A Monthly Update of Global Trucking News

Compiled Exclusively for FleetWatch by Frank Beeton of Econometrix (Pty Ltd.

Magnum Opus

Magnum OPUS ... a driver’s status symbol with an accomodation capsule, elevated seating ... more cab space!

WorldWatch could make all sorts of witty comments about the Renault Magnum being a "high profile" truck and having achieved "new heights" in cab design but the truth of the matter is that this model did break the traditional mould in forward-control cab design thinking when it first appeared back in 1991.

Faced with the challenge of providing long-distance drivers with more than just adequate living space while they were on the road for extended periods, Renault overcame the perennial problem of "dog box" intrusion by the simple expedient of removing any evidence of the engine cover from the cab space altogether! All that was required was to create an accommodation "capsule" that was elevated above the mechanical components and thus provide a flat floor for the driver's and crew's convenience. Of course, this positioned both the cab and the driver's seat on very high datum levels. The overall shape was also rectangular, making the aerodynamic performance not quite as good as lower profile competitors. Some drivers were initially quite intimidated by the elevated seating position which also tended to accentuate sensitivity to the lateral and longitudinal pitching of the cab on its suspension, especially when experienced through the "seat of the driver's pants".

Despite these initial reservations, Magnum became a status symbol for drivers and has enjoyed a long and successful life. In 1997, the model underwent a fairly substantial upgrade of the cab's interior, including improvements to legroom and the provision of a swiveling passengers' seat, although exterior changes were restricted to cosmetic revisions to the radiator grille. Concurrently, the engine range, all sourced from Mack in the USA, covered power outputs from 287 kW to 412 kW.

Then, in 2001, came a more substantial facelift with far more aggressive treatment of the headlights and grille, although the overall structural shape was basically unchanged. On the mechanical front, the 16,4-litre Mack V8 was dropped from the engine line-up leaving the 12-litre Mack E-Tech 6-in-line power unit - with three optional power ratings - as the only available basic engine. Output options, with Euro 3 compliance, were set at 300, 330 or 360 kW. The transmission was also changed from the original in-house Renault B9 and B18 range-change family to the bought-in ZF Ecosplit, in either manual or semi-automatic ASTronic versions.

It should be noted that in addition to the mainstream European 4x2 Magnum, special 6x4 variants had also been created for specific overseas export markets. The Mack-badged Australian version, in 2003, was equipped with a Cummins Signature 520 engine of 388 kW output, driving through an Eaton Fuller RTLO 20918B 18-speeder, with dual Hendrickson drive axles on air suspension at the rear. The rated GCM was 70 000 kg - 10 tons less than the South African 6x4 version, which retained the Mack E-Tech engine with 347 kW output, coupled to a Euro-spec ZF 16S 181 gearbox, and employing a steel-sprung hub reduction rear end.

Given the somewhat offbeat nature of the Magnum when viewed against its more conventional siblings within the Volvo/Renault/Mack world alliance, considerable speculation emerged in the new millennium about the product's future and, assuming that it was to be continued, how much its personality would eventually be submerged into a more "compliant, group" format. On the other side of the coin, some fairly wild images surfaced in the media during 2004 purporting to show new directions under consideration by Renault Trucks for Magnum cab styling.

Now, early in 2005, a new Magnum has finally emerged and it has not changed all that much - at least from a visual perspective. The cab has been widened by 5 mm but otherwise still continues the square styling theme first seen in 1991 and subsequently updated in 2001. Under the cab, however, there has been considerable change with the Mack-sourced engine line-up now having been replaced by the Euro-3 compliant DXi 12 power unit, developed off the basic cylinder block of Volvo's D12 inline-six.

The Magnum engine is available in only two settings: 320 kW/2040 Nm or 360 kW/2240 Nm and drives through a choice of ZF 16S 221 direct top, or 16 181 OD overdrive 16-speed manual transmissions. If an automated mechanical gearbox is preferred, the Optidriver II 12-speed, which is Renault's version of Volvo's I-Shift, is available.

Other less instantly visible changes include an all-new high resistance steel chassis frame, a choice of single or double-reduction drive axles sourced from the Volvo/ArvinMeritor global joint venture in France, and new front axles with capacities of up to 8 tons. The vehicle's electronic architecture, which is intended to enhance fuel consumption and can provide short-term power and torque boosts under specific conditions, is complimented by an electronic braking system controlling the vehicle's disc braking system, engine brake management on slippery surfaces and hill start assistance. Electronic Stability Control is also available as an option.

No plans have been announced, at this stage, for the continuation of special export versions of the new Magnum and speculation continues over the appearance of an oft-rumoured Volvo D16-powered version for Australia. In the launch publicity, Renault went to considerable effort to justify the positioning of the new version in the 320-360 kW band, saying that only 9% of trucks sold in the 2003 extended European truck market (including Turkey) had power outputs above 360 kW.

Does this mean that Renault Trucks no longer sees Magnum as a prestigious flagship and is now quite happy to acknowledge Volvo's FH16 as the premier model in their global truck alliance? Ever-so-slowly, the rationale behind the hugely relevant Renault/Nissan/Volvo/Mack partnership is starting to emerge, although some elements, such as the recent reported sale by Renault of its 17,88% shareholding in Japanese specialist truckmaker Nissan Diesel to undisclosed buyers outside of the group, still defies any obvious explanation. 

Ashok Leyland's growing footprint

One of the less visible partnerships in the global truck industry has been that between the Fiat Group's commercial vehicle specialist arm Iveco and Indian manufacturer Ashok Leyland.

Ashok Leyland is India’s second largest manufacturer of medium / heavy commercial vehicles

The latter company, which still proudly displays the "L"-centered catherine wheel logo that was created to symbolize the formation of the British Leyland mega-conglomerate in the 1960s, is India's second-largest manufacturer of medium and heavy commercial vehicles. After having started off in 1948 assembling Austin products in India, Ashok Motors entered an agreement during the 1950s to manufacture a product range licensed from the Lancashire factories of Leyland Motors Limited. As it turned out, Ashok Leyland has outlived its iconic business partner and currently manufactures a wide range of trucks (between 7,5 and 49 tons GVM) and buses (19 to 80 seat carrying capacity) using varying levels of Iveco and Hino technology.

During February 2005, the Hinduja Group - which controls 51% of Ashok Leyland's shareholding - and Fiat SpA, Iveco's parent company, reportedly signed a new agreement which will extend co-operation between the two commercial vehicle manufacturers. In terms of this new relationship, additional new technology and product opportunities are due to flow from Iveco to Ashok Leyland, while the two manufacturers will jointly develop new export markets.

In particular, Iveco's existing two joint ventures with Yuejin Motor Group and Changzhou Bus Corporation in China, are seen as representing a major opportunity for the Indian manufacturer in that burgeoning market. Additional opportunities are also perceived - through co-operation with Iveco - in Iran and Russia while Ashok Leyland's existing assembly operations in Sri Lanka and Egypt have been identified as potential market expansion opportunities for Iveco. 

Cat A/T-tack!

Caterpillar CX31 Transmission

Caterpillar Inc. has made a highly interesting announcement that it is about to enter the market for fully automatic planetary vehicle transmissions. Reportedly based on established and well-proven designs for transmissions developed for Caterpillar's own Articulated Dump Trucks, these units are intended for use in vocational vehicles such as refuse collectors, truck mixers and tippers, and will be available for general sale by 2006.

The range will initially consist of the six-speed CX31 transmission which is intended for use with Caterpillar's C11, C13 and C15 on-highway truck engines and the super-heavy-duty 8-speed CX35, which is suitable for higher powered C15 ratings. It appears that Caterpillar intends to offer its own integrated engine-transmission "packages" and it is not clear, at this stage, if its transmissions will be made available for pairing with other makes of engine.

New Technology Directions

With the price of crude oil tending ever higher, considerable debate has emerged over where the world's vehicle manufacturers should be headed with fuel-saving and cleaner environmental technology.
 

General Motors has the diesel electric GM Hybrid Bus

In the light vehicle arena, there has emerged a fairly clear cut choice between hybrid drivelines (in essence a fossil fuel engine generating electrical power which is then used to drive the vehicle), and hydrogen fuel cells, which replace the fossil fuel engine as the electricity generator in the previous equation. To most manufacturers, the choice has been to either run with hybrids now or plunge into the development of the hydrogen option, which is only expected to become commercially viable in another 8-10 years' time. There is another interesting variation (championed by BMW), which says that ordinary internal-combustion engines can also be adapted to run on hydrogen instead of fossil fuel. Interestingly, increased recent public support for hybrids has caused some hydrogen-school devotees to rethink their short-term options.

In the heavy vehicle arena, considerable emphasis has been placed on Natural Gas used in converted diesel engines, mainly where a quick fix to specific environmental challenges has been necessary. Otherwise, in the wider debate, trucks and buses can use the same options as their smaller brethren. Numerous concept trucks using various hybrid and hydrogen-based solutions have been displayed on shows and many are operating in (mainly government-funded) demonstration projects. General Motors has also pushed ahead with the development and sale of diesel-electric hybrid transit buses, to some effect. 

However, because of the greater challenges facing road transport when it comes to adopting new technology - such as the need for instant reliability and cost-effectiveness - we may well see some additional interim steps coming into play in the medium term. Just at the moment, a technology called Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition seems to be gaining favour as a means of improving the ignition and economy performance characteristics of reciprocating engines by a considerable margin. HCCI is employed in a fairly conventional piston engine environment, but uses lean-burn, low-temperature techniques to achieve increased thermal efficiency in the engine and the elimination of nitrogen oxides in the emissions. This technology, which can be applied to a variety of fuel types, has been touted as a natural for trucks by 2020, although considerable development to control the combustion process must still take place.

Increases in traffic density and a growing shortage of skilled drivers in many areas of the world can be expected to further the cause of automatic and automated transmissions. The traditional notion that automatic transmissions are less fuel-efficient than a well-driven manual gearbox has been laid to rest with the increasing incidence of automated mechanical transmissions in heavy trucks. It now takes an exceptional driver, in optimal frame of mind, to consistently outperform the automated variety. And the electronic version doesn't get tired, or bad-tempered, either!