few minutes of that would tire all but the fittest person. He says truck drivers don’t have to do a lot of exercise to benefit from the FIT system. “If you hurt your shoulder, which is common for truck drivers because they haul themselves into the cab, they can do a very light and easy motion with one of the bands as an effective form of rehab.” Freightliner will sell the FIT kits for around $70 in the US and it plans to offer it in overseas markets in time. Customers will also have access to a range of instructional stories and videos from Freightliner.  

The bright blue monster, equipped with a massive stainless steel bull-bar was the feature truck for Western Star at the Mid America Truck Show, which opened last weekend in Louisville Kentucky. Emblazoned with Australian flags and kangaroo outlines, along with a dramatic background mural showing the truck with five trailers, the 4900SF created a big stir. Locals on their way to another part of the show floor would simply stop and look up at the mass of stainless steel that dominates the front end. “Damn, will you look at that,” says one person in a thick Southern drawl. “They drive them huge things down in Australia,” says his impressed buddy. “That’s some truck,” his mate concludes. A few minutes later, a woman stops and almost shrieks: “Oh my God, look at that thing.” Her partner says nothing and just shakes his head, as if to agree the truck is mighty impressive. Several more people comment on the daunting truck in the next few minutes and many of their responses are not fit to publish on this family website. It certainly seems the 373kW (500hp) 15-litre Australian road train generated the most excitement at the show and part of that is due to the size of the truck and the impressively brutal bull bar. That comes as no surprise in a country where truck bull bars are limited to the very far north where moose can cause problems. The wedding also attracts a lot of attention. Yes, that’s right, a wedding. Trucker Kevin Young and Shannon Mann tied the knot at the show in a ceremony that is simulcast on an American trucking radio station. It’s no surprise a couple would get married here because the Mid America show is a clear example that the lives of many drivers, and their families, revolve around their trucks. That’s perhaps why the show is so incredibly large, covering more than 111,000 square metres with more than 1000 companies represented. The big truck brands get plenty of attention, with new models and concepts, but much of the interest is in the many accessories halls. Here, truck-mad show goers ogle the chromed 10-inch exhaust stacks that are lined up like church organ pipes. They can wander into a clothing stall and decide whether or not buying a Peterbilt G-string (only the female version is available at the moment) is a good idea. Miles and miles of exhibitors offer up everything from sleeper bunk mattresses to chewing tobacco and ridiculously bright LED light sets. You can usually pick out the stands selling the more mundane products because they are often staffed by more obviously attractive women to try and generate some attention. The local Hooters restaurant has a presence, but no food. Instead, the gifted girls sell some merchandise and a lot of snap shots with grinning blokes for $5 a-piece. If there is a theme of the show, it would have to be the not-so-sexy, but very important issue of saving fuel. Most of the major truck brands display some sort of sleek truck concept or production model with aerodynamic aids such as flat wheel covers, flat side panels and trailer extensions to cut drag, reduce the strain on the truck and therefore bring down the fuel consumption. Several companies, including Volvo, International and Mack also talk up new natural gas powered engines that are in the pipeline. PACCAR sister brands Kenworth and Peterbilt display their new construction truck twins, the T880 and 567, which look tough, but it is the retro Peterbilt 389 and its super-long (and inefficient) bonnet, along with the gleaming grille and sparkling paint, that draw all the attention at its stand. Fuel savings might be important to owners and operators, but most people at the show don’t care less. Big, blokey trucks with more stainless steel than a high-end kitchen please the locals and Australia certainly did its bit to make them happy.  

The German giant has developed a concept vehicle that demonstrates the potential benefits of building a van designed without a conventional internal combustion engine. It's called the e-Co-Motion and is a zero emissions (at least from the exhaust pipe) delivery van. At this stage it is very much a concept that maps out how Volkswagen would go about building an electric van. While there is no concrete plan to build the e-Co-Motion, which was presented for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show last week, Volkswagen is measuring the interest to determine how much demand there would be should it go into production. There are a few electric vans available at the moment, with more coming this year, but all these vehicles are compromised because they are converted electric versions of a van developed with a petrol or diesel engine in mind. This means the engineers have to work around the packaging limitations of a van with a large space for an engine that is no longer required. Volkswagen's e-Co-Motion was developed from the ground up as an electric-only model, meaning there is as much space as possible available for cargo. It is not overly large, 4550mm long, 1900mm wide and 1960mm tall, and yet the eco van has a cargo capacity of 4.3 cubic metres and a payload of 800kg. Volkswagen designers were able to achieve this space efficiency by packaging all the running gear below a flat floor. The electric drive motor, the gearbox and batteries all fit in a relatively narrow section underneath the cabin and load area. Volkswagen mounted the electric motor on the rear axle together with a single speed planetary gearbox. Making the van rear-drive means it has a better turning circle than a front-drive version and it also doesn't require a driveshaft running from the front-mounted engine like other rear-drive machines. The maximum power outlet is 85kW, while the torque peak is 270Nm, all of which is available almost instantaneously. This is enough for the e-Co-Motion to hit a top speed of 120km/h. The range can be determined by the most expensive part of the electric van - the battery pack. Volkswagen says the van could be offered with three different battery packs starting off with a unit with 20 kiloWatt hours (KwH), which is good for 100km of driving. A 30kWh pack would enable 150km of range, while the 40kWh unit would drive the van for up to 200km. Running electric drive would also free up room in the cabin. Instead of having to sit above or behind the engine, the cabin has a low flat floor. This not only creates more headroom, but also enables easy entry and the ability to walk through the cabin. The passenger seat can also be folded to allow the driver to enter or exit the vehicle from both sides of the cabin. This could increase safety by allowing the driver to step out of the kerbside of the van instead of stepping out into traffic. Volkswagen says the flat floor design also means a wide range of different body styles could be developed for minimal cost. The VW board of management speaker, Dr Eckhard Scholz, says electric light commercial vehicles could play a crucial role in the future, especially in mega cities. ''Freight trains and conventional or hybrid-power high capacity lorries would deliver goods to the city limits,'' he says. ''Then, at transfer stations, smaller electric delivery vans would take over.''

At the same time, Renault has added a manual version of the regular sized petrol version, setting a new entry-level price of $20,990. Renault has decided to cut the regular wheelbase diesel Kangoo from the line-up, reasoning that most customers would opt for the bigger model. The Maxi is a longer wheelbase model that adds 384mm to the van’s length and increases the cargo room over the old version by 33 per cent to 4.0 cubic metres. It can also carry heavier gear, with the payload increasing by 25 per cent over the standard vehicle to 800kg. The Maxi gets a boost under the bonnet. It runs the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel as before, but power is up 25 per cent to 82kW and torque rises by 17 per cent to 240Nm. The only transmission available is a six-speed. The fuel economy is still excellent, with an official fuel consumption average of 5.5-litres per 100km. Renault has set the price of the Maxi diesel at $24,990. It comes with sliding doors on both sides as well as barn doors at the rear. A liftgate hatch is available as a no-cost option. The petrol Kangoo, now available with petrol or automatic has 3.0 cubic metres of cargo space and 650kg and dual sliding doors. While the five-speed manual petrol is $20,990, the petrol four-speed automatic costs $22,990. Renault has removed the body-coloured bumpers and wing mirrors as well as wheel covers on the Kangoos and says the new unpainted bumpers will be cheaper to replace. Customers will be able to select body-coloured bumpers in the Premium Pack, which costs $3000 and includes sat-nav, rear parking sensors, a wooden cargo liner, fog lamps and side airbags.  

It has teamed up with special vehicle company Byron Group to provide an option for groups or individuals with limited mobility. These kind of wheelchair access features have been available for other vehicles, but they are normally fitted after the vehicle has been purchased and are not covered by the original manufacturer's warranty. In the case of the LDV, the customer can simply order the complete vehicle from the LDV showroom. There are three different options available, all featuring a rear-mounted wheelchair lift. One consists of nine seats plus a wheelchair, five seats plus two wheelchairs or four seats plus three wheelchairs. Other options, including access steps, hand-rails, access steps and flooring systems are also available. Apart from its work with wheelchair accessible vehicles, Byron Group modifies vehicles for service as ambulances, builds niche heavy vehicles and also has an aviation division. It's owned by Accessible Transport Solutions and the general of that company, Arthur. Nersisyan, says the tie-up between Byron Group and LDV will be a positive for customers. "The partnership with LDV will benefit the end user by providing more vehicle choices and will ensure more cost effective solutions for a range of uses," he says. LDV has just been launched in Australia by White Motor Corporation, which also imports Chinese Higer buses brand Chinese truck brand JAC. The regular LDV range kicks off at $32,990, while the cost of the wheelchair accessible vans depends on the individual specification. The vans are powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder common rail VM Motori turbo diesel that generates 100kW and 330Nm. LDV offers a short wheelbase standard roof model and a long wheelbase version with a mid-roof and high-roof. Cargo capacities run up to 12 cubic metres and payloads stretching from 1300kg to 1800kg.  

The Chinese vehicle importer, which brings in JAC trucks, SAIC built LDV vans and Higer buses, said it had planned to introduce a ute and two vans produced by JAC to Australia by the start of this yea