2023_11_Sustainable Truck&Van
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MAGAZINE<br />
VADO E TORNO EDIZIONI<br />
www.vadoetorno.com<br />
www.vadoetornoweb.com<br />
www.sustainabletruckvan.com<br />
VADOETORNO SUPPLEMENT<br />
The Star's<br />
CHOICE<br />
16 Cover story<br />
Mercedes eActros<br />
gets bigger, betting<br />
on longer routes<br />
26 Focus<br />
China is at the forefront<br />
of the e-revolution:<br />
trends and data<br />
36 Smart tests<br />
Driving the IVECO<br />
eDaily, Ford E-Transit<br />
and VW ID. Buzz Cargo<br />
November<br />
<strong>2023</strong>
sustainabletruckvan.com<br />
CONTENTS<br />
NOVEMBER <strong>2023</strong><br />
Awards<br />
10 SUSTAINABLE TRUCK OF THE YEAR<br />
The challenge of emissions reduction<br />
26<br />
Face-to-face<br />
12 THE PLACE TO BE<br />
Solutrans MD, Guillaume Schaeffer, speaking<br />
14 FAR-SIGHTED VISION<br />
Interview with Andreas Follér (TRATON)<br />
ENTER THE<br />
FOLLOW SUSTAINABLE TRUCK&VAN ON:<br />
Cover Story<br />
16 THE NEW FLAGSHIP<br />
Mercedes-Benz eActros 600<br />
Previews<br />
20 ELECTRIC AWARENESS<br />
Renault Trafic E-Tech<br />
24 THE BRAND-NEW ADDITION<br />
Renault Trucks introducing C and T e-models<br />
Focus<br />
26 WATCH OUT THE DRAGON<br />
China at the forefront of the electric revolution<br />
Innovations<br />
30 THE SUN IS SHINING<br />
Scania testing a hybrid truck with solar panels<br />
32 CHALLENGE ACCEPTED<br />
Volvo Trucks: new batteries, enhanced production<br />
34 TRANSITION MADE EASIER<br />
Quantron split between BEVs and FCEVs<br />
30<br />
Smart Tests<br />
36 WALKING IN MY FOOTSTEPS<br />
IVECO eDaily 38S 14EV<br />
WELCOME TO AN<br />
ELECTRIC TRANSPORT<br />
REFRIGERATION WORLD<br />
AT SOLUTRANS<br />
Join us at<br />
SOLUTRANS<br />
LYON, FRANCE<br />
NOVEMBER<br />
21-25 <strong>2023</strong><br />
This year at Solutrans, you’ll find solutions,<br />
not challenges at the Thermo King booth.<br />
To help your fleet reach its sustainability targets,<br />
we bring together an electric lineup of refrigeration<br />
units and a host of performance-enhancing solutions.<br />
Discover how you can make a difference tomorrow,<br />
starting today.<br />
HALL 4<br />
BOOTH F 086<br />
44<br />
40 NEVER ENDING STORIES<br />
Ford E-Transit paves the way<br />
44 THE EYE CATCHER<br />
Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo<br />
Columns<br />
6 At a glance 48 Techno 50 Infrastructure<br />
Who we are. The journey continues<br />
The path that led us to the first paper issue of the<br />
magazine, available online in its digital version and<br />
distributed at the major international exhibitions p.4<br />
3
NEWS WHO WE ARE<br />
A FURTHER STEP, AFTER TWO YEARS AND A HALF OF WEB ACTIVITIES<br />
The journey continues<br />
THE PATH THAT LED US TO THE FIRST PAPER ISSUE OF STV MAGAZINE<br />
Our publishing company,<br />
Vado e Torno Edizioni,<br />
embraced the concept of<br />
sustainability quite a long time<br />
ago. In 2015, when it was not<br />
yet as popular and widespread<br />
as it is today the Sustainability<br />
Index was created, with the<br />
aim of making measurable not<br />
only the ecological impact of<br />
the vehicles we were testing<br />
in our Supertests, but also<br />
their features in terms of<br />
innovation, safety, comfort,<br />
recyclability of components,<br />
to determine its social impact.<br />
Another milestone in the history<br />
of our publishing house was<br />
the creation, in 2016, of the<br />
<strong>Sustainable</strong> Truck of the Year<br />
Awards (please have a look at<br />
page 10) in the three categories<br />
Tractor, Distribution, and<br />
<strong>Van</strong>. The Awards are assigned yearly to the vehicles that most stand<br />
out for innovation and sustainability. In the wake of these experiences,<br />
and not only in the freight sector – it is also worth to mention the<br />
successful <strong>Sustainable</strong> Bus platform – the initiatives have continued<br />
over the years. In June 2021, the <strong>Sustainable</strong> Truck&<strong>Van</strong> website<br />
made its online debut.<br />
Riding the wave of an energy transition that is still at the very early<br />
stage, at least for trucks, our platform has established itself as a point<br />
of reference in the debate on the new generation of zero-emission<br />
vehicles worldwide, focusing its attention not only on technology –<br />
which is crucial in our vision – but also, for instance, dealing with<br />
the sector regulations, as well as market trends on a global scale.<br />
<strong>Sustainable</strong> Truck&<strong>Van</strong> Magazine, freely available online in its<br />
digital version and distributed at the major international exhibitions,<br />
starting from Solutrans in Lyon, is intended to be a further step in a<br />
sustainable journey that will always see us acting as frontrunners.<br />
SUBSCRIBE<br />
TRUCK CLEAN<br />
Ready to switch to H2?<br />
Heavy-duty fleet managers agree: the total cost of ownership (TCO) for hydrogenfueled<br />
trucks will soon match diesel vehicles. To put H2 trucks on the roads at scale,<br />
manufacturers need suppliers with knowhow and experience. That’s where we come<br />
in. Our on-board fueling systems for compressed H2 arrive complete with<br />
type-3 or -4 cylinders, gas street components, and frames. Now you can drop fleet<br />
emissions while maintaining the same maintenance, fueling, and route schedules as<br />
with diesel trucks.<br />
SCAN THE QR CODE AND JOIN<br />
OUR COMMUNITY OF ABOUT<br />
20,000 PROFESSIONALS<br />
WORLDWIDE<br />
SWITCH TO H2 TODAY:<br />
www.worthingtonindustries.eu/markets/mobility<br />
at-customerservice@worthingtonindustries.com<br />
+43 7485 606 0<br />
4
AT A GLANCE<br />
VOLTA TRUCKS FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY IN SWEDEN<br />
A sudden, brutal awakening<br />
ONLY NEW POSSIBLE INVESTORS MAY SAVE THE COMPANY<br />
FORD TRUCKS AND QUANTRON TO COOPERATE UNDER NEWLY-SIGNED LOI<br />
Hydrogen trucks, two is better than one<br />
FORD TRUCKS WILL BE ALSO WORKING WITH CANADIAN BALLARD<br />
In the middle of October, Swedish e-truck manufacturer Volta<br />
Trucks officially opened bankruptcy proceedings. The<br />
decision was made reluctantly by the Board that seemed<br />
to have got into gear and was preparing to start mass<br />
production of its 16-ton vehicle we tested not more than<br />
a year ago.<br />
It all started, according to official communications, from<br />
the crisis involving U.S. battery supplier Proterra, which<br />
in turn had to open the same bankruptcy proceedings<br />
in recent months. The stop in supplies had an obviously<br />
unsustainable impact on Volta Trucks and its investors,<br />
who were crucial in the early launch phase of the Swedish<br />
venture. The sad new was immediately confirmed on<br />
social media via messages posted by the company<br />
management and workers. Volta Trucks had begun smallscale<br />
production of its 16-ton electric truck, the Volta Zero,<br />
in Steyr, Austria. Other smaller variants-specifically, 7.5-<br />
and 12-ton ones-were planned for the next few years. Thus,<br />
the adventure of a company that promised to revolutionize<br />
electric mobility for urban distribution comes to an end in<br />
a way that was hardly predictable, at least in terms of timing.<br />
Is it the end of it all? Perhaps. We do know, however, that<br />
the management of the Swedish company, starting with cofounders<br />
Carl-Magnus Norden and Kjell Waloen, want to try<br />
at all costs not to dissipate the knowledge and development<br />
capital accumulated so far, including the trucks that have<br />
already been made and now lay unused in warehouses.<br />
The road to a possible happy ending is only one: being able to find<br />
new investors willing to trust the idea, even more than the people.<br />
The game is not entirely closed, in short, although the road is as<br />
uphill as ever. Let’s remind that nearly 850 people worked at Volta<br />
Trucks all over Europe. Hubs had already been inaugurated in Paris,<br />
France, and London, UK, with Germany and Italy as next targets.<br />
Volta Trucks was supposed to exhibit at Solutrans, in Lyon.<br />
HYDROGEN TRUCK PLATFORM<br />
Innovative UK-based hydrogenpowered<br />
vehicle manufacturer<br />
HVS (Hydrogen Vehicle<br />
Systems) has unveiled its<br />
modular platform for heavyduty<br />
vehicles that provides a<br />
hydrogen fuel cell powertrain<br />
with medium and high-power<br />
e-axles, up to three hydrogen<br />
tanks and two power outputs.<br />
The company’s tractor unit will<br />
be available with two different<br />
types of e-axle and with up to<br />
three hydrogen tanks, depending<br />
on the customer’s range<br />
requirements. In addition, the<br />
hydrogen fuel cell powertrain can<br />
be specified with two different<br />
power outputs depending on the<br />
customer’s payload and mission<br />
requirements.<br />
.The 16-ton Volta Zero electric truck.<br />
First charging hub<br />
Milence, the joint venture shared by Daimler<br />
Truck, TRATON and Volvo, will open its very<br />
first charging hub in the Netherlands by the end<br />
of November. The announcement was made<br />
via a LinkedIn message on the official page.<br />
Why Venlo? Because it’s “one of Europe’s<br />
leading logistics hubs and ideally positioned for<br />
international trade”, as stated by Milence.<br />
With the new Milence Charging Hub, Truck<br />
Parking Venlo will be the first secure truck<br />
parking facility in the Netherlands to offer a<br />
charging solution for electric trucks. Milence<br />
has denied the presence of MCS (Megawatt<br />
Charging Systems) in the Venlo facility. Not yet,<br />
they said, even though MCS will be added in<br />
the future, when they’re truly available in the<br />
market. The first charging hub will be equipped<br />
with 2 chargers and have 4 charging bays when<br />
it opens at the end of November. Additional<br />
charging bays are planned for 2024.<br />
Truck manufacturers Quantron and Ford Trucks have recently<br />
signed a letter of intent (LoI). Within this strategic cooperation,<br />
“the Quantron Inside technology effective range, innovative e-axle,<br />
customized high-power battery, fuel cell and tank integration,<br />
unparalleled energy-management and optimized aerodynamics for<br />
maximized efficiency will be evaluated for integration into Ford<br />
Trucks’ vehicles, thus enabling emission-free transport solutions.<br />
The focus of the collaboration lies in hydrogen fuel cell-powered<br />
heavy-duty trucks”, as stated by the partners.<br />
It is no coincidence that a couple of months ago Ford Trucks<br />
announced a partnership with Ballard for fuel cell development<br />
and supply. Under this agreement, the 120 kW FCmove-XD fuel<br />
cell engines are planned to be integrated into Ford Trucks’ F-MAX<br />
44-ton long-haul tractor truck that Ford Trucks plans to build and<br />
assemble in Turkey not before 2025. Ballard is among the investors<br />
of the entire Quantron project, in addition to the supplier of fuel cell<br />
stacks installed on Quantron FCEV trucks.<br />
Back to the agreement reached between Ford Trucks and Quantron,<br />
through the first phase of collaboration, Quantron will ensure a<br />
seamless adaptation of Ford’s advanced trucks which will be built in<br />
compliance with the new security regulations.<br />
“Partnering with a renowned vehicle manufacturer like Ford Trucks<br />
enhances Quantron’s position as an innovation leader in the field of<br />
sustainable transport solutions and being a partner for established<br />
Commercial Vehicle OEMs”, stated Michael Perschke, CEO of<br />
Quantron AG.<br />
“We are excited to have Quantron’s support as a seasoned partner<br />
in our endeavor to offer a fuel-cell electric heavy-duty truck to our<br />
customers. This collaboration promises to yield substantial value in<br />
the times ahead. Ford Trucks is committed to investing in innovative<br />
technologies that will shape the future of the heavy commercial<br />
vehicle industry while aligning with our sustainability goals. Our<br />
primary focus is on electrification, closely followed by advancements<br />
in hydrogen technology”, added Ford Trucks leader Emrah Duman.<br />
FURTHER RESHAPING<br />
Electric van manufacturer Arrival<br />
has announced the intention fo<br />
cut workforce by further 25 per<br />
cent. The UK-based company<br />
has been quite in trouble for<br />
some months and was forced to<br />
deeply change its own business.<br />
Arrival won’t be building neither<br />
electric cars nor electric buses<br />
anymore and had announced<br />
the intention to focus only on the<br />
North American<br />
market.<br />
Following the<br />
workforce<br />
reduction action happened<br />
in January, the overall Arrival<br />
workforce counted more or<br />
less 800 people. Some months<br />
later, the company managed to<br />
get further cash injection from<br />
Westwood Capital. Igor Torgov<br />
is the new company CEO. He<br />
replaced interim CEO, Peter<br />
Cuneo, in turn appointed in<br />
November, 2022, when the<br />
company’s<br />
founder Denis<br />
Sverdlov<br />
stepped back.<br />
Güven Öyzurt, CEO Ford Otosan, and Andreas<br />
Haller, founder and Executive Chairman of<br />
Quantron AG, signing the letter of intent for the<br />
joint development of hydrogen trucks.<br />
Battery Experts Forum<br />
Europe’s largest and most established<br />
networking platform for the global battery<br />
community, Battery Experts Forum, was held<br />
in Darmstadt from November 7 to 9. The<br />
international event has reached this year its 18th<br />
edition: it’s a top-class scientific conference with<br />
accompanying trade exhibition along the entire<br />
value chain of battery technology.<br />
The event’s multifaceted program consisted of<br />
tutorials, keynotes and<br />
technical presentations<br />
with a scientific-innovative<br />
character and focuses<br />
on the main topics of the<br />
global market, e-mobility,<br />
battery production, cell<br />
design, battery safety,<br />
battery management<br />
systems and testing<br />
methods, and circular economy.<br />
The event, held in English, is particularly known<br />
for its intensive networking opportunities. The<br />
multinational attendance includes mainly buyers,<br />
R&D specialists and top managers from a wide<br />
range of industries such as medical, garden and<br />
power tools, e-mobility and energy storage, who<br />
are keen to learn and exchange information on<br />
the latest developments in battery technology.<br />
6<br />
7
AT A GLANCE<br />
THE FIRST IVECO-BRANDED ZERO EMISSION TRUCKS<br />
Every end is a new beginning<br />
THE NEW IVECO TRUCKS COME FROM THE END OF THE JV WITH NIKOLA<br />
MAN STARTED SELLING ITS VERY FIRST ELECTRIC TRUCK MODELS<br />
E-truck buyers awaited<br />
THE FIRST 200 UNITS SCHEDULED TO ROLL OUT NEXT YEAR<br />
Following the end of the joint venture with Nikola and the<br />
creation of the EVCO brand, IVECO introduced the heavy-duty<br />
battery-electric and fuel cell trucks marketed under its own brand.<br />
Of course, the trucks are a re-branding of the zero-emission models<br />
developed in the latest years in cooperation with Nikola.<br />
More into details, the IVECO HD BEV has a range of up to 500<br />
km. It features a total battery capacity of 738 kWh (9 packs) with<br />
charging power up to 350 kW, which enables hub-to-hub delivery<br />
missions, a wide range of regional applications, and even missions<br />
requiring extended mileage with charging opportunity during<br />
mandated driver stops. The Artic 4×2 configuration will be the first<br />
to enter the European market in the last quarter of <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
On the other hand, the IVECO HD FCEV boasts a range of up to 800<br />
km. With a fast-refuelling time of under 20 minutes, it is conceived<br />
for the long-haul mission in heavy commercial transportation. It<br />
can accommodate 70 kg of H2 usable energy at 700-bar pressure.<br />
According to the plans previously made public by IVECO, the first<br />
units of the IVECO-branded FCEVs will be delivered by the end of<br />
<strong>2023</strong>, namely in France, Switzerland and Germany, as planned in<br />
the H2Haul European project co-financed by the Clean Hydrogen<br />
Partnership aimed at accelerating the deployment of hydrogen<br />
solutions in the commercial transport industry and enabling the<br />
large-scale fuel cell truck market in the coming years. The IVECO<br />
HD BEV and FCEV feature an electric axle co-designed and<br />
produced by FPT Industrial, IVECO’s sister brand within Iveco<br />
Group specialized in powertrain. Fuel cell technology and key<br />
components are manufactured by Bosch.<br />
8<br />
E-VANS TOGETHER<br />
Two major groups (actually, three) join forces for<br />
electric vans of the future. Volvo and Renault,<br />
with the addition of French logistics group<br />
CMA CGM, today announced plans to form<br />
a new entity with the aim to design a shared<br />
architecture that will be the basis for future<br />
electric vans.<br />
The new company, which will be based in<br />
France, is expected to be launched in 2024, with<br />
production scheduled to start in 2026, according<br />
to the partners’ plans. The vehicles will be built<br />
on “on a new fully electric LCV skateboard<br />
platform that will offer high modularity for different<br />
body types at low cost and breakthrough on<br />
safety requirements”.<br />
Dragged into court<br />
British e-truck manufacturer Tevva is about to file a<br />
lawsuit against ElectraMeccanica (EMV), following<br />
the missed merger agreement between the two<br />
companies, which had been announced at the end<br />
of August, this year. In October, e-mobility specialist<br />
ElectraMeccanica announced the intention to step<br />
back. This was the beginning of quite a harsh<br />
communication battle, which will end in court.<br />
“The Tevva team was deeply disappointed by this<br />
abrupt decision and had no opportunity to respond<br />
to ElectraMeccanica’s claims before they went<br />
public”, stated the British manufacturer of zero<br />
emission trucks.<br />
At the same<br />
time, the lawsuit<br />
is not supposed<br />
to change the<br />
company’s<br />
operations and<br />
targets, at the<br />
moment.<br />
At the end of October, MAN Truck & Bus has officially launched<br />
sales of the eTruck, the first heavy-duty electric truck in the Lion’s<br />
history. According to the manufacturer’s statement, at least 600<br />
order inquiries have already been received, with the first 200 units<br />
scheduled to roll out to selected customers as early as 2024.<br />
With the eMobility Center, MAN laid the foundation for the<br />
development of the new MAN eTGX and MAN eTGS highvolume<br />
electric trucks at its Munich plant around two years ago<br />
and invested heavily in preparations for mixed production of diesel<br />
and electric trucks. 50 prototypes have since been built, and around<br />
4,000 employees from production and sales have been trained for<br />
the switch to electric mobility. At MAN’s Nuremberg site, MAN is<br />
investing around €100 million in setting up battery production.<br />
Developed by MAN specifically for use in commercial vehicles,<br />
batteries will be mass-produced at the Nuremberg plant from 2025.<br />
With their NMC cell chemistry and specially developed temperature<br />
management, the battery packs offer high energy density with a<br />
compact design, long service life and fast charging – even with low<br />
residual battery charge and low outside temperatures.<br />
Focus on hydrogen<br />
SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY WITH NO BARRIERS<br />
Tackling the big issue of sustainable<br />
mobility must contemplate a distinct<br />
change in mindset. Perhaps the<br />
main message we take home after<br />
participating in the second edition of<br />
the Global Mobility Call in Madrid is as<br />
much intangible as it is perspective.<br />
The Spanish exhibition, born on the<br />
initiative of Smobhub, an aggregator<br />
of companies, and actors of<br />
tomorrow’s mobility, and with the active<br />
collaboration of Ifema Madrid, is in fact<br />
an attempt to “bring together under<br />
one roof all the key stakeholders and<br />
actors in the ecosystem of sustainable<br />
mobility,” as Juan José Lillo, co-founder<br />
of Smobhub, creator and curator of<br />
the event, told us. Although focused<br />
on the Spanish market, Global Mobility<br />
Via the HYLA brand, Nikola has officially launched its<br />
hydrogen fuel cell truck with a dedicated ceremony<br />
in Coolidge, Arizona, where the manufacturer has<br />
its HQs. Nikola’s hydrogen fuel cell electric truck<br />
features a range of up to 500 miles (800 km) and an<br />
estimated fueling time as low as 20 minutes.<br />
According to the U.S.-based manufacturer, Nikola<br />
and its dealers have received 223 non-binding orders<br />
for its hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks from 23<br />
customers.<br />
Notable fleet operators such as J.B. Hunt, AJR<br />
Trucking, Biagi Bros. and TTSI, are among the<br />
growing list of customers committing to the future of<br />
sustainable trucking. It’s quite useful to remind that<br />
since the end of the joint venture with Iveco, Nikola’s<br />
truck business now focuses only on the North<br />
American market and mainly on hydrogen-powered<br />
trucks.<br />
Call is evidently trying to become<br />
more international, and with some<br />
appreciable results, gathering 500<br />
speakers, more than 100 exhibitors and<br />
over 8,000 professionals, 60 per cent of<br />
which in apex managerial position.<br />
The second edition of the<br />
Global Mobility Call was<br />
held in Madrid from 24<br />
to 26 October. The next<br />
edition is scheduled in<br />
November 2024.<br />
9
AWARDS<br />
STY 2024<br />
THE CHALLENGE<br />
Visit the STY website<br />
OF EMISSIONS<br />
REDUCTION<br />
The <strong>Sustainable</strong> Truck of the Year Awards are asseigned yearly by<br />
a professional jury in three categories: Tractor, Distribution, <strong>Van</strong>.<br />
The nominees (three per each category) will be announced at the<br />
beginning of 2024. The awarding ceremony of the STY 2024 is<br />
scheduled in Spring, next year.<br />
The EU Energy Council held on October<br />
17 confirmed the CO2 emission reduction<br />
targets: -15% in 2025 (already planned),<br />
-45% from 2030 (previously it was -30%),<br />
-65% from 2035, and -90% percent from 2040,<br />
compared to 2019. At the same time postponing<br />
the possibility of including biofuels as ‘eligible<br />
in the future’ until 2027. Such decisions are<br />
being made while one of the new players in ZE<br />
transportation, namely Volta Trucks, has just<br />
filed for bankruptcy, Arrival (van) drastically<br />
reduces plans, Iveco’s former partner Nikola is<br />
in trouble, and Tesla’s long-awaited Semi truck<br />
remains quite controversial. And while biofuels,<br />
if one adopts the ‘well to wheel’ method<br />
of calculating CO2 emissions, thus considering<br />
the entire production cycle, show that they can<br />
cut CO2 by 90 percent.<br />
In such a context, the <strong>Sustainable</strong> Truck of the<br />
Year Awards aim to reward vehicles that meet<br />
the concept of sustainability declined on several<br />
fronts: from emissions to safety, up to social<br />
and economic impact. Thus, if for the <strong>Van</strong> and<br />
Distribution categories the transition to electric<br />
seems desirable, as well as possible and somehow<br />
economically sustainable, it’s far more<br />
challenging when it comes to road tractors.<br />
The Award<br />
As the first and<br />
only European<br />
award that<br />
acknowledges<br />
sustainability in<br />
the field of trucks<br />
and vans, the STY<br />
rewards yearly<br />
three vehicles<br />
that stands out<br />
within several<br />
aspects such as<br />
safety; comfort;<br />
recyclability of<br />
components;<br />
connectivity; brand<br />
commitment on<br />
sustainability.<br />
10 <strong>11</strong>
FACE-TO-FACE<br />
SOLUTRANS’ MANAGING DIRECTOR SPEAKING<br />
THE PLACE TO BE<br />
Solutrans’ new Managing<br />
Director, Guillaume<br />
Schaeffer, whom<br />
we met in Milan, seemed to<br />
be quite happy about how the<br />
event has been welcomed.<br />
Nearly all the European truck<br />
manufacturers will be showcasing<br />
their products and<br />
solutions, except for Volvo<br />
Trucks. And all the Stellantis<br />
brands will be back in Lyon.<br />
Mr Schaeffer, this is your<br />
first edition as exhibition<br />
director. What are your expectations?<br />
“The exhibition has been<br />
sold out since June. We are<br />
very happy about how it was<br />
welcomed by the manufacturers<br />
and companies working in<br />
transport and logistics. This<br />
year, we should reach 95,000<br />
square meters exhibition<br />
space, increasing the visits of<br />
professionals. Let me say we<br />
come from the 2021 edition,<br />
in the middle of the pandemic,<br />
with 1,000 exhibitors and<br />
over 55,000 professional visi-<br />
“The big news is Stellantis coming<br />
with all their brands. Two years ago,<br />
they were not present. We consider<br />
Solutrans as the place where the<br />
companies and organizations can<br />
speak about energy transition in freight<br />
transportation”.<br />
tors. This year the fair will be<br />
more international and even<br />
bigger”.<br />
Compared to 2021, it seems<br />
that more OEMs are going<br />
to exhibit. What’s the reason,<br />
in your opinion?<br />
“We’ll have almost all the<br />
light and heavy vehicle manufacturers.<br />
Speaking of heavy<br />
trucks, Volvo decided not to<br />
come as their internal strategy,<br />
and we respect their decision.<br />
All the other manufacturers<br />
will be there, some of<br />
them launching new vehicles<br />
and products. Lyon will host<br />
the full ecosystem of the commercial<br />
transport, including<br />
cold chain, tyre manufacturers,<br />
energy suppliers and all<br />
the major organizations”.<br />
What about light commercial<br />
vehicles?<br />
“The big news is Stellantis<br />
coming with all their brands.<br />
For Guillaume<br />
Schaeffer,<br />
manager<br />
with quite a<br />
long-lasting<br />
experience in<br />
the MarCom<br />
department<br />
at Total,<br />
Solutrans<br />
<strong>2023</strong> will be<br />
the first edition<br />
as Managing<br />
Director.<br />
Two years ago, they were not<br />
present. We consider Solutrans<br />
as the real European<br />
event focusing on commercial<br />
transportation and we see<br />
Solutrans will be the place<br />
where the companies and organizations<br />
can speak about<br />
energy transition in freight<br />
transportation”.<br />
One of the main topics of<br />
this year’s exhibition is of<br />
course energy transition in<br />
the commercial vehicle sector.<br />
It’s not easy to tackle<br />
this topic in a thorough and<br />
attractive way. How will<br />
Solutrans face such issue<br />
this year?<br />
“It’s really the subject of the<br />
industry. Our mission is to<br />
support the players, making<br />
exhibitors able to face the<br />
subject. We have a huge conference<br />
programme. Just to<br />
make an example, we’ll speak<br />
about how the transition will<br />
be managed during the Olympic<br />
Games in Paris, 2024.<br />
Solutrans <strong>2023</strong> will host three<br />
main conference centers with<br />
more than 50 specialists.<br />
Some focuses are on the Low<br />
emission zones, the impact<br />
of logistics into the Olympic<br />
Games, car parks and retrofitting,<br />
how to finance zero<br />
emission trucks, for instance.<br />
The last day of the event is<br />
dedicated to employment, in<br />
“Small electric vehicles and cargo<br />
bikes are becoming crucial for urban<br />
transportation all over Europe. Some<br />
manufacturers have indeed extended<br />
their range, from big trucks to very<br />
small vehicles. These vehicles all have<br />
to be integrated”.<br />
collaboration with the national<br />
employment organization.<br />
Finally, the one we called<br />
‘One workshop, One energy’<br />
formula is very important to<br />
give exhibitors the opportunity<br />
to face the topics in an<br />
efficient way. It’s a formula<br />
with 4 workshops per day,<br />
a 35-minute themed pitch<br />
and 80 people per session<br />
allowed, targeted to vehicle<br />
manufacturers or any other<br />
company involved in research<br />
into fuels”.<br />
Urban mobility, the future<br />
of European cities, zero-emission<br />
vans and cargo<br />
bikes. What about those hot<br />
topics?<br />
“Low emission zones will be<br />
more and more widespread<br />
in Europe. We’re speaking<br />
about small electric vehicles<br />
and cargo bikes, for instance,<br />
which are becoming crucial<br />
for urban transportation all<br />
over the continent. We have<br />
also the retrofitting solutions<br />
presented at the show.<br />
Some manufacturers have<br />
indeed extended their range,<br />
from big trucks to very small<br />
vehicles. These vehicles all<br />
have to be integrated, up to<br />
cargo bikes. As for the latter,<br />
we will have a dedicated test<br />
area in Hall 1. Cargo bikes<br />
are increasingly widespread<br />
in Paris, for instance, but we<br />
can see them in other French<br />
cities, as well as other European<br />
capitals”.<br />
How is the test drive area<br />
conceived, this year?<br />
“We’ll be preparing two test<br />
tracks outside the exhibition<br />
grounds, as well as new<br />
spaces to host both exhibitors<br />
“After the pandemic, it’s become<br />
even more important to keep contact<br />
with the communities between an<br />
edition and the next one. That’s why<br />
we are thinking of organizing even<br />
more events and meetings in the<br />
meantime”.<br />
and visitors. We’ve thought of<br />
a sort of eco-friendly village<br />
named ‘Road testing village’<br />
that is made with former containers<br />
and wood structures,<br />
so re-usable materials in order<br />
to promote a more sustainable<br />
way. From here, test<br />
drives will be organized and<br />
planned.<br />
As we all know, trade fairs<br />
have been hugely affected<br />
by the pandemic. Is there<br />
some kind of legacy the Covid-19<br />
left in this sector? Has<br />
something changed when it<br />
comes to plan and organize<br />
an international exhibition<br />
like Solutrans?<br />
“The exhibitions are the place<br />
where people can meet all the<br />
actors of a sector in the same<br />
venue. It’s become even more<br />
important now to keep contact<br />
with the communities between<br />
an edition and the next one.<br />
That’s why we are thinking of<br />
organizing even more events<br />
and meetings in the meantime.<br />
Already in 2021, when<br />
the pandemic was still spreading,<br />
we provided the Solutrans<br />
digital. Now, we see such<br />
tools as a good way also for<br />
the visitors who are coming to<br />
see all that they could not visit<br />
during the show itself. That’s<br />
why we aim to make these<br />
digital tools more powerful in<br />
the future”.<br />
12<br />
13
FACE-TO-FACE<br />
TRATON GROUP’S CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER<br />
FAR-SIGHTED VIEW<br />
When we at <strong>Sustainable</strong><br />
Truck&<strong>Van</strong> had<br />
our last conversation<br />
with Andreas Follér, he<br />
was Head of Sustainability at<br />
Scania. Now he’s Chief Sustainability<br />
Officer at TRA-<br />
TON: something has changed.<br />
“Shifting from a brand-centric<br />
focus to a Group-level perspective<br />
has made it necessary<br />
to find a way to ensure<br />
that all employees across this<br />
vast organization can collaborate<br />
seamlessly. While<br />
the strategies and solutions<br />
for addressing sustainability<br />
may vary among the different<br />
brands, my aim is to identify a<br />
complementary approach that<br />
fosters support and cooperation<br />
among our companies”,<br />
he said.<br />
Which action is Traton taking<br />
to fulfil the Paris Agreement<br />
targets?<br />
“We have three main approaches<br />
– user face, supply<br />
chain, and direct emissions<br />
from operations.<br />
“Talking about the Paris Agreement,<br />
both Scania and MAN have already<br />
obtained certified science-based<br />
carbon reduction targets. Navistar is<br />
progressing towards establishing its<br />
own, and VW Truck & Bus has a leading<br />
position in South America”.<br />
Both Scania and MAN have<br />
already obtained certified<br />
science-based carbon reduction<br />
targets, and Navistar is<br />
progressing towards establishing<br />
its own. Additionally,<br />
Volkswagen Truck & Bus is<br />
expected to take a leading<br />
position in the Latin American<br />
market, although the pace of<br />
electrification in the region<br />
appears to be somewhat slower.<br />
As part of the TRATON<br />
Group, we are fully dedicated<br />
to aligning Scania, MAN,<br />
Navistar and Volkswagen<br />
Truck & Bus and our product<br />
offerings with the objectives<br />
of the Paris Agreement by<br />
adhering to science-based targets.<br />
Achieving this alignment<br />
necessitates a comprehensive<br />
360-degree approach to decarbonization”.<br />
The major TRATON brands<br />
are investing a lot to manufacture<br />
EV batteries in-<br />
Currently<br />
serving<br />
as Chief<br />
Sustainability<br />
Officer at<br />
TRATON,<br />
Andreas<br />
Follér plays<br />
a crucial role<br />
in integrating<br />
sustainable<br />
practices and<br />
technologies<br />
within<br />
TRATON<br />
Group’s<br />
operations.<br />
house. Why are such investments<br />
worthy?<br />
“We have opted not to produce<br />
battery cells internally<br />
as part of our strategy. Instead,<br />
we are focused on establishing<br />
partnerships and<br />
collaboration with leading<br />
battery cell manufacturers.<br />
This collaborative effort involves<br />
integrating, researching,<br />
and jointly developing<br />
electric vehicle (EV) cells<br />
tailored specifically for heavy<br />
goods vehicles (HGVs).<br />
At the beginning of September,<br />
we have indeed inaugurated<br />
our state-of-the-art battery<br />
factory in Södertälje, Sweden.<br />
This facility will play a<br />
crucial role in our operations,<br />
as it will receive battery cells<br />
from Northvolt. These cells<br />
will then be processed into<br />
modules and subsequently<br />
assembled into packs, which<br />
will be integrated into our<br />
vehicles. Importantly, this<br />
battery factory is conveniently<br />
located adjacent to our Scania<br />
chassis assembly plant,<br />
streamlining our production<br />
processes”.<br />
We know that both Scania<br />
and MAN are working on<br />
hydrogen-powered trucks,<br />
even though it’s not clear<br />
when they’ll be available<br />
on the market. How promising<br />
is such technology for<br />
“We have opted not to produce<br />
battery cells internally as part of our<br />
strategy. Instead, we are focused<br />
on establishing partnerships and<br />
collaboration with leading battery cell<br />
manufacturers. Scania has recently<br />
opened its facility in Södertälje”.<br />
heavy-duty transport? And<br />
will it only be fuel cells or<br />
even hydrogen-powered<br />
ICEs?<br />
“We are working within our<br />
R&D departments on these<br />
technologies.<br />
Scania may be the only OEM<br />
that currently has, and has<br />
had for a year or two now,<br />
fuel cell trucks running in the<br />
streets of Sweden and Norway.<br />
We are definitely exploring<br />
these technologies more<br />
and more. I cannot answer<br />
today when we will launch<br />
more products like this, but<br />
we aren’t closing the door to<br />
any green technologies. The<br />
TRATON Group focuses on<br />
developing whichever technologies<br />
make the most sense<br />
for our customers”.<br />
There are lots of expectations<br />
about the MAN<br />
eTruck. Why is it important<br />
in the overall TRATON decarbonization<br />
strategy?<br />
“The preparation of first-generation<br />
e-Trucks by each of<br />
Scania, MAN, Navistar and<br />
Volkswagen Truck & Bus is<br />
a pivotal step. It signifies our<br />
dedication not only to our valued<br />
customers but also to the<br />
broader transport community.<br />
Our aim is to underscore our<br />
commitment and provide tangible<br />
solutions. These initial<br />
products will serve as invaluable<br />
learning experiences for<br />
us. We are committed to closely<br />
collaborating with our customers,<br />
ensuring a continuous<br />
cycle of improvement. Our<br />
primary goal is to enhance<br />
the user experience and facilitate<br />
the seamless operation<br />
of these cutting-edge technologies<br />
for our customers”.<br />
“I hold unwavering confidence in the<br />
capable management team and the<br />
dedicated individuals involved in the<br />
Milence project we share with Daimler<br />
Truck and Volvo. I eagerly anticipate<br />
the launch of the first charging point as<br />
a significant milestone”.<br />
Finally, the Milence project<br />
has quite ambitious targets<br />
and not so much time ahead<br />
to achieve them. Are you<br />
still confident about it?<br />
“Milence represents a collaborative<br />
effort between<br />
the TRATON Group, Daimler<br />
Truck, and Volvo Group.<br />
While we are not directly<br />
involved in the operational<br />
management of the company,<br />
I hold unwavering confidence<br />
in their capable management<br />
team and the dedicated individuals<br />
contributing to Milence’s<br />
success.<br />
The team at Milence faces<br />
significant challenges in resolving<br />
the intricate issues<br />
surrounding the installation<br />
of charging points along Europe’s<br />
highway corridors.<br />
This can undoubtedly be a<br />
source of frustration.<br />
Nevertheless, it’s encouraging<br />
to witness a growing recognition<br />
of the imperative and<br />
economic viability of establishing<br />
charging infrastructure<br />
for heavy commercial<br />
road transport. This momentum<br />
is being driven by various<br />
stakeholders, including<br />
energy utilities, landowners,<br />
and policymakers. Milence<br />
is making notable strides in<br />
this regard, and I eagerly anticipate<br />
the launch of the first<br />
charging point as a significant<br />
milestone in this journey”.<br />
14<br />
15
COVER STORY<br />
MERCEDES eACTROS 600<br />
THE NEXT<br />
FLAGSHIP<br />
For the model’s history and for what the<br />
eActros in particular represents and means,<br />
not only to Mercedes, the launch<br />
of the battery-powered ‘600’, the first truck<br />
expressly designed and built for long-haul<br />
transport, would have deserved a more prestigious<br />
setting than the Break autohof Hamburg<br />
Nordheide, the albeit very modern and somewhat<br />
unique service area (equipped, among<br />
other things, with a freeflow parking system<br />
for trucks with reservation facilities, a multienergy<br />
point, three-star hotel, stores, lounge<br />
area, and even a brewery). The service area<br />
is located in Egestorf, a small municipality in<br />
Lower Saxony, about half an hour’s drive south<br />
of Hamburg on the A7 route.<br />
Conversely, the very decision of the company’s<br />
top management to raise the curtain<br />
on their much-anticipated zero-emission road<br />
flagship in this location that makes utmost<br />
sustainability its pride, should be understood<br />
as a desire to immediately drop into the road<br />
and daily use a heavyweight truck that, in the<br />
words of Karin Radström, Ceo of Mercedes-<br />
Benz Trucks, “like no other Mercedes’s truck<br />
before, represents the transformation of road<br />
freight transport toward carbon neutrality”.<br />
Design first<br />
Another turning point, but this time it is even<br />
more important than what the Actros has been<br />
able to do in its nearly 30 years of file, always<br />
under the banner of hi-tech and elegance and<br />
with the ambition, looking at contents, to set itself<br />
as a genuine benchmark. With the eActros<br />
600, Mercedes now looks even further ahead,<br />
to the future precisely, intending to redefine<br />
the standards of freight transport in terms of<br />
technology, sustainability and design.<br />
The e-truck sales will begin no earlier than<br />
2025, since the eActros will not enter series<br />
production in Wörth until the end of next year,<br />
after the first fifty or so units are built, some of<br />
which will be tested in daily use by customers<br />
themselves.<br />
Of course, it is the first feature of the vehicle<br />
that leaps to the eye. This is a new styling<br />
language, which Mercedes has set up and de-<br />
Equipped with three lithium-iron-phosphate battery packs with<br />
a total installed capacity of 621 kWh for 500 km of range,<br />
Mercedes eActros 600 electric truck model features a design<br />
developed with the highest aerodynamic efficiency<br />
in mind. Series production will start not before 2025.<br />
16<br />
17
COVER STORY<br />
Highlights<br />
Model type Mercedes eActros 600<br />
Est. range<br />
500 km<br />
Battery type lithium iron phospate (LFP)<br />
Battery capacity<br />
621 kWh<br />
E-motor power (cont.) 400 kW (543 hp)<br />
E-motor power (peak) 600 kW (815 hp)<br />
Start of sales by <strong>2023</strong><br />
Series production end of 2024<br />
Testing the truck.<br />
Sales of the new<br />
Mercedes-Benz<br />
eActros 600 will<br />
begin in 2024,<br />
while production<br />
will start in 2025. In<br />
the meantime, the<br />
truck will be tested<br />
under challengin<br />
conditions all over<br />
Europe.<br />
veloped by aiming not so much and not only<br />
at the creation of a modern and attractive line<br />
in looks, but by aiming to achieve greater aerodynamic<br />
efficiency. Well, the result is fully<br />
achieved, as thanks to the 80 mm longer<br />
front end and airflow improving solutions, the<br />
Pro Cabin’s CX coefficient is 9 percent lower<br />
than the current Actros with a diesel engine.<br />
This translates into lower energy consumption,<br />
which benefits driving range.<br />
Named after its battery capacity<br />
At the inside, the heart of the vehicle is three<br />
battery packs, each with a capacity of 207<br />
kWh, thus 621 kWh in total. This, thanks to<br />
lithium-iron-phosphate cell technology, ensures<br />
the use of more than 95 percent of the installed<br />
capacity.<br />
The combination with the 800-volt electric<br />
axle (designed and developed by Mercedes itself)<br />
with two electric motors and four-speed<br />
transmission capable of generating 400 kW<br />
continuous power (600 kW peak), results in<br />
what the company calls “vigorous acceleration”<br />
and the almost uninterrupted availability<br />
of torque.<br />
Range and price<br />
The driving range of this Mercedes’ heavyweight<br />
truck is claimed to be 500 kilo-<br />
meters. In truth, they are still very little for a<br />
vehicle dedicated to long distance. Mercedes<br />
itself, however, claims that 60 percent of its<br />
customers’ long-haul trips are made over distances<br />
of less than 500 kilometers.<br />
Last, but not least, there are the issues of<br />
price (about two and a half times that of a thermal<br />
engine truck) and charging infrastructure,<br />
which are rapidly developing all over Europe<br />
(let’s remind that Daimler Truck is involved in<br />
the Milence project, together with Traton and<br />
Volvo, with the target to build at least 1,700<br />
public stations by 2026), but at the moment<br />
are totally insufficient for the needs of a 44-ton<br />
truck. However, that is a different matter.<br />
18<br />
19
PREVIEW<br />
RENAULT TRAFIC E-TECH<br />
ELECTRIC<br />
AWARENESS<br />
On the sustainability chessboard, understood<br />
as the offer of full electric vehicles,<br />
Renault can now deploy its team<br />
in full force: Master, Kangoo and Trafic, with<br />
the latter in the role of leading edge of a trident<br />
that actually needs no introduction, since the<br />
corresponding versions equipped with a combustion<br />
engine already are points of reference<br />
in their respective market segments.<br />
After all, speaking of the Trafic, a best seller<br />
that has been on the market for over forty years<br />
(the first model was launched in 1980) and has<br />
to its credit something like over 2.4 million vehicles<br />
produced and sold, well, it is clear what<br />
type of appreciation and consideration it can<br />
enjoy from professional customers, even the<br />
most demanding ones.<br />
The strength of the Trafic, the third best-selling<br />
light van in Europe, is being a model perfectly<br />
calibrated to fulfill the various missions<br />
in urban and interurban areas. Modern and elegant<br />
in its line, which was gradually refined<br />
over time, it remains aesthetically attractive<br />
Renault’s popular medium-sized van, in the full electric<br />
version, adds sustainability to the recognized strengths that<br />
make it one of the most appreciated vans. No compromises<br />
in terms of modularity and customization compared to the<br />
variants with combustion engine and driving range up to 300 km.<br />
20<br />
21
PREVIEW<br />
Highlights<br />
Model type Renault Trafic E-Tech<br />
Est. range<br />
297 km (WLTP)<br />
Battery type<br />
lithium-ion<br />
Battery capacity<br />
52 kWh<br />
AC charger<br />
up to 22 kW<br />
DC charger<br />
up to 50 kW<br />
Est. charging time (DC) 60 min (15-80%)<br />
E-motor max. power 90 kW (122 hp)<br />
E-motor max. torque<br />
245 Nm<br />
Always connected.<br />
Through the My<br />
Renault App or with<br />
the standard Easy<br />
Link multimedia<br />
system, the Trafic<br />
can count on a<br />
rich bouquet of<br />
specific services<br />
for full electric<br />
vehicles, including<br />
battery charging<br />
programming.<br />
thanks to the exact proportion between the<br />
living space for the driver and passengers as<br />
well as the space dedicated to freight. This<br />
compartment has well-designed volumes right<br />
from the entry versions, as well as easily accessible<br />
through double rear doors and large<br />
single or double side openings. Added to all<br />
this are high performances ensured by its proven<br />
kinematics, which is characteristic of the<br />
entire range and offers extensive customization<br />
possibilities.<br />
A complete and thorough range<br />
Now, this range is expanding to the essential<br />
battery version, that is full electric with zero<br />
emissions. Talking about range, in this case, is<br />
not at all an exaggeration. The Renault Trafic<br />
<strong>Van</strong> E-Tech Electric is offered in two lengths<br />
(5,080 and 5,480 mm), in as many heights<br />
(1,967 and 2,498 mm), with load compartment<br />
volumes from 5.8 to 8.9 cubic meters depending<br />
on the version and the possibility, for the Trafic<br />
L2, of a 4,150 mm loading length obtained by<br />
exploiting the through bulkhead located in correspondence<br />
with the passenger seat. To all this,<br />
the Trafic <strong>Van</strong> E-Tech Electric adds robustness<br />
and the ability to transport large loads, summed<br />
up by the 1,100 kilos payload.<br />
The heart of the electric Trafic is the 122<br />
horsepower (90 kW) motor with 245 Nm of<br />
torque. It is powered by the lithium ion battery<br />
(guaranteed for 8 years or 160 thousand<br />
km, with free replacement if the capacity drops<br />
below 70 percent of the nominal value) with<br />
a capacity of 52 kWh. The range is up to 297<br />
km before recharging, which is entrusted to the<br />
combined AC 7 kW plus AC 22 kW on-board<br />
charger (it is part of the standard equipment<br />
and allows you to recover 50 km of autonomy<br />
in less than 25 minutes). It is completed by the<br />
50 kW direct current charger.<br />
Behind the wheel, you can enjoy the pleasure<br />
of silent and brilliant driving (with the Eco<br />
mode guaranteeing optimal range management,<br />
while the ARBS system maximizes energy recovery).<br />
The electric Trafic is also offered as<br />
an always connected vehicle. Through the My<br />
Renault smartphone app, or with the Renault<br />
Easy link multimedia system, the driver can<br />
access, depending on their needs, a series of<br />
connected services specific to electric vehicles.<br />
This is another Trafic’s gem.<br />
22<br />
23
PREVIEW<br />
RENAULT TRUCKS<br />
THE BRAND-NEW<br />
ADDITION<br />
WELCOME CARGO BIKES<br />
Thorough range.<br />
From 44 tons up<br />
to the cargo bikes<br />
for ‘last’ last mile<br />
distribution. Renault<br />
Trucks counts<br />
on a complete<br />
zero-emission<br />
vehicle range to<br />
be recognized as<br />
a primary electric<br />
commercial vehicle<br />
brand. The E-Tech<br />
T and C range will<br />
debut in Lyon.<br />
Announced a little less than a year ago,<br />
the heavy electric vehicles in the Renault<br />
Trucks range are set to make their<br />
debut right at Solutrans, the company’s ‘home’<br />
fair, which has its headquarters in Lyon. Expected<br />
to complete a range that has recently<br />
been enriched, on the opposite side, by the<br />
medium-sized Trafic van, the E-Tech T and C<br />
by Renault Trucks are designed for regional<br />
transport and construction, respectively. All,<br />
strictly, with zero emissions.<br />
As for design, the new Diamond logo stands<br />
out. It is set in a fabric composed of the typical<br />
Renault Trucks chose its home trade show, Solutrans,<br />
to preview its heavy-duty electric E-Tech T and C trucks for<br />
regional distribution and construction, which are on their way<br />
to series production. One more step toward the goal<br />
of selling only ‘zero-emission’ vehicles in 2040.<br />
graphic elements of the French manufacturer’s<br />
E-Tech line: thus, blue hubcaps, vertical stripes<br />
on the vehicle sides, and distinctive E-Tech license<br />
plate, precisely, at the front.<br />
With safety in mind<br />
In addition, with the aim of optimizing the<br />
overall safety, the truck front has been moved<br />
forward <strong>11</strong>5 millimeters and radars have<br />
been placed on the sides. The chassis is also<br />
equipped with a platform that can be modified<br />
to optimize battery space. The completely reworked<br />
grille is inspired by the world of elec-<br />
tronic music, with a design reminiscent of an<br />
equalizer. The vehicle front is fully painted to<br />
reinforce the electromechanical idea.<br />
Modular battery platform<br />
We will know more, precisely, in Lyon, for one<br />
of the most anticipated ‘unveiling’ of Solutrans<br />
<strong>2023</strong>. All to be discovered, for example, is the<br />
battery configuration, as well as the power delivered<br />
by the electric motor. The heavy-duty<br />
trucks in the E-Tech range – it is much certain<br />
– will be manufactured at the Renault Trucks<br />
plant in Bourg-en-Bresse, not far from Lyon.<br />
A matter of ‘zero emission’ range<br />
breadth: first among European<br />
manufacturers, Renault Trucks has<br />
committed itself to a very particular<br />
segment of vehicles such as cargo<br />
bikes designed to integrate freight<br />
transport in urban centers with very<br />
light vehicles and, above all, with zero<br />
impact on the environment. The idea is<br />
to entrust electric bikes with last-mile<br />
deliveries, within an integrated system<br />
with larger vehicles such as trucks and<br />
vans. This cargo bikes project is shared<br />
with Kleuster, a manufacturer also<br />
headquartered in Lyon.<br />
Moving up the segment, we find the Trafic<br />
E-tech, the Master E-Tech, the D and D<br />
Wide E-Tech (the latter is also available in<br />
LEC, Low Entry Cabin), and the brand new T<br />
and C E-Tech series.<br />
Talking about batteries, for example, it is easy<br />
to imagine how the concept of modularity has<br />
been carried forward, as it has characterized<br />
distribution vehicles since the Z.E. line.<br />
The trade show debut of Renault Trucks’<br />
E-Tech T and C trucks coincides with the start<br />
of series production – this is another, by no<br />
means minor, step on the road to the oft-ballyhooed<br />
goal of getting to selling only electric or<br />
fuel-cell commercial vehicles in 2040.<br />
24<br />
25
FOCUS. CHINA<br />
THE ELECTRIC REVOLUTION<br />
WATCH OUT THE<br />
DRAGON<br />
China has been riding the electric revolution<br />
since the early years of the new millennium.<br />
This has allowed them to accumulate<br />
a significant competitive advantage that<br />
Western manufacturers are now struggling to<br />
close. It is no coincidence, therefore, that authoritative<br />
newspapers such as the New York<br />
Times have written that, in the transition towards<br />
electric mobility, “the only winner so far<br />
is China”, also arguing that Western countries<br />
may have to wait decades to close the technological<br />
gap between them and the Dragon. All<br />
this despite the ambitious goals that the EU<br />
has set itself and despite the great effort that<br />
the United States guided by President Biden<br />
are making to stimulate electric mobility by<br />
investing over 200 billion dollars.<br />
Let's get local<br />
A very significant piece of data was released<br />
by the China Passenger Car Association, according<br />
to which in the first half of <strong>2023</strong> (for<br />
the second time in history) local manufacturers<br />
surpassed foreign ones in car sales for<br />
How did China create a cutting-edge automotive industry in<br />
alternative traction? And will the offensive launched against<br />
Western manufacturers in the automotive sector also be<br />
replicated among commercial vehicles? Maybe it is still early<br />
to say, but data and trends can suggest some answers.<br />
26<br />
27
FOCUS. CHINA<br />
EYE ON: YUTONG<br />
With a dedicated global event held in June in Zhengzhou,<br />
China, primary truck and bus manufacturer Yutong introduced<br />
the so-called YEA (Yutong Electric Architecture). It’s an<br />
advanced, scalable and self-evolving EV architecture that<br />
enhances the Chinese manufacturer’s CVs through a native<br />
powertrain design. The new architecture integrates hardware<br />
and software and was developed in-house. The YEA can<br />
improve computing power by 200% and control efficiency by<br />
100%. Yutong is considering selling trucks even outside China.<br />
Farizon Auto,<br />
the new energy<br />
commercial vehicle<br />
manufacturer<br />
belonging to the<br />
Geely Group, is<br />
targeting indeed<br />
the European<br />
market. The<br />
international launch<br />
of the newly-built<br />
SuperVAN with<br />
an innovative and<br />
modular design will<br />
be in 2024.<br />
the Chinese domestic market, reaching 54%<br />
of total sales. These were naturally driven by<br />
sales of electric and hybrid cars, which reached<br />
3.5 million in the first half of the current year<br />
alone, more or less a third of the total.<br />
Compared to the automotive sector, the situation<br />
in the ‘heavy-duty’ industry is much<br />
more fluid, with the main Chinese brands still<br />
focused above all on the domestic market,<br />
which has by far the most important volumes<br />
globally. In the first half of <strong>2023</strong>, according to<br />
Interact Analysis, 104,000 electric buses and<br />
trucks were sold, a 57% increase compared to<br />
the first half of 2022. A growth driven above all<br />
by lower tonnage vehicles, in particular light<br />
trucks, which grew by 45%, with approximately<br />
30,000 units throughout China. Significant<br />
figures are also starting to be recorded with<br />
regard to heavy trucks, with approximately<br />
<strong>11</strong> thousand vehicles marketed in the first six<br />
months of <strong>2023</strong>. To make an example, in Europe<br />
(Switzerland and Norway included), just<br />
over a thousand trucks with a gross vehicle<br />
weight equal to or greater than 16 tonnes were<br />
sold throughout 2022.<br />
Electric trucks, a Chinese thing<br />
It is therefore not surprising that, again according<br />
to Interact analysis’ experts, 9 of the top 10<br />
brands for global electric truck registrations in<br />
2022 are Chinese: the ranking is led by Sany<br />
with a 13% share, ahead of Xcmg and Geely,<br />
just under 10%, and Yutong with 7%. The only<br />
exception to the Dragon’s excessive power is<br />
Volvo Trucks with a 4 percent share and 1,2<strong>11</strong><br />
registered vehicles.<br />
In the first half of this year, Geely itself re-<br />
corded rapid growth on the Chinese market.<br />
This statistic, however, takes buses into consideration,<br />
with a market share rising from <strong>11</strong><br />
to 26% of total registrations, also thanks to the<br />
Farizon car brand dedicated to new generation<br />
vans. Also seeing strong growth this year is<br />
Chery, and Foton, a manufacturer with strong<br />
specialization in freight transport, and one of<br />
the very first to approach the European market.<br />
So, what should we expect from the evolution<br />
of the Chinese heavy automotive sector in the<br />
near future? According to analysts cited by the<br />
Cnevpost website, by 2025, 16% of heavy-duty<br />
trucks sold in China will be electric. And there<br />
is great confidence in the potential of battery<br />
swapping, for which around half of the BEV<br />
trucks currently circulating in China are already<br />
equipped.<br />
In addition to the sectors of waste collection<br />
or street cleaning, which are highly influenced<br />
by public policies, transport relating to the coal<br />
industry or steel production will be the areas<br />
most permeated by electric mobility, while<br />
issues related to vehicle autonomy remain in<br />
long-distance transport.<br />
And all signs suggest that the European market,<br />
even more than the American one, which<br />
is currently more influenced by duties, could<br />
become the main target for Chinese manufacturers<br />
also among commercial vehicles.<br />
28<br />
29
INNOVATIONS<br />
SCANIA<br />
THE SUN IS<br />
SHINING<br />
It comes to mind when, a few years ago,<br />
Scania strongly argued that there would not<br />
be a single recipe capable of eliminating<br />
emissions and thus making a decisive impact<br />
on solving the issue of protecting the environment.<br />
Precisely that belief was at the basis of<br />
the Swedish brand’s decision not to impose a<br />
single specific technology on the market.<br />
Now, with the aim of reducing emissions but<br />
also operating costs at the same time, Scania<br />
has participated in a so far unique project. It<br />
was initiated and conducted in partnership with<br />
Uppsala University, Eksjö Maskin&Truck,<br />
By starting the tests of the road tractor with a plug-in hybrid<br />
motor coupled to a trailer ‘clad’ in solar panels capable of<br />
generating energy for the powertrain, Scania is taking sustainable<br />
transport into a new dimension. In the meantime, the battery<br />
assembly factory has been inaugurated in Södertälje.<br />
Midsummer, Ernsts Express, Delakraft, and<br />
financed partially by Vinnova, the government<br />
agency for the innovation and development of<br />
low environmental impact trucks.<br />
Increased battery capacity<br />
The protagonist is the 560 horsepower plug-in<br />
hybrid in three-axle configuration attached to<br />
an 18-meter long trailer covered in thin and<br />
light solar panels (these are as powerful as<br />
a house equipped with similar panels, have<br />
maximum efficiency of 13.2 kW at peak, and<br />
are estimated to be able to provide 8 thousand<br />
kWh of energy/year if used in Sweden). It is<br />
the first time that we have heard of solar panels<br />
used to generate energy for the powertrain. For<br />
their part, the batteries have a total capacity of<br />
300 kWh (100 on the tractor and 200 on the<br />
trailer).<br />
The vehicle uses tandem solar cells based<br />
on the combination of Midsummer and other<br />
perovskite cells: a solution which, by allowing<br />
greater efficiency in the process of transforming<br />
sunlight into electricity, would significantly<br />
increase energy production compared to that<br />
produced by panels. It follows that, if used<br />
in the sunniest countries of southern Europe,<br />
these panels could even quadruple the energy<br />
produced. The solar panel Scania will be tested<br />
by the transport company Ernsts Express on<br />
public roads, with the aim of collecting further<br />
data, verifying its efficiency and, who knows,<br />
also its possible feasibility in the near future.<br />
Battery production in Sodertälje ¨<br />
The range of innovations at Scania, however,<br />
does not stop here: at the beginning of<br />
September, the battery assembly factory was<br />
inaugurated with great fanfare in Södertälje.<br />
“A key tool to accelerate electrification,” said<br />
Christian Levin, president and CEO of Scania<br />
and the Traton Group. A strategic and decisive<br />
stage, especially if we consider that Scania<br />
aims to sell 50 percent of electric vehicles<br />
by 2030. The inauguration actually comes after<br />
the presentation, held last April, of a new<br />
cell developed jointly with Northvolt, which<br />
manufactures it in their gigafactory in northern<br />
Sweden. Starting in September, these cells<br />
have been assembled into battery packs in the<br />
new 18 thousand square meter plant in Södertälje,<br />
where 550 specialized operators work in<br />
a highly automated environment, effectively<br />
allowing the start of mass production of the<br />
Griffon electric range.<br />
The huge<br />
investment Scania<br />
made in Södertälje<br />
to build the newly<br />
inaugurated<br />
battery assembly<br />
factory goes side<br />
by side with the<br />
development of<br />
the company’s<br />
electric truck range.<br />
Production has<br />
lately commenced<br />
for trucks with R<br />
and S cabs with<br />
400 or 450 kW<br />
of engine power.<br />
These trucks<br />
feature new green<br />
battery packs and<br />
e-adopted chassis.<br />
30<br />
31
INNOVATIONS<br />
VOLVO TRUCKS<br />
CHALLENGE<br />
ACCEPTED<br />
GOLDEN HERITAGE<br />
The Volvo FH electric truck pictured<br />
above is the heir of a model that<br />
celebrates this year its 30 th anniversary.<br />
Almost 1.5 million Volvo FH units have<br />
been sold in the last thirty years in over<br />
80 countries all over the world. Engine,<br />
aerodynamics, driver comfort were only<br />
some of its breakthroughs.<br />
Volvo Trucks continues its journey toward electrification: new<br />
batteries with increased capacity for the mid-range (Volvo FL and<br />
FE Electric) are about to be launched. And to meet increasing<br />
demand of zero-emission vehicles, the Belgian factory in Ghent<br />
has been equipped for e-truck production.<br />
Volvo Trucks, the only European name<br />
in the 2022 electric truck sales top ten<br />
– which is basically monopolized by<br />
Chinese brands – confirms its vocation to play<br />
ahead in the field of zero-emission vehicles.<br />
And if the vehicles – whether medium or<br />
heavy-duty – are for all intents and purposes<br />
available on the market, now the challenge<br />
shifts to other elements: first and foremost, the<br />
vehicle’s range. Starting with the Volvo FL and<br />
FE Electric for distribution, the Swedish company<br />
(the only traditional manufacturer that did<br />
not attend Solutrans <strong>2023</strong>) promises to revolutionize<br />
the concept of range, relegating the<br />
infamous recharging issue to the past.<br />
How? By working on the battery composition<br />
to increase their capacity and reach the<br />
threshold of 450 kilometers in the case of the<br />
Volvo FL Electric and 275 kilometers in the<br />
case of the FE Electric. On closer inspection,<br />
these ranges are more than enough to allow<br />
truck users to be comfortable on their city or<br />
suburban trips. “With a range of up to 450 km,<br />
our electric trucks are ready to replace our customers’<br />
fleet of urban diesel trucks”, said Jessica<br />
Sandström, SVP Product Management at<br />
Volvo Trucks. “The Volvo FL and FE Electric<br />
produce minimal emissions and noise, benefiting<br />
the environment, the driver and everyone<br />
who lives and moves around the city”.<br />
A further boost to e-truck sales<br />
In the concept promoted by Volvo Trucks, having<br />
batteries with larger capacity allows fewer<br />
battery packs to be installed on the trucks, benefiting<br />
the vehicle’s payload, which is a crucial<br />
issue for those approaching electric mobility<br />
in freight transport. Volvo’s electric trucks that<br />
have been ‘upgraded’ with this new concept<br />
can be ordered immediately: the first deliveries<br />
are expected in 2024.<br />
The new development discussed here is expected<br />
to further boost sales of Volvo electric<br />
trucks. For this, another plant in Europe has<br />
recently been enabled to manufacture electric<br />
trucks. The plant is in Ghent, Belgium, and<br />
it is intended for the production of the heavy<br />
Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX Electric<br />
with total ground mass up to 44 tons. The Ghent<br />
plant is Volvo Trucks’ largest production<br />
site with an annual capacity of about 45,000<br />
trucks. Electric vehicles are assembled on the<br />
same platform and line as diesel and gas vehicles.<br />
The battery packs come from the recently<br />
inaugurated battery assembly plant in Ghent,<br />
which is located right next to the production<br />
line. The plant in Belgium is the fourth Volvo<br />
Trucks factory to produce battery electric vehicles<br />
after Blainville-sur-Orne, France; New<br />
River Valley in the U.S. for mass production of<br />
the VNR Electric; and Tuve, Sweden.<br />
Electric targets.<br />
Since Volvo Trucks<br />
started serial<br />
production of allelectric<br />
trucks in<br />
2019, the company<br />
has taken orders<br />
for around 6,000<br />
electric trucks in 42<br />
countries around<br />
the world. Volvo<br />
Trucks has set<br />
the target that by<br />
2030, half of the<br />
trucks sold by the<br />
company will be<br />
electric.<br />
32<br />
33
INNOVATIONS<br />
QUANTRON AG<br />
TRANSITION MADE<br />
EASIER<br />
We are not, and will not be in the future,<br />
an OEM: it would be impossible for<br />
us to compete with traditional manufacturers”,<br />
say in unison Michael Perschke<br />
and Andreas Haller, the fifth generation at the<br />
helm of the Haller group and ‘mastermind’ of<br />
the project. Rather, Quantron aims to act as a<br />
facilitator in a time of energy transition, leveraging<br />
the skills of a rapidly growing team to<br />
convert light, medium and heavy trucks with<br />
combustion engines into vehicles powered by<br />
batteries or fuel cells.<br />
So, retrofit specialists? Not really, and the<br />
A combination of a traditional manufacturer and a retrofit<br />
specialist, Quantron counts on their important know-how<br />
in zero-emission trucks to make it big even outside Germany.<br />
The launch of the heavy-duty QHM Aero is one of the cornerstones<br />
of a strategy that is increasingly shifting towards hydrogen.<br />
Quantron Days <strong>2023</strong> clearly showed this, with<br />
the official launch of the QHM Aero, the new<br />
MAN-based heavy vehicle with aerodynamics<br />
revisions by the Quantron engineering team led<br />
by Koorosh Shojaei.<br />
A brand-new front of the truck<br />
They were capable of redesigning the front part<br />
of the truck – as well as the grille and even the<br />
logo – managing to reduce resistance by 20<br />
percent and providing the vehicle 10 percent<br />
more range. In the FCEV version (the truck<br />
will also be available as a BEV, powered ex-<br />
FCEV TRUCKS IN AUSTRIA<br />
IKEA Austria has been cooperating with<br />
Quantron for quite a long time, since<br />
August 2021. Currently, more than 50<br />
Quantron BEV trucks are in operation,<br />
while five QLI FCEV models have been<br />
delivered in October, this year. The zeroemission<br />
transporters will be fueled with<br />
green hydrogen from energy supplier<br />
Wien Energie.<br />
clusively by battery packs) the 44-ton combination<br />
ensures between 600 and 700 kilometers<br />
before refueling thanks to the 54 kilos of<br />
hydrogen transportable in the 500-kilo tanks<br />
integrated into the chassis. “So as not to affect<br />
the load capacity of the vehicle,” assures CTO<br />
René Wollman. Quantron’s QHM Aero is part<br />
of an already rather wide range, which includes<br />
both light vehicles for urban and extra-urban<br />
transport, and heavy vehicles for medium and<br />
long distances. A range that includes the Qargo<br />
4 EV as the entry level model and the Quantron<br />
QLI, in its full electric and FCEV versions.<br />
The base, in this case, is from the unmistakable<br />
Iveco Daily and covers all the wheelbase<br />
lengths of the Daily itself. The range goes up<br />
with the QHB 27-280 for waste collection on<br />
a Mercedes-Benz Econic base. Quantron’s<br />
heavyweight, the QHM at IAA Transportation<br />
2022, is based on MAN.<br />
The hydrogen offensive<br />
Hydrogen plays a leading role in Quantron’s<br />
overall strategy: the management’s idea is to<br />
create the cornerstone, with their wide range<br />
of vehicles, of an ecosystem made up of players<br />
operating on different fronts: infrastructure<br />
and distribution; vehicle components, up<br />
to digitalisation, financial services and after<br />
sales. Quantron-as-a-Service is the platform<br />
that Quantron offers to their customers, who<br />
are asked to sign long-term agreements with<br />
the pay-per-km formula: you pay based on how<br />
much you use the vehicle.<br />
Double focus.<br />
The Quantron<br />
project started<br />
only a few years<br />
ago, thanks to<br />
the intuition of<br />
Andreas Haller.<br />
The idea is not to<br />
compete with wellestablished<br />
truck<br />
manufacturers, but<br />
rather facilitate the<br />
transition to zeroemission<br />
vehicles.<br />
Quantron’s HQs<br />
are in Augsburg.<br />
Foreign branches<br />
have been<br />
recently opened in<br />
Switzerland, U.S.<br />
and Italy. Quantron<br />
also sells electric<br />
buses.<br />
34<br />
35
SMART TEST<br />
IVECO E-DAILY<br />
WALKING IN MY<br />
FOOTSTEPS<br />
The official presentation, which took place<br />
at IAA Transportation 2022, is now a<br />
distant memory. In the abundant year<br />
that has elapsed since then, the eDaily has<br />
had enough time to get off the catwalk, put its<br />
wheels on the road and begin its journey to ‘go<br />
big’ and make itself known to the market. True,<br />
it has been longed for, but now that our wait is<br />
over, IVECO’s full-electric light van does not<br />
intend to waste any time.<br />
And it does so with the authentic best-seller<br />
attitude that has been an undisputed reference<br />
for more than four decades.<br />
Because the Iveco light commercial vehicle,<br />
even in its zero-emission declination, wants<br />
to present itself as a front runner in a market<br />
segment that stakes its entire future on electrification.<br />
“Electric means future”, explained,<br />
not surprisingly, Alessandro Massimini, Head<br />
of Marketing and Product Management IVE-<br />
CO truck business unit, “and we want to make<br />
electrification accessible to all our customers.<br />
As a key element of IVECO’s product devel-<br />
Not a single version, but a richly articulated range, from van to<br />
cab vehicle. It is not a compromise with respect to the ICE<br />
version but a model capable of pushing up to 400 km of range.<br />
The eDaily aspires to carry on the successful history of the<br />
IVECO LCV, partially thanks to an innovative pay-per-use formula<br />
36<br />
37
SMART TEST<br />
GATE OPEN SINCE JULY<br />
Iveco Group has come up with a pay-per-use formula,<br />
open to everyone regardless of the number of vehicles and<br />
with a minimum contractual term of 3 years, with the aim<br />
of accompanying actual and potential customers toward<br />
alternative tractions. The company opened its door (GATE<br />
stands for Green & Advanced Transport Ecosystem) no later<br />
than last July. “It is a company founded by Iveco Group<br />
in 2022”, they say from the new Turin-based organization<br />
of Iveco’s world, “with the aim of promoting sustainable<br />
mobility of commercial vehicles through the premium offer<br />
of services related to long-term, fully digital rental. It is a<br />
new business model open to all companies, brands and<br />
partners who aspire to participate in this environmental<br />
revolution”. The services that GATE makes available<br />
to customers include vehicle maintenance and repair;<br />
management of car tax and insurance charges; e-charge<br />
for public charging; e-mobility for all telematics services<br />
available on the vehicle; and, finally, tire service.<br />
On the other hand, it raises the bar of efficiency<br />
to the highest levels also in the batopment<br />
strategy and transition roadmap, we<br />
designed eDaily with the goal of making the<br />
entire range electric while maintaining the<br />
characteristics for which our vehicle is celebrated:<br />
robustness, reliability, versatility, load<br />
capacity, performance”.<br />
Here, our first contact with the eDaily was pre-<br />
The pay-per-use formula outlined by GATE<br />
won’t be applied exclusively to the new<br />
eDaily. In fact, it will be made available<br />
also for the heavy-duty BEV and FCEV<br />
trucks with the IVECO brand that will be<br />
launched very soon.<br />
cisely to test the veracity of this claim. Well,<br />
once again, the IVECO champion not only<br />
does not betray expectations.<br />
Several possible options<br />
tery-powered version, without compromising<br />
on performance, comfort, safety, performance<br />
and equipment.<br />
The Iveco eDaily does so not just by implementing<br />
a single ‘take it or leave it’ version,<br />
but by offering an articulated range that<br />
includes van and cab vehicle and crew cab configurations<br />
with weights from 3.5 to 7.2 tons,<br />
single wheels (3.5 to 4.25 tons) or twin wheels<br />
(4.25 to 7.2 tons), different heights and wheelbase<br />
lengths (from 3,000 to 4,100 millimeters<br />
for vans, 3,000 to 4,750 millimeters for cabs),<br />
cargo volumes up to 20 cubic meters.<br />
Highlights<br />
Model type IVECO eDaily 38S 14Ev<br />
Gross Vehicle Weight<br />
3.8 ton<br />
Est. range up to 400 km (urban cycle)<br />
Battery type<br />
lithium-ion<br />
Battery capacity <strong>11</strong>1 kWh (3 packs)<br />
Est. charging time (AC) 5 hours (22 kW)<br />
Est. charging time (DC)<br />
1 h 30 min (up to 80%)<br />
E-motor max. power 140 kW (190 hp)<br />
E-motor max. torque<br />
400 Nm<br />
The electric motor is powered by modular<br />
batteries with 37 kWh capacity each, high energy<br />
density (265 watt-hours/kg per cell) and<br />
95 percent exploitable capacity. In the eDaily<br />
versions equipped with a single battery, the<br />
power output is 136 horsepower, rising to the<br />
190-horsepower threshold in versions equipped<br />
with two or three modules.<br />
No range anxiety issues anymore<br />
What about the range? In all cases, it is extremely<br />
generous for daily missions, with<br />
IVECO claiming up to a maximum of 400<br />
kilometers in the urban cycle: a distance that<br />
takes away any anxiety about recharging. By<br />
the way, for refueling there is the usual wide<br />
albeit classic range of solutions. And with the<br />
80-kilowatt fast charge, one hundred kilometers<br />
of range is recovered in half an hour.<br />
In the vicinity of Turin, we were able to<br />
test the 38S 14EV version (so, 3.8 tons, single<br />
wheels, 190 horsepower) equipped with two<br />
batteries. An experience, however brief, that<br />
confirmed the Daily’s qualities even in full<br />
electric version. Comfort and quietness, as<br />
well as cueing and drivability, are remarkable.<br />
In addition, there are two gems: the Driving<br />
Mode Selector, which allows to optimize energy<br />
management by choosing between Natural,<br />
Power, Eco driving modes.<br />
On the other hand, One-Pedal drive allows<br />
you to manage deceleration using just the accelerator.<br />
In collaboration<br />
with Korean<br />
partner Hyundai<br />
Motor, IVECO is<br />
working on the fuel<br />
cell version of its<br />
eDaily. According<br />
to the plans, the<br />
eDAILY FCEV<br />
will be an ideal<br />
option for deliveries<br />
where long range<br />
with high payload<br />
is necessary.<br />
“By 2024-2025<br />
we might see<br />
some trucks on<br />
the road”, told us<br />
Marco Liccardo,<br />
Chief Technology<br />
& Digital Officer,<br />
Iveco Group.<br />
38<br />
39
SMART TEST<br />
FORD E-TRANSIT<br />
NEVER<br />
ENDING<br />
STORY<br />
40<br />
With the E-Transit, our customers will<br />
buy into the more than 50 years of<br />
Transit experience”, they are repeating<br />
with justifiable pride at Ford. There could<br />
be no better and more effective statement to<br />
illustrate the qualities and talents of the Blue<br />
Oval’s 100 percent electric commercial vehicle.<br />
The first in a family of zero-emission<br />
vans that is expanding to include the Custom<br />
and, later, the Courier (see box on page 42).<br />
In about half a century (to be exact, fifty-eight<br />
years) there is the story of a model, the Transit<br />
precisely, which was first launched in 1965,<br />
heir to a tradition that has its roots at the dawn<br />
of the last century (Ford’s first commercial vehicle<br />
is from 1905). The Transit rapidly established<br />
itself at every latitude in international<br />
large and small markets, until it became by far<br />
the best-selling light model in the world.<br />
It is the world’s best selling light commercial vehicle, a true<br />
best seller that has been making the history of light duty<br />
transportation for the last 58 years. It is logical, then, that in the<br />
transition to zero-emission vehicles, Ford has built its first full<br />
electric van on the very basis of its most iconic model.<br />
A benchmark in the competitive and crowded<br />
commercial vehicle segment. A model that today<br />
identifies the very way of understanding<br />
and doing transportation in the city.<br />
Robustness, versatility, reliability<br />
It is natural, then, that the E-Transit has inherited<br />
from its progenitor the DNA together with<br />
robustness, versatility and reliability on which<br />
it intends to leverage to prolong over time the<br />
splendid tale of a model that has no equal. Not<br />
a single version, but a true zero-emission family<br />
with 25 richly equipped variants resulting<br />
from the combination of two power outputs,<br />
three lengths and two heights. With the peace<br />
of mind given by over 300 kilometers of range.<br />
41
SMART TEST<br />
Ford Pro.<br />
Launched no later<br />
than last year, the<br />
Ford Pro brand<br />
aims to provide<br />
customer in the<br />
commercial vehicle<br />
sector with a<br />
series of solutions<br />
that may increase<br />
their productivity.<br />
Ford Pro solutions<br />
combine software,<br />
charging,<br />
assistance and<br />
financial products.<br />
ZERO-EMISSION FORD RANGE<br />
The electric versions of the Ford E-Transit Custom<br />
and the small-sized Ford E-Transit Courier already<br />
presented to the market are on the launch pad.<br />
They will complete the Blue Oval’s range of<br />
zero-emission cargo vans, in both cases with the<br />
benefits of the Ford Pro solution. In the case of<br />
the medium-sized Custom van, we are talking<br />
about a range of nearly 400 kilometers and the<br />
possibility of ultra-fast charging with power up to<br />
125 kW for a ‘fill-up’ of up to 80 percent in just<br />
40 minutes.<br />
On the other hand, the Ford E-Transit Courier is<br />
expected for next year. It will be equipped with a<br />
100 kW power motor and One-Pedal technology<br />
to handle acceleration and braking with a single<br />
pedal. Provision for fast charging, up to 100 kW<br />
of power, is planned too. The cargo space will be<br />
capable of carrying up to 2 euro pallets.<br />
A real Transit, then, with the added pleasure of<br />
a quiet and relaxing drive with zero emissions.<br />
This is the E-Transit, a model that in terms of<br />
technological solutions and technical choices<br />
ranks at the top of the electric category. Without<br />
compromise. It houses, for example, the<br />
electric equipment under the floor (the motor<br />
is on the rear axle, the 68-kWh battery pack<br />
is in the middle), with load compartment dimensions<br />
(up to 15.1 cubic meters) that do not<br />
change compared to the Transit with a combustion<br />
engine, while the over 300 kilometers<br />
of rage (WLTP cycle) take away any anxiety<br />
about recharging.<br />
Up to 34 minutes to reach 80%<br />
The wide range includes weights from 3.5 to<br />
4.25 tons, payload capacity up to 1,616 kilograms,<br />
two power outputs (184 and 269 horsepower),<br />
three lengths (5,531, 5,981, 6,707<br />
mm), two wheelbases (3,300, 3,750 mm) and<br />
two heights, for a total of 25 versions. They<br />
are all richly equipped, as is the Ford tradition,<br />
and with a couple of gems such as Pre-conditioning<br />
(it heats the cabin while the vehicle<br />
is charging) and Pro Power on Board (it allows<br />
external equipment to be powered with<br />
an additional 2.3 kW). Charging ranges from<br />
the expected <strong>11</strong> hours with 7 kW wallbox to<br />
34 minutes for an 80 percent fill with <strong>11</strong>5 kW<br />
superfast Dc.<br />
So, Ford E-Transit also raises the bar when<br />
it comes to connectivity, implementing systems<br />
and technologies that help customers manage<br />
Highlights<br />
Model type<br />
Ford E-Transit<br />
Est. range<br />
300 km (WLTP)<br />
Battery type<br />
lithium-ion<br />
Battery capacity<br />
68 kWh<br />
Est. charging time (AC) <strong>11</strong> hours (7 kW)<br />
Est. charging time (DC)<br />
34 min (<strong>11</strong>5 kW, up to 80%)<br />
E-motor power options 135 kW (184hp);<br />
197 kW (269 hp)<br />
E-motor torque<br />
430 Nm<br />
their operations more efficiently. Maximizing<br />
productivity by reducing downtime. With<br />
E-Transit, through Ford Pro, the Blue Oval’s<br />
new global brand dedicated to the world of<br />
commercial vehicles that offers a wide range<br />
of products, services and technologies aiming<br />
precisely at maximizing efficiency, all this is a<br />
concrete possibility, which in a way puts the<br />
transition process to electrification in a different<br />
light. Indeed, Ford’s new electric van is a<br />
connected platform, or more precisely an ecosystem<br />
of digital tools to translate the potential<br />
of the battery-powered vehicle into a concrete<br />
business reality, for the benefit of zero-emission<br />
mobility.<br />
The connectivity needed<br />
FordPass connect, the modem (standard) that<br />
provides precisely the connectivity needed to<br />
help commercial vehicle customers optimize<br />
their fleet efficiency (while taking advantage<br />
of over-the-air updates for navigation and other<br />
features), goes precisely in this direction. Similarly,<br />
added value is provided by the Sync 4 infotainment<br />
system with 12-inch touch-screen,<br />
voice recognition and cloud-optimized navigation,<br />
which is onboard a Ford commercial<br />
vehicle for the first time.<br />
42<br />
43
SMART TEST<br />
VOLKSWAGEN ID. BUZZ CARGO<br />
THE EYE<br />
CATCHER<br />
We are aware that elegance and beauty<br />
are not factors that help determine the<br />
level of efficiency of a vehicle. In the<br />
case of ID. Buzz Cargo, the new electric van<br />
by Volkswagen, however, it is impossible not<br />
to start right here in the analysis of our city<br />
test. Precisely, from the elegance and beauty of<br />
this hi-tech model, heir to that authentic Bulli<br />
legend that entered the history of the Wolfsburg<br />
brand (and not only) through the front door.<br />
In the ID. Buzz, elegance and beauty are the<br />
result of the careful and refined work of the<br />
Volkswagen’s team of stylists and designers.<br />
Hats off, in short, to this van with attractive and<br />
soft shapes that show robustness and solidity<br />
but at the same time convey lightness. A van<br />
in which the body design is visually divided<br />
between a lower and an upper level (appropriately<br />
and cleverly emphasized by the different<br />
coloring of the two areas) that combine with<br />
great harmony and attractiveness, and where<br />
the expressiveness of the whole translates into<br />
extremely well cared for aerodynamics that is<br />
The battery-powered heir to the legendary Bulli van seems to<br />
have the credentials to replicate its success and also win a<br />
prominent place in history. The electric motor with 204-hp<br />
available power, up to 425 km of claimed (and confirmed)<br />
range,as well as top-notch comfort and safety features.<br />
44<br />
45
SMART TEST<br />
Bulli lovers.<br />
The heir of the Bulli<br />
with an electric<br />
motor was the<br />
subject of a great<br />
virtual embrace,<br />
extraordinary<br />
attention and true<br />
curiosity from<br />
young and old<br />
people during our<br />
test drive in Milan.<br />
As we had never<br />
seen before during<br />
our test drives.<br />
Highlights<br />
Model type Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo<br />
Est. range<br />
425 km (WLTP)<br />
Battery type<br />
lithium-ion<br />
Battery capacity<br />
77 kWh<br />
Est. charging time (AC) 7,5 hours (<strong>11</strong> kW)<br />
Est. charging time (DC) 30 min (5-80%)<br />
E-motor power<br />
150 kW (204 hp)<br />
E-motor torque<br />
309 Nm<br />
summarized in 0.29 CX (which even drops to<br />
0.28 on the passenger version).<br />
Then, there is the attention to every detail<br />
of the German van from the Wolfsburg-based<br />
manufacturer (which builds it at its Hanover<br />
site). One above all, the shape and design of<br />
the light clusters (full LED as standard): small<br />
masterpieces that go into a truly superlative ensemble.<br />
Of course, the ID. Buzz could certainly<br />
not lack the stylistic reference to its legendary<br />
progenitor, namely the Bulli. This is recalled,<br />
for example, by the design and line of the<br />
front end, another highly successful exercise<br />
in style, dominated by the ‘V’-shaped hood. At<br />
its center, as well as on the back of the vehicle,<br />
stands out the ‘W’ of the Volkswagen logo, in<br />
this case larger in size than the one featured<br />
on the brand’s other models. Volkswagen ID.<br />
Buzz Cargo is a characterful vehicle with great<br />
personality and visual impact.<br />
Surprisingly maneuverable and agile,<br />
A unique van that does not go unnoticed, and<br />
we had proof of this during the days of our city<br />
test which was pleasantly interrupted several<br />
times by the questions and curiosity of those<br />
who flanked the vehicle. What stands out, more<br />
than the 4,712 millimeters in length and the<br />
2,989 millimeters in wheelbase, are the very<br />
short overhangs (820 millimeters at the front<br />
only, 903 millimeters at the rear), which, together<br />
with the <strong>11</strong>,090 millimeters steering<br />
diameter, make the Bulli’s heir surprisingly<br />
maneuverable and agile, even considering the<br />
2,352-kilogram tare weight. This is particularly<br />
appreciable in city use, where maneuvering<br />
space is often sacrificed.<br />
With one eye to the past and a forward-looking<br />
gaze to the future, however, the ID. Buzz<br />
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE<br />
Once you are in the driver’s seat, the ‘diversity’ of ID.<br />
Buzz jumps out at you. The first native van of the electric<br />
era has an extremely clean digital dashboard. This<br />
immediately hints at how much the ID. Buzz wants to<br />
be, and indeed is, innovative. In style and design, but in<br />
a sense also in approach, breaking away from the triedand-true<br />
approach of the classic electrified van.<br />
Welcome to the future. From a glance to a simpler<br />
feeling: an on-board space that, although limited (as it<br />
is for all vans), feels larger than the category standard,<br />
as well as cozy and well-organized. And this is no small<br />
thing. In short, even before setting off, the ID. Buzz<br />
shows an extra edge that makes it a truly unique model.<br />
Buckled up, you set off with a click, simply by moving<br />
the shift lever located on the right side, behind the<br />
steering wheel, to ‘D’ (the turn signal is on the opposite<br />
side). Here begins the most comfortable of journeys.<br />
Yes, because the ID. Buzz glides silently, and far from<br />
unnoticed, showing itself ready and responsive to the<br />
controls, stable in changes of direction, safe under<br />
braking. As well as being naturally fast, by virtue of the<br />
204 horsepower and immediately available robust torque<br />
supplied, which ensures a truly unsuspected boost.<br />
does not forget its mission. It fulfills it by offering<br />
a 3.9-cubic-meter cargo area (and 648 kilograms<br />
of payload capacity), which is accessed<br />
from the rear double door (load threshold at<br />
623 mm) and sideways from the wide sliding<br />
door (756 mm wide and 1,092 mm high).<br />
At the heart of the van is a 12-module 77-<br />
kWh lithium-ion battery arranged in the floor,<br />
which sends power to the electric motor integrated<br />
in the rear axle. This ‘fires’ an impressive<br />
204 horsepower. These numbers guarantee<br />
unparalleled driving enjoyability, which is<br />
matched by the marathon-like driving range<br />
(Volkswagen claims up to 425 kilometers,<br />
WLTP cycle). And it’s not a mirage.<br />
In fact, with the ID. Buzz charged to twothirds<br />
of its useful range, we covered the 173<br />
kilometers of our test by consuming 27.31<br />
kWh, ending the test with still 65 percent energy<br />
in the battery. As if to say we could have<br />
doubled the distance without getting too close<br />
to the 20 per cent ‘reserve’.<br />
It’s all true.<br />
The range test we<br />
carried out on the<br />
VW ID. Buzz has<br />
fully confirmed the<br />
range declared by<br />
Volkswagen. Under<br />
certain conditions,<br />
the van seems to<br />
be capable to run<br />
more or less 400<br />
km without need<br />
for charging on a<br />
mixed route, most<br />
of which is urban.<br />
46<br />
47
TECHNO<br />
CUMMINS’ PLANS TO MAKE TRANSPORT MORE SUSTAINABLE<br />
Multi-table global player<br />
FROM NATURAL GAS ENGINE DEVELOPMENT TO A JV ON BATTERIES<br />
A BOSCH PROJECT, IN COLLABORATION WITH HYLANE<br />
How to make fuel cells less expensive<br />
CIRCULAR ECONOMY WILL ALSO HELP REDUCE EMISSIONS<br />
Together with Arizona-based company Knight Transportation,<br />
Cummins managed to test the new X15N natural gas engine in<br />
Southern California. The latter will be launched<br />
in 2024. Due to the participation of another<br />
partner within the project, the truck was fueled<br />
exclusively with Clean Energy ultra-low carbon<br />
Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) anchored by Clean<br />
Energy’s station in Carson, California.<br />
The Cummins X15N natural gas engine delivers<br />
diesel-like ratings as well as durability and<br />
reliability to allow fleets to significantly reduce<br />
their carbon footprint without sacrificing capability.<br />
The X15N offers the industry a solution toward<br />
achieving their sustainability goals, including the<br />
ability to run on renewable natural gas. The field<br />
testing with Knight-Swift will continue through full<br />
production of the X15N powertrain in 2024.<br />
In addition to natural gas-based projects, Cummins<br />
is also engaged in battery manufacturing. That’s why<br />
the Colubus-based player has recently announced a<br />
valuable joint venture with Daimler Truck and Paccar,<br />
aimed at localizing battery cell production and the<br />
battery supply chain in the United States.<br />
According to the partners, the activities will initially<br />
focus on the lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery<br />
technology family for commercial battery-electric trucks. LFP<br />
battery cells manufacturer EVE Energy, from China, is set to serve<br />
as the technology partner in the joint venture with 10% ownership.<br />
The announced plant, “operating at full capacity in 2026 would<br />
provide enough batteries for the entire North American market for all<br />
battery electric buses and medium and heavy duty trucks combined,<br />
assuming about 10% of trucks are electric in that year”, commented<br />
Jamie Fox, Principal Analyst at consulting company Interact<br />
Analysis.<br />
READY FOR HYDROGEN<br />
The TCO for hydrogenfueled<br />
trucks may soon match<br />
diesel vehicles. To put H2<br />
trucks on the roads at scale,<br />
manufacturers need suppliers<br />
with know-how and experience.<br />
Worthington’s RANGER onboard<br />
fueling systems for<br />
compressed H2 arrive complete<br />
with type-3 or -4 cylinders,<br />
gas street components, and<br />
frames. It’s possible to drop fleet<br />
emissions while maintaining<br />
the same maintenance, fueling,<br />
and route schedules as with<br />
diesel trucks. Standard sizes are<br />
available in working pressures<br />
from 200-700 bar (20-70 MPa)<br />
with capacities up to 2055 L<br />
water for CNG and hydrogen<br />
applications.<br />
Cummins<br />
is testing the new X15N NG<br />
engine with Knight Transportation. The engine<br />
will be launched by 2024..<br />
Entering the E-Zone<br />
Thermo King will participate in Solutrans <strong>2023</strong><br />
presenting its electric alternatives to traditional<br />
transport refrigeration solutions. In Lyon, the<br />
manufacturer willalso showcase Advancer-e:<br />
fully-electric, engineless and power agnostic<br />
trailer refrigeration unit that can operate with<br />
several different power sources.<br />
It’s called E-500e the 100 percent electric<br />
powered, flagship single and multi-temperature<br />
unit in the E-Series range for urban and inner-city<br />
deliveries with electric light commercial vehicles<br />
(e-LCVs). FK2 is Frigoblock’s electric transport<br />
refrigeration unit for rigid trucks.<br />
When in 2021, we introduced our all-electric<br />
portfolio branded evolve, we pledged to lead<br />
the electrification and decarbonisation efforts of<br />
our industry by delivering fully electric products<br />
in every segment of the cold chain by <strong>2023</strong>,”<br />
said Laurent Debias, product management and<br />
marketing leader at Thermo King.<br />
Bosch is currently producing fuel cell stacks. The German<br />
company is working on their evolution and, through the promotion<br />
of a circular economy model, those crucial components may cost<br />
significantly less in the future. More into details, almost all the<br />
platinum in fuel-cell stacks – at least 95 percent – can be recovered.<br />
“By recycling, we can make the stacks more economical and at the<br />
same time reduce the carbon emissions associated with platinum<br />
mining,” said Thomas Pauer, the president of the Bosch Powertrain<br />
Solutions division. “We’re already laying the groundwork for<br />
recovering rare raw materials like platinum. Our estimates suggest<br />
that by 2030 at the latest, appreciable numbers of fuel cells will need<br />
recycling”. Under the new model agreement with Hylane, Bosch is<br />
guaranteed an option to repurchase stacks for mobile applications.<br />
The stacks themselves will be recycled by a third-party company.<br />
In the subsequent production process, Bosch will use the platinum<br />
recovered for new Hylane stacks.<br />
A first, important step in this direction is an agreement with the<br />
mobility provider Hylane, which provides for the repurchase of<br />
fuel-cell stacks by Bosch when their useful lives expire. Some of the<br />
hydrogen trucks leased by the Cologne-based startup feature Bosch<br />
fuel-cell power modules. In the long term, this model agreement<br />
could serve as a blueprint for further Bosch fuel-cell activities, both<br />
mobile and distributed, as well as for electrolysis stacks.<br />
According to a 2021 study by the German Mineral Resources<br />
Agency, worldwide platinum demand could increase by some 20<br />
percent by 2040 compared to 2018 production. For fuel-cell stacks in<br />
mobile applications, the use of platinum alone accounts for over 80<br />
percent of the stack’s carbon footprint.<br />
THE ALL-FRENCH E-MOTOR<br />
French players Renault Group<br />
and Valeo are combining their<br />
expertise to create a new electric<br />
motor generation. Laying on<br />
a partnership started in 2021,<br />
the two partners aim to develop<br />
and manufacture a brand-new<br />
efficient electric motor that<br />
makes no use of rare earths.<br />
More into details, each partner<br />
pooled one key part (Renault<br />
Group the rotor, Valeo the<br />
stator) as well as their expertise<br />
in technology development<br />
and production. Technically<br />
speaking, the new E7A motor<br />
will apparently<br />
be 30% more<br />
compact for<br />
equivalent<br />
power than the current motors<br />
equipping the Megane E-Tech<br />
electric and the Scenic E-Tech<br />
electric. The rare-earths-free<br />
rotor technology will be shrinking<br />
its carbon footprint by 30%.<br />
By using a wound rotor instead<br />
of permanent magnets, Renault<br />
is improving the engine’s output,<br />
securing its supply chain and<br />
avoiding reliance on countries<br />
that produce rare earths and<br />
magnets. This third-generation<br />
motor will also help shorten<br />
battery charging times as the<br />
system will be built for 800 volts<br />
instead of 400<br />
volts, which is<br />
the standard<br />
today.<br />
Hi-performance battery<br />
Chinese battery manufacturer CATL has<br />
developed superfast charging LFP battery<br />
named Shenxing. The new product is capable<br />
of delivering 400 km of driving range with a<br />
10-minute charge as well as a range of over<br />
700 km on a single full charge, according to the<br />
manufacturer itself.<br />
Focusing on the very nature of electrochemistry,<br />
CATL continues its innovation in material and<br />
electrochemistry and<br />
system structure in an<br />
all-round way, achieving<br />
superfast charging, high<br />
energy density and high<br />
level of safety at the same<br />
time in a creative manner.<br />
Shenxing leverages the<br />
super electronic network<br />
cathode technology and<br />
fully nano-crystallized LFP cathode material<br />
to create a super electronic network, which<br />
facilitates the extraction of lithium ions and the<br />
rapid response to charging signals.<br />
The brand-new battery is expected to be<br />
produced also in Europe, namely in Germany<br />
and Hungary. Here, the Chinese giant is building<br />
a particularly up-to-date gigafactory located in<br />
Debrecen.<br />
48<br />
49
Kempower will soon introduce Megawatt Charging System (MCS)<br />
for electric trucks and electric vehicles using power above one megawatt. The<br />
Finnish company’s new charging solution is based on their existing technology,<br />
including Kempower’s high power satellite with MCS liquid cooled charging<br />
plug and two 600 kW Kempower Power Units. The manufacturer will begin<br />
deliveries of the new Kempower Megawatt Charging System in Europe during<br />
the first quarter of 2024. The total power of the first delivered Kempower MCS<br />
solution delivery will be 1.2 megawatts. “We are a key part of the critical growth<br />
of the electrification of trucks and heavy-duty transportation. Electric trucks are<br />
gaining traction as a sustainable alternative to traditional diesel trucks. Traditional<br />
heavy-duty trucks account for more than 25 percent of the total CO 2<br />
emissions<br />
from road transport. So, it’s clear that transitioning truck fleets to electric will<br />
have a major impact on climate change mitigation”, said Jussi <strong>Van</strong>hanen, Chief<br />
Market Officer at Kempower.<br />
50<br />
INFRASTRUCTURE<br />
KEMPOWER GETS READY FOR 2024<br />
Megawatt is coming<br />
THE FINNISH COMPANY TO LAUNCH MCS<br />
“Electric trucks<br />
are typically<br />
charged with a<br />
DC fast charger<br />
either overnight,<br />
at a warehouse<br />
destination,<br />
or on-themove<br />
along<br />
highways”,<br />
added<br />
Kempower’s<br />
specialist, Jussi<br />
<strong>Van</strong>hanen.<br />
CHARGING PARTNERSHIP<br />
Scania and ABB E-mobility announced<br />
the signing of a global framework<br />
agreement in the field of charging<br />
solutions. The agreement enables Scania<br />
to become a full solution provider for<br />
their EV customers, offering a tailored<br />
charging solution together with electric<br />
vehicles. Scania will provide both its<br />
own network and its customers with<br />
ABB E-mobility‘s DC fast charging<br />
technology and solutions, including Terra<br />
360, one of the fastest all-in-one electric<br />
vehicle chargers. ABB E-mobility will<br />
provide Scania with its wide range of<br />
DC charging solutions for home depot<br />
charging, destination charging and public<br />
charging. Earlier this year, ABB E-mobility<br />
and Scania announced a successful<br />
first test in development of a megawatt<br />
charging system (MCS). “With access<br />
to the full breadth of our DC charging<br />
portfolio, we are ensuring that Scania<br />
can recommend the most appropriate<br />
solution for every use case, helping their<br />
customers successfully transition to<br />
electric”, said Chris Nordh, Head of Fleet<br />
& Transit Business at ABB E-mobility.<br />
SUPPLEMENT<br />
Magazine dealing with culture, economics,<br />
technologyand market of freight transportation<br />
Established in 1962<br />
Editor in chief<br />
Maurizio Cervetto<br />
Managing editor<br />
Fabrizio Dalle Nogare<br />
Editorial staff<br />
Stefano Agnellini, Fabio Butturi,<br />
Ornella Cavalli, Alberto Gimmelli,<br />
Stefano Eliseo, Fabio Franchini,<br />
Riccardo Schiavo, Cristina Scuteri,<br />
Luca Vitali<br />
Contributors<br />
Mariagiulia Spettoli<br />
Layout & graphics<br />
Marco Zanusso (manager)<br />
Editorial management<br />
Fabio Zammaretti<br />
Printing<br />
Industrie Grafiche RGM srl,<br />
Rozzano (MI)<br />
Milano City Court Authorization<br />
n. 6041 – September 20th 1962 National<br />
Press Register n. 4596 – April 20th 1994<br />
Poste Italiane Inc. – Mail subscription<br />
D.L. 353/2003 (mod. in L. 27/02/2004 n°<br />
46) Art. 1, subsection 1, LO/MI<br />
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YOUR POWER<br />
PARTNER,<br />
WHICHEVER<br />
ROUTE YOU TAKE<br />
Our planet faces a significant challenge as we recognise<br />
the realities of climate change.<br />
That’s why we’re taking action to progress the widest range<br />
of power technologies to fuel industry decarbonisation.<br />
Learn more.<br />
©<strong>2023</strong> Cummins Inc.
SAVE UP TO 1.29% FUEL WITH<br />
ALCOA ® WHEELS * , COMPARED<br />
TO STEEL WHEELS **<br />
Summary:<br />
Constant Speed test runs (CST) with a heavy-duty semi-trailer combination,<br />
based on Annex VIII of Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/2400 and additional<br />
fuel consumption test results.<br />
Test Vehicle:<br />
Long-Haul truck/trailer combination<br />
with aerodynamic components<br />
• Truck Steer: 22.5” x 9.00” Alcoa ® Ultra ONE ® wheels<br />
• Truck Drive: 22.5” x 9.00” dual Al torque wheels Kistler RoaDyn P1HT<br />
• Trailer: 22.5” x <strong>11</strong>.75” ET120 Alcoa ® Ultra ONE ® wheels<br />
Alcoa ® aluminium wheels were tested against two models of steel wheels used on the same test<br />
truck/trailer combination. Find Alcoa ® aluminium wheel specifications in report section 4.2.2*<br />
and steel wheel specifications in report section 4.2.1**<br />
Download the full test report here: www.alcoawheelseurope.com/fuel-saving<br />
Alcoa ® Wheels is a product brand of Howmet Aerospace<br />
www.alcoawheelseurope.com