Articles by James Stanford

It’s called the Mighty FC concept and is a one-off special that many fans hope could be made available in kit form. Jeep and Chrysler Group performance arm Mopar developed the Mighty FC for its annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah.  They also built a brilliant Jeep ute, called the J12, which indicates the company is considering introducing a working version of its Wrangler. The FC harks back to the rare Jeep cab-over produced from 1956 to 1965s, but is actually based on new Wrangler, which has been extensively modified.  The cabin was repositioned ahead of the front axle, the wheelbase was stretched significantly and a drop-side cargo box was been fitted that measures more than 2400mm. It bears a striking resemblance to the original rig thanks partly to the iconic seven-slot Jeep grille and unique flat nose.  The Wrangler cab section behind the doors was converted to a pick-up cab using a JK-8 conversion kit that is already on sale. It sits on a special Portal Axle set that provides ultimate ground clearance for off-road work. These axles can be sourced from Mopar and cost between $11,000 and $13,000. They are linked to King coil-over assemblies and Teraflex control arms. The FC rolls on relatively normal 17-inch alloys, but runs huge 40-inch chunky tyres for ultimate traction. There are big Hanson bumpers front and rear, with a hefty Warn winch bolted on the front. Custom plastic wheel arches protrude from the body to cover the wide wheels and a spare is located beneath the tray at the rear of the truck. Wrangler tail-lights have been re-used and if you look closely, you’ll spot a vertically-mounted Wrangler door handle being recycled as a lever to open the tailgate.  Jeep didn’t fiddle with the interior much, but did fit custom leather seats to lift the comfort to a level that wasn’t experienced by drivers of the original cab-over FC. The bright red J12 ute is also based on a Wrangler, but doesn’t look like one given its unique chrome grille and different headlights. Its design harks back to the Jeep Gladiator ute that was available from 1962 to 1971. It is based on an extended Wrangler chassis and features the Mopar’s JK8 ute conversion which has been extended so the bed measures close to 2000mm. A Mopar lift kit gives it handy ground clearance and 16-inch rims are fitted with go-anywhere 36-inch mud flinging tyres. Jeep has already presented a ute concept, actually called the Gladiator, back in 2004, but went cold on the idea of turning it into a production model. Does the appearance of a new ute concept mean Jeep is now working towards a Wrangler ute? Jeep boss Mike Manley says: “When we think about how Wrangler develops into the future, there are a few things we get constant feedback on. One is diesel and one is a pick-up.”  “The feedback we’ve had right now at the early stages thinking about the next generation Wrangler is important because then we can how to design those things, maybe, into that vehicle program.” So, that means a Wrangler ute is a possibility but not a certainty. Jeep may offer a Wrangler ute as a full-time niche model with the next generation model or it may continue with its current policy which is to offer a Mopar kit that allows for a regular Wrangler to be turned into a ute.  Jeep also showed a Wrangler packing a Hemi V8 at its Moab event and aims to offer it as a Mopar conversion kit

The Volkswagen eT is a concept van developed in conjunction with the German Post Office that could one day make delivering packages a much easier task. The eT is a fully electric van with in wheel motors that free up interior space. Interestingly, it is also loaded with hi-tech sensors and software that allows it to be operated semi-autonomously. VW says the van is able to follow the Postie as he or she walks to each house, allowing them to retrieve articles from the vehicle on the run rather than heading back to where the vehicle was parked. The eT also has a canine-like ability to respond to demands. The idea is that if the Postie gets ahead of the vehicle, pressing a button will make it come to them. If the Postie would rather drive the vehicle manually, without having to get in and out of the van, it is possible to use a `drive-stick' located on the passenger side of the vehicle. There is what is described as a "standing seat" which is a kind of bench, with no-backrest, which allows for great ease of access along with the sliding door that can stay open for low speed work. The idea here is that the Postie would prefer to get in and out of this side frequently as it faces the pavement. The eT has an electronically operated sliding door on the right-hand side for ease of access. VW says the electric eT will be put to work as part of a study to see whether the technology is ready for real world work. The electric vehicle chief at VW, Rudolf Krebs, says the eT is not going to put into production in the short term but does point to commercial vehicles of the future. "We must make plans today for what the world of lightweight commercial vehicles might look like starting in the second half of this decade, including with regard to electrical drives," he says.

Iveco Australia is in the final stages of Australian certification of the off-road Daily, which is already on sale in Europe. The Daily is Iveco's heavy hauling van, which is also available in a single cab-chassis and crew cab-chassis format.A high-riding 4x4 version has been on sale in Europe for years and Iveco Australia will start taking orders for it here next month. Iveco Australia presented two evaluation 4x4 Dailys at Melbourne's recent International Truck and Trailer Show.These models are rated to tow 3500kg and have a total weight limit (the combined weight of the vehicle, load and trailer) of 5500kg although the specification of the Australian vehicle has not been finalized.Iveco Australia application engineer, Christian Andel, says there is one reason the company decided to introduce the vehicle locally. "Customer demand," he says."I have been hearing about it for the last three years. They have been seeing it for years in Europe and they wanted it." Iveco Australia decided not to take the 4x4 Daily straight away because it wanted to make sure it was tough enough."We wanted to see some real world testing and they put it in Dakar, they have put them to work in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and they hammer them more than we do," Andel says. "If they can do that, they can do anything in Australia."The 4x4 Daily runs a full-time 4x4 system and comes standard with a centre and rear locking differential, while a front locking differential is optional. It runs a six-speed manual gearbox and has low-range function for crawling that means the driver can choose between 24 forward gear ratios and a four reverse gear ratios.The drive comes from a twin-turbo 3.0-litre four-cylinder Iveco turbo diesel that generates 127kW and 400Nm and runs a diesel particulate filter.

The innovative vehicle is being deployed by a handful of US councils  overwhelmed with the cost of patching up holes in the road. New York has  just released a Python in a bid to save time and money. The Python 5000 is a self-propelled pothole-patching machine. Instead of deploying a team of workers to secure an area, prepare the  area, add the bitumen and compact it, the Python 5000 is designed to do it all with just one worker. In typical American style, operating this machine requires very little effort and the driver can fix the pothole without leaving the comfort of  the cabin. Python Manufacturing says its invention means a standard pothole can be  repaired in just two minutes. The Python has an extendible hydraulic powered arm on the front that does all the work. It features a high-pressure air-hose, which the driver uses to blast any  dust and other loose material out of the pothole. The operator is then able to spray a sticky material into the pothole,  before pouring in the asphalt mix. It is able to use hot and cold bitumen and is able to warm up cold  bitumen as well. The arm then compresses the bitumen and the pothole is  history. Python says its machine offers clear visibility for the driver and can  also be driven to and from jobs at highway speeds. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg says the city is always looking for  more efficient ways to keep its roads in good condition and decided to  give the Python 5000 a go. "We're debuting new technology to repair city streets faster, while  closing less lanes to traffic," Bloomberg says. If it works in New York, expect the Python 5000 to become a much more  common sight.

Until now, drivers of the medium duty 500 models had no option but to change gears the traditional way despite automated transmissions increasing in popularity each year.  Called the ProShift 6, the new transmission is an automated version of the six-speed manual gearbox that is available as standard. It is a two-pedal system, which means the driver does not need to operate the clutch to get going or when coming to a halt, as is the case with some automated gearboxes.  The automated transmission will be available with the best-selling FC 1022 and FD 1124 500 Series to start with, but Hino Australia plans to make it available on heavier hauling models over time.  Hino Australia product chief, Alex Stewart, says the company needed to offer an automated option given the strong demand in the lower capacity end of the medium duty market.  "Over the last five years there has been an absolutely obvious trend of sales going in the direction of fully automatic or automated manual transmissions," he says.  "If you do a projection of those figures you can see that by 2015, 50 per cent of all trucks sold will be automated manuals or full automatic. If we didn't we would be missing out on a large section of the market." Stewart says not all customers are going to opt for the automated manual, despite its fuel economy advantages, because of a reduction in the gross combination mass (GCM), that is, the maximum weight of the truck, the load an the trailer.  "The FD 11-tonne truck has a GCM of 20 tonnes with a manual transmission, you put the automated manual in it and it has a GCM of 16 tonnes," explains Stewart. "That is pretty much normal for any manufacturer with an automated manual transmission."

And that’s both lighter on the wallet and on the planet. Mitsubishi Fuso previewed the second version of the diesel/electric model to be introduced locally in Melbourne earlier this month. Production of Australian models will start in September and the first batch of trucks expected to touch down around December. While Mitsubishi Fuso is yet to lock in pricing for the green machine, Mitsubishi Fuso technical manager Kevin Johnston says the company has worked to drive down the price of production to enable a lower purchase price.  He says the first hybrid truck demonstrated significant fuel savings and low emissions, but concedes it was expensive. "People bought the old model as a feel good, because it was green and so on, but did it make money? No," he says. It will be different this time around, Johnston says. "We are not trying to sell this as a feel good product, but as something that makes good business sense." While some high profile companies are keen to run low emission vehicles in their fleets, to help the environment as well as presenting a green image to the public, Fuso understands that hybrids will only start selling in volume when it makes sense from a purely financial perspective. "With the new vehicle we are a lot closer to the point where people will buy it because it will make business sense even if they don't care about the environment," Johnston says. The new Eco Canter runs a powerful electric motor, which can propel the truck by itself at low speeds and also assist the 3.0-litre diesel engine during acceleration.  It still has a lithium ion battery pack, but it is now simpler and cheaper to make and runs the same dual clutch automated manual transmission as the regular Canter.

The Maxus van will arrive here late this year. Birmingham-based van maker LDV introduced the van in 2004, but the company collapsed in 2009. That's when the Chinese giant Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) moved in and purchased the intellectual rights to the van. SAIC, which partners both General Motors and Volkswagen in its home market is China's largest carmaker. There is no word on whether SAIC intends to also export cars to Australia.  The Maxus V80 coming here is built by SAIC in China and is largely the same as the original version, although some minor changes have been made. It will be distributed by White Motor Corporation, the importer of Chinese Higer buses and JAC trucks. The large van will be pitched at European models from Fiat, Renault, Peugeot and Ford although it will come with a price advantage.  WMC officials were keen to point out that while the Maxus will be cheaper to buy and run than its European competitors, it will not be "dirt cheap". The vans are fitted with anti-skid brakes and dual front airbags. Electronic Stability Control is not available currently, but WMC is hoping the system will be available when the vehicle is launched or at least soon after.  Side airbags may also be added later. The extra safety gear will be crucial if the Maxus is to break into major fleets including the lucrative ambulance market. A high level of standard features will be offered to lure customers away from the Europeans including LED driving lights, dual sliding doors, alloy wheels, dual-zone airconditioning and on some models, reversing cameras and tyre pressure monitoring systems. The Maxus is a front-drive van that runs a common rail turbo diesel engine produced by Italian brand VM Motori, the same company that makes the diesels for several Holden vehicles. It is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder generating 100kW and 330Nm of torque and is linked up to a five-speed manual or option six-speed Allison automatic. The official fuel consumption figure is a reasonable but not class leading 7.7L/100km. WMC will bring in seven V80 models including three cargo versions and four passenger models. The passenger versions will include an 11 seat and 15 models in standard and luxury formats. The cargo van line-up will include a short wheelbase and long wheelbase with standard roof height as well as a long wheelbase version with a high roof. Load capacity will stretch from nine and 14 cubic metres, while the payload will peak at 1800kg. Working Wheels was able to examine the Maxus V80 at the International Truck Trailer and Equipment Show in Melbourne and the vehicles appear to be well made. While there were some minor imperfections visible with items such as interior trim, the quality of the surfaces and the fit and finish of exterior panels appeared to be a considerable step up on other Chinese commercial vehicle products. The exterior design is actually attractive, something that is not often the case with Chinese manufactured vehicles. In this case, the design was actually the work of the British LDV stylists and the shape has not changed since it was introduced. WMC managing director Jason Pecotic says the Maxus' mix of features, European feel and competitive prices will give the cargo and passenger models an edge in the market. He adds that the Maxus models could also appeal to customers who might have otherwise bought a people mover from an established brand. "They also represent a real challenger in the upper end of the people mover MPV market where they represent real value and serious alternative to Japanese and European models."

A truck fire at a St Patrick's Day celebration in Sedan, Minnesota, was put out by a cross dressing fire crew. Fire fighting volunteers Ted Aubart and Ben Tehaar were attending an annual parade dressed in flowing gowns to raise money for new fire fighting equipment when a truck caught fire nearby. Rather than wait for more appropriately dressed fire fighters to arrive, the pair rushed to their fire truck and promptly put out the blaze all the while wearing their best frocks.The incident was captured on video, and has gone viral around the world.

The company that has topped the Australian truck sales charts for more  than 20 years has released its latest truck package that is, perhaps not surprisingly, called the Tradepack. It is an NPR 200 that is set-up with much of the gear a tradie needs. The idea is that a tradie can buy the truck, turn the key and get to work, rather than wait weeks for a tray to be custom made. Even better, the NPR 200 Tradepack slips in a nudge under the 4.5 tonne Gross Vehicle Masss limit, which means it can be driven on a car  licence. Towing capacity comes in at a maximum of 3500kg, There are two versions, the standard Tradepack for $50,490 and the  Tradepack Premium for $52,490. The standard version comes with a heavy-duty aluminium tray measuring 4500mm by 2122mm with two-piece drop-down sides that sit 303mm tall. There is a ladder rack including three racks and the rear two can be removed to free up space in the tray. A genuine Isuzu tow bar, trailer wiring and chrome tow ball is also  fitted. Up front is an airbag compatible polished aluminium bull bar. To help tradies get to jobs on time, the standard Tradepack comes fitted with Navteq satellite navigation. The standard model comes with a five-speed manual gearbox, while the Premium version is fitted with a six-speed automated manual transmission  (AMT). Other upgrades for the Premium model include a lockable steel toolbox located, under the passenger side of the tray, which is painted with a  black powdercoat. The Premium version also gets a factory painted silver  cabin, a suspension seat for the driver, cruise control, automatic control for the airconditioning, front fog lights, a chrome girlle and an information display panel for the instrument cluster. Both Tradepack models are powered by a 5.2-litre four-cylinder turbo  diesel that generates 114kW and 419 Nm of torque.

It will go on sale in the middle of this year with the highest hauling rating despite using a smaller engine than the Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50, Nissan Navara V6 and Toyota Hilux. Holden is yet to reveal the maximum payload, that is, the amount in can carry on the tray or in the ute back. The top-spec Colorado will run a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel generating 132kW and 470Nm. It works with a six-speed automatic transmission, which can handle the higher torque figure. Customers can also select a lower output version of the same engine, which makes the same amount of power, but has 30Nm less torque. This unit is available with a five-speed manual gearbox. The entry-level diesel option will be the smaller 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel with 110kW and 350Nm of torque, which will be hooked up to a five-speed manual. This smaller powerplant doesn't quite match that of the larger engine, but is still a fairly handy 3000kg. Holden has decided against offering up a petrol variant, as is the case with the just-introduced Ford Ranger. More details on the Colorado, including pricing, will be released closer to the launch, which has been delayed due to floods near the Colorado factory in Thailand. The company has disclosed the new model will be available in three body styles, a single cab, a space cab and family-friendly crew cab with the choice of 4x2 or 4x4. Key safety features will be standard on the new model, which shares the same base as the Isuzu D-Max but wears a different skin and runs unique engines, including electronic stability control (ESC). Holden says it will also install front and side curtain airbags to all Colorado models as standard equipment. In a bid to have interested customers hang-on until the new ute arrives, Holden is sending out display Colorados to dealers in April.