Author:charleen-clarke
As South Africans, we all love to complain. In fact, I’m convinced it’s an official national pastime! One of our favourite topics is the bad condition of roads in South Africa… However, it seems that we’re not alone. According to road safety and breakdown recovery specialist GEM Motoring Assist, the roads in the United Kingdom (UK) ain’t looking too posh either. “The UK road network is in an appalling state, with more than 24 000 miles (38 600 km) of road […]
Volvo Trucks has introduced its first all-electric truck for commercial use – the Volvo FL Electric for urban distribution and refuse operations, among other applications. Sales and series production of the new model will start in Europe next year. “We’re immensely proud to present the first in a range of fully electrically powered Volvo trucks ready for regular traffic. With this model we are making it possible for cities that aim for sustainable urban development to benefit from the advantages […]
A month ago or so, you might have seen the comparative test between the Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 4×4 and the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2.4 4×2 – in which I declared the Pajero Sport my favourite vehicle in the segment and one that deserves to do much better in this segment’s one-sided sales race. This week I have what – admittedly – is the vehicle that should’ve featured in the comparison with the Fortuner, the 4×4 version of the Pajero […]
The all-new Actros and Arocs will be launched in South Africa in May and September this year respectively. CHARLEEN CLARKE jetted to Dubai to get a sneak preview of both of these vehicles. In South Africa, we always talk about the demanding conditions in which trucks operate. This market isn’t for sissies, we say (rather proudly). Having just been to Dubai and experienced operating conditions there first-hand, I can categorically state that we are wrong! I was invited to Dubai […]
Automotive suppliers in South Africa can prosper – and make big moolah (despite the many challenges that they face). However, they need to address certain issues, inlcuding capital expenditure (capex) and training. These are two of the findings of a special report called the South African Automotive Supplier Industry Benchmark Report 2018. FOCUS attended a special function to mark the release of this report, which is produced for the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (Naacam), on Tuesday […]
There’s a massive shortage of truck drivers in the United States; it stands at about 50 000 right now, and this is estimated to grow to 174 000 by 2026. Given this situation, Uber is testing a freight-delivery method that blends self-driving and conventional driver-operated trucks to relieve drivers from too much time spent away from home. Human beings are better suited at manoeuvring trucks in busy cities; autonomous driving is better suited to tedious highway driving (because a self-driving truck doesn’t […]
While some companies (especially here in South Africa) are battling to survive, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) is romping to the bank vault – having made its highest profit ever! Last year, VWCV delivered around 498 000 vehicles to customers all over the world (versus 478 000 in 2016). Sales revenue rose to around €11,9 billion (R176 billion) – versus €11,1 billion (R165 billion) in 2016. Profit soared to €853 million (R12,6 billion) – versus €455 million (R6,8 billion) in 2016. […]
An awesome new Land Rover Discovery has gone on sale in the United Kingdom. It’s called the Discovery Commercial and it’s a rather sexy alternative to a van or bakkie. Instead of seats in the second and third row, it comes with a rather handy 1 856 litres of cargo space. Available with Land Rover’s Ingenium 2.0D SD4 179 kW and 3.0D TD6 192 kW engines, the Discovery Commercial shares the fundamental underpinnings of the regular Discovery, so you can deliver that […]
In a move that has shocked our industry to its very core, Geely Automotive chairman Li Shufu has purchased 9,69 percent of Daimler – meaning Shufu is the single largest shareholder in the giant German company. Wow, we sure didn’t see that coming… Many South Africans haven’t even heard of Shufu – but he’s rapidly becoming The Big Boy in the global automotive industry. Forbes estimates his real time net worth at US$18,1 billion (R216 billion) – and he’s been […]
In the world of the bakkie-based SUV, the Toyota Fortuner is king. Based as it is on the venerable Hilux, this would only be a reasonable expectation – for in the bakkie world, the Hilux is king. However, while the Ford ranger and Isuzu KB commendably challenge the Hilux on the sales charts, the Fortuner remains comparatively unchallenged. It is undoubtedly the nation’s favourite in its segment … but, does that mean it’s the best? A couple of weeks ago […]
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