Author:charleen-clarke
The Comtrans international commercial vehicle trade fair was held in Moscow from September 3 to 7. And, as our Russian writer reports, it was a fair full of anniversaries and novelties. Story and photographs by VLADIMIR CHEKHUTA All Europe’s giants of transport machinery and well-known commercial vehicle producers from Russia and Asian countries flocked to this year’s Comtrans. In fact, more than 265 companies from 13 countries presented their wares at the show. It was interesting to see several companies […]
The long-awaited successor to the Stralis, the S-Way, has been launched in Europe. The new S-Way features a new cab boasting a driver-centric design. It is said to provide first-rate living and working conditions with a spacious environment, outstanding driving ergonomics, and a well-planned layout that combines functionality with comfort. The design also addresses driver safety with a reinforced structure and much-improved visibility all around and in all conditions. The new design optimises aerodynamic performance, further increasing the vehicle’s excellent fuel efficiency by up […]
Customers in Europe love the all-electric MAN eTGE! Austrian transportation and logistics company Quehenberger Logistics has recently started using three MAN eTGEs in its operations, while 11 eTGEs have been handed over to the Swiss national postal service. Quehenberger has also been running an all-electric MAN eTGM distribution truck since the third quarter of 2018. The eTGEs will be used wherever quiet, emission-free logistics are needed (especially in situations where the company’s three-axle, 26-t MAN e-truck is too big or […]
The ever-popular Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has scooped yet another award: Large Van of the Year by Company Van Today. “The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has long been the king of the large-van segment, and the new model has only accelerated that position thanks to new levels technology and quality,” says Company Van Today editor Tom Webster. “The Sprinter sets a high standard, is a desirable and capable vehicle available with a variety of options that will suit any customer use, and has a […]
Bosch and Daimler have reached a milestone on the way to automated driving: the two companies have now obtained approval from the relevant authorities in Baden-Württemberg for their automated parking system in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage in Stuttgart. The automated valet parking service is accessed via a smartphone app and requires no safety driver. This makes it the world’s first fully automated driverless SAE Level 4 parking function to be officially approved for everyday use. It’s ever so easy […]
The Volkswagen Crafter is fully imported from Wrzesnia, Poland, and, as CHARLEEN CLARKE discovers, it must be one of the country’s finest exports My mates often feel sorry for me – especially those who spend their lives testing cars. Because I spend much of my life behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle, they either treat me like a weirdo (because I’m a woman and women don’t drive trucks, you know), or they treat me like orphan Annie – because […]
Picture an ice-cream van. Its diesel engine is running, while excited kids gather around. While the van thrills those kids with delight, it has the opposite effect on environmentalists … because of all those emissions going into our atmosphere. Enter a prototype van based on the e-NV200, Nissan’s 100-percent electric light commercial vehicle. It’s an ice-cream van sans an internal combustion engine (ICE)! Instead of a jingle to attract customers – not always popular with parents – the concept has […]
Kamag Transporttechnik – a German company that specialises in the production of industrial vehicles, modular transporters and vehicles for terminal logistics – was recently called upon to produce a very special slab transporter for steel giant ArcelorMittal. The vehicle was 71-m long, it carried a payload of 150 t, and it had a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 150 t. Needless to say, considerable engineering expertise was required… Slabs are large blocks of steel that can weigh up to 30 t […]
Fiat has lifted the lid on its Ducato electric, which will be launched in 2020. The first full-electric Fiat Professional model, the Ducato was developed after the company completed an extensive research project into customers’ attitudes towards electric vehicles. The study found that 25 percent of customers are already ready and willing to go the electric route (this will obviously increase by 2020). Fiat claims that the vehicle is best in class in many areas. It will offer a range […]
Busworld 2019 is going to be sensational! It’s going to be jam-packed with buses, coaches and minibuses, featuring the very latest technology. Well, that certainly applies to the MAN stand, as CHARLEEN CLARKE discovers I’m in Munich at the world-famous Allianz Arena, which is home to FC Bayern Munich – one mighty illustrious football team. I’m not here to meet that cute chap, Thomas Müller (although this does remain a dream, it must be said), instead I’m here to meet […]
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