There is no doubt, according to Matthias Wissmann, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) that a recovery is well underway in the European commercial vehicle market. In 2015, 259,000 heavy trucks over six tonnes were registered in Europe — a rise of 14% compared to 2014.
This was reflected at the IAA trade exhibition in Hannover, Germany, this year by an enthusiastic attendance of the industry’s major truck and bus manufacturers from both Europe and other regions — everyone keen to benefit from the buoyancy in Europe, as well as markets such as the Middle East.
The show is a particularly important platform for German commercial vehicle companies, which employ almost 190,000 people — nearly a quarter of all employees in the country’s automotive industry. While the big brands may come to mind, SMEs are also strongly represented in this sector, with manufacturers of trailers and trucks bodies making up a workforce of 33,000 people.
Wissmann noted that despite the impact of exhaust manipulation in diesel cars on the credibility of the automotive industry, heavy diesel engines remain indispensable in the race to meet international climate targets.
He stated: “I wish to stress explicitly that modern commercial vehicles are exemplary when it comes to exhaust emissions because since 2013 (Euro VI), emissions from new trucks have been measured during operation.
“A portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) has been developed for this purpose. This means that for commercial vehicles, the measurement of real-driving pollutant emissions is already standard. For passenger cars, we have only recently acquired this modern measuring technology. Commercial vehicles are one step ahead of passenger cars here and have proven that extremely low emissions are possible using diesel engines.”
The emissions skeleton out of the closet, he reiterated: “Today’s Euro VI trucks and buses have only homeopathically low emissions — both in tests and in real-world operation. Pollutant reduction for commercial vehicles has been successfully completed.”
Commercial vehicle manufacturers, he noted, have a significant role to play in the reduction of CO2 emissions, which he described as “one of the greatest challenges of our time”. The EU in particular has set itself the target of a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030, and commercial vehicles are involved. At present, the annual reduction of emissions in commercial vehicles is 1.75%, but through collaboration with the logistics segment this could be doubled to 3.5%.
Since the 1970s, commercial vehicles have achieved a reduction of around 60% per tonne-kilometre, and it is estimated that an integrated approach could reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020 versus 2005 values.
Long-distance buses already hold the absolute CO2 crown among modes of transport, with an average output of just 32 grams per passenger per kilometre.
The challenge is now on to achieve the same efficiencies with freight trucks, which still transport 75% of goods even in countries with modern freight rail systems. Currently, efforts are being directed towards the trial of long trucks, which emit up to 25% less CO2, and the ongoing exploration of platooning.
Developments in automation also place the commercial vehicle on the precipice of a potential leap forward in freight efficiency.
All of these developments, combined with the conversation about CO2 emissions, were an important theme in the trends and topics being discussed at the 66th IAA Commercial Vehicles show. However, they also represent just one angle from which the world’s top manufacturers are addressing the market.
Manning up
One company clearly on message was MAN, which presented a portfolio of ‘future-proof’ trucks in terms of engine and performance optimisation and driving dynamics.
MAN unveiled its new generation TipMatic transmission, expressly designed to further reduce fuel consumption while increasing driving comfort, including improvements to the speed and efficiency of its gear changes.
The SmartShifting function implements a rapid switching process suitable across all gears and driving application that calculates accelerator pedal position, vehicle mass and driving resistance to determine the optimum switching speed for every situation.
“The IAA 2016 trade fair is a significant platform for MAN to showcase our cutting edge technologies across our truck range,” explained Franz von Redwitz, MD for MAN Truck & Bus Middle East. “This year, we have showcased our design innovations and fuel efficiency features, and by engaging with our customers from the Middle East we were able to give them a glimpse of our future vision.”
At the show, MAN unveiled a new version of its GPS-supported, topography-analysing EfficientCruise anticipatory cruise control, which, along with the EfficientRoll gearbox function, automatically switches into neutral on gentle downward gradients to capitalise on the forward momentum of the vehicle.
MAN also demonstrated new features for increased efficiency and sustainability in its bus portfolio, with a focus on new transmissions, and both CNG and electrified drivetrains.
In his prior role, Von Redwitz was heavily involved in the evolution of the MAN Lion’s City bus, a testament to MAN’s commitment to innovation over the segment. However, time has not stood still, and over the past three years it has continued to be optimised.
Von Redwitz noted: “With sustainability clearly a big focus for the Middle East, we intend to demonstrate our Lion’s City CNG bus which supports our unrivalled position as the leader in natural gas buses, along with options in terms of electrified drivetrains.”
Under recent measures to optimise the MAN Lion’s City Bus, particular attention has been paid to general efficiency, weight reduction and reduced fuel consumption. As of 2016, MAN Lion’s City is also available with the DIWA6 automatic gearbox by Voith. The integration of the gearbox with the drivetrain is said to deliver a reduction in both fuel consumption and noise emissions.
With progressive governments across the Middle East increasingly looking into sustainable transport systems, MAN’s portfolio of CNG buses and experience as Europe’s “unchallenged” leader in natural gas buses is a bonus. In all, 22% of the city buses sold by MAN in the past year run on CNG.
MAN’s natural gas engines significantly outperform current emissions standards for diesel engines without the need for any additional filtering technology or fuel, and can also be run on biogas from biomass — without technical modifications — to achieve operations that are virtually CO2 neutral.
At IAA, MAN also discussed AttentionGuard, an awareness assistant that aims to recognise when a driver’s focus decreases due to tiredness, and warn them accordingly.
In the electric bus segment, the MAN Lion’s City Hybrid is also in an excellent position to provide transport companies with a practical and efficient solution.
By 2018, the MAN e-mobility roadmap will also offer the public a pre-series bus version of a battery-electric vehicle (BEV), and the brand plans to commence series production of a 100% electrically driven city bus before 2020.
Before 2030, MAN Truck & Bus plans to have 50% of its sales in the city bus segment consisting of emission-free vehicles.
Electric performance
Not to be outdone, leading manufacturer Daimler used the IAA to present the world’s first fully electric heavy truck, the Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck, rated up to 26 tonnes.
With urbanisation, the need to balance distribution requirements and emissions makes the electric solution a practical one.
Dr Wolfgang Bernhard, head of Daimler Trucks & Buses, noted: “Electric drive systems previously only saw extremely limited use in trucks. Nowadays costs, performance and charging times have developed so rapidly that there is a trend reversal in the distribution sector: the time is ripe for the electric truck.”
Large cities, including London and Paris, are already considering a ban on internal combustion engines in city centres, while rapid improvements in battery storage capacity are significantly lowering the costs associated with fully electric propulsion.
Daimler Trucks expects the costs of batteries to drop by a factor of 2.5 from 1997 and 2025 — from 500 euros/kWh to 200 euros/kWh. At the same time, performance will improve by the same factor over the same period — from 80 Wh/kg up to 200 Wh/kg.
The Mercedes-Benz Urban eTruck is based on a heavy-duty, three-axle MB distribution truck, but with the conventional drivetrain replaced by an electrically driven rear axle derived from the MB Citaro hybrid bus.
Power is supplied by three lithium-ion battery modules, resulting in a range of up to 200km, and thanks to the location of the motors adjacent to the wheel hubs, the batteries are housed in a crash-proof location.
Stefan Buchner, head of MB Trucks, noted: “The Urban eTruck underlines our intention to systematically develop electric drive in trucks to series production maturity.”
Equally impressive is Daimler’s launch of the first autonomous bus, the Mercedes-Benz Future Bus with CityPilot, on a public journey across 20km of Europe’s longest Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route in the Netherlands.
The journey represents one of the first applications of a commercial vehicle capable of interacting with the general public.
With the CityPilot system, the vehicle is able to autonomously recognise and avoid obstacles and people, precisely draw alongside bus stops, open and close passenger doors, set off again, and communicate with the traffic light systems along the route.
Linking Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport with the town of Haarlem, the numerous bends, tunnels and junctions on the 20km test route make it a real challenge and a realistic test of the Future Bus’ capabilities.
In compliance with traffic regulations, there must for now still be a driver to take the wheel when facing oncoming traffic, but even then, the CityPilot manages its speed while simultaneously lowering the driver’s workload and improving the level of safety.
Daimler Buses plans to invest a further $225m into its city-bus portfolio by 2020.
In a final demonstration of its command of future concepts, Daimler had a Citaro NGT and Citaro Fuelcell Hybrid in operation around the Hannover exhibition grounds.
With its natural gas drive, the Citaro NGT runs well below the strict Euro VI emissions standard and is quiet and clean. The Citaro Fuelcell Hybrid goes a step further by producing the energy for its electric drive using hydrogen. Exceptionally quiet, it emits only harmless water vapour, and therefore generates zero local emissions. During the IAA, the vehicle was refuelled by a mobile hydrogen filling station, presented at the exhibition site in partnership with Linde.
Stralis-sphere
Iveco used the show to unveil its New Stralis TCO2 Champion, a long-haul concept truck with a new driveline designed to reduce CO2 emissions and Total Cost of Operation (TCO) by delivering fuel savings of up to 11%, while other features contribute further savings of up to 3%, resulting in a 5.6% reduction of the TCO over the course of long-haul missions.
The New Stralis Natural Power, which can run on both CNG and LNG, is also a trendsetter, with an engine that delivers 400hp and 1,700Nm torque — equivalent to diesels — with an automated transmission.
The improvements contribute to a 3% reduction in TCO compared to the previous model, which already cost up to 40% less to refuel than its diesel equivalents.
Iveco also unveiled new air-suspended and CNG versions of the New Eurocargo, its medium-duty truck for local distribution.
The New Eurocargo ML160 featured pneumatic suspension on the front and rear axle, increasing the maximum payload on the loading bed by a one-tonne and improving safety even with uneven load distribution.
The new Eurocargo Natural Power (NP), which runs on compressed natural gas (CNG), features an engine that delivers 204hp maximum power at 2,700rpm, with a torque of 750Nm from 1,400 to 1,800rpm — 100Nm more than its predecessor. As with MAN’s technology, the NP vehicle can also run on bio-methane derived from biomass.
The Eurocargo engine has a range of up to 400km, meeting the requirements of a variety of missions from multi-drop urban distribution to municipality missions, while at three decibels its engine is quieter than an equivalent diesel model, allowed the vehicles to drive in restricted traffic zones.
Swedish Summary
Volvo used the show to continue to advocate the benefits of its I-shift transmission with crawler gears, which the FH16 8×4 heavy-duty tractor unit can start off from standstill with a gross combination weight of 325 tonnes.
The I-shift crawler gears can also be used, for example, with a Volvo FH (6×2) swap-body truck for application-specific manoeuvring work, making it easier to operate at extremely low road speeds in forward and reverse gears.
Volvo Trucks is also catering to customer requirements with features such as its driven axle lift, built into models like the Volvo FH (6×4) tipper tractor. By allowing the rear driven axle to be raised on empty trips it saves on fuel and reduces wear on parts and tyres.
Volvo Buses is taking steps to reduce the 1.25 million annual road traffic deaths world-wide by unveiling a pedestrian and cyclist detection system that will be implemented on Volvo’s European city bus fleet from 2017.
Peter Danielsson, safety features director at Volvo Buses, noted: “Accidents involving buses and unprotected road-users seldom occur, but, when they do, the consequences may be very serious. In this context, the pedestrian and cyclist detection system, which continuously monitors the bus’ vicinity using a camera, offers excellent support.”
When the system detects unprotected road-users near the bus, it warns both road-users and driver with audible cues, and if there is an imminent risk of an incident, the bus’s horn is activated.
Danielsson noted: “Several components in our system are based on the same tried and tested technology found in many cars. But we are the only manufacturer to simultaneously notify both driver and road-user.”
Volvo Buses’ introduction of this type of warning system is linked to the risks that could arise as increasingly stealthy electric vehicles navigate urban environments.
Operating at speeds below 50kmph, any bus running on electricity is far quieter than a diesel-powered bus, and with this change come both risk and reward.
