another major brand launches an electric truck

Another Major Brand Launches an Electric Truck

A major online launch in Brazil this week saw a slick light show as another major brand launches an electric truck. This time around, it was Volkswagen, with a pair of models at 10 and 14 tonne GVM arriving with a lot of fanfare.
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Volkswagen truck arm sell off

Volkswagen Truck Arm Sell Off

The long-awaited and several times-delayed Volkswagen truck arm sell off is set to go ahead soon and could value the operation at up to $24 billion. The VW organisation separated its commercial truck division from its car making operations and renamed it under the Traton name, after it took over both Scania and MAN trucks and joined them in with the South American VW truck manufacturing operation.  Read More
Volkswagen are closer to becoming a global truck player

Volkswagen are Closer to Becoming a Global Truck Player

With the announcement of an extended deal between Traton and Hino, Volkswagen are closer to becoming a global truck player. Traton is the new name for the current Volkswagen truck making group, which includes Scania, MAN, VW Trucks in South America and an increasing holding in Navistar in the US. Read More

It’s All Over the Twitterverse

It’s all over the Twitterverse today, VW to buy Navistar, car headlights warning and a trailblazing female road train truckie. A takeover of the International brand by Volkswagen is looking likely, and VW are also in talks with Hino over a technology and marketing sharing deal:
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New Kid on the Block

There is now a new kid on the block – after eight years at the helm of Scania Australia, Roger McCarthy has handed the tiller to Mikael Jansson as the local Managing Director of the Swedish truck brand. Diesel News looks at Roger’s legacy. The Managing Director’s chair at Scania Australia headquarters used to be a bit of a hot one. There were a couple of short-term appointments, due to a certain amount of churn in the Scania organisation in Europe. The arrival of Roger McCarthy in 2009 was, in retrospect, a calming influence. One that allowed the Australian operation to get its bearings and then find new directions in which to move forward.
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Highway Hero, Hino Expansion, VW Plan and Cummins Getting Batteries

We hear about a Highway Hero, Hino Expansion, VW Plan and Cummins Getting Batteries in Diesel News this week. Capability and confidence is at a high for Hino with increased involvement from five of Australia’s largest automotive and commercial vehicle retail groups. “During 2017 and 2018, we will open three new Hino dealerships and upgrade four existing sites to meet increased demand,” said Bill Gillespie, Hino Australia’s General Manager Brand and Franchise Development. “It is significant that we have increased investment from five of Australia’s largest automotive and commercial vehicle retail groups in key locations across the country, namely Automotive Holding Group/AHG (Coffs Harbour), Sci Fleet (Eagle Farm, Brisbane), CMV Group (Laverton, Melbourne), AP Eagers (Mascot, Sydney) and the Suttons family-owned group (Arndell Park, Sydney).
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Electric Inter, Volvo and LNG, Iveco and Suttons

Not only is there an Electric Inter, Volvo and LNG, Iveco and Suttons, plus a New Auto from Eaton/Cummins in Diesel News, but also Daimler Platooning and an Electric Van. Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies has introduced the new Endurant TM 12- speed automated transmission at the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show in Atlanta, in the US. Claimed to be the lightest, most efficient 1,850 ft lb–capable heavy-duty transmission on the US market, it has been designed for line-haul applications where weight savings and efficiency can add to a fleet’s bottom line, Endurant weighs nearly 50kg less than competitive automated manual transmissions (AMTs).
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Flavour of the Month

Flavour of the Month

Flavour of the month, or perhaps that should be flavour of the decade? Every day there seems to be a new story about autonomous trucks or automated driving systems coming out. The news stories veer from optimistic ‘brave new world starts now’ in style, to some horror story about the dangers of computer-controlled monsters. Then there’s a future when we don’t need truckies and everything-will-be-delivered-to-our-backyard-by-drone scenarios.
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