Author:focus-on-transport
Linked, in part, to the “stagflationary” state of the Turkish economy, every segment of the country’s commercial vehicle market has been contracting drastically over the last two-and-a-half years. Just how bad are things expected to get, and what are the ripple effects? LIANA SHAW investigates An excerpt from a recent article in IHS Markit, reported vehicle production in Turkey had plunged 15 percent year on year, according to data from the Turkish Automotive Manufacturers’ Association. Haydar Yenigun, GM at Ford […]
Obtaining vehicle finance remains a monumental hurdle for commercial operators, and the current bleak economic outlook in South Africa is not helping. LIANA SHAW investigates. When asked whether vehicle finance was readily available in the current economic climate, John Loxton, head of fleet management and leasing at WesBank, responded: “I don’t think there is one universal response that would cover this question. For start-ups, it remains a very challenging prospect, especially given the current headwinds faced by the industry. For existing […]
FAW Harrismith, which opened in March this year, is now a full FAW sales and service branch and part of the growing FAW South Africa dealer network. The Free State facility was previously independent, selling FAW vehicles as well as a number of passenger cars and bakkies. FAW South Africa, however, decided to purchase the dealership outright and then invested considerably in its renewal and repurposing. FAW Harrismith recently sold its first new truck since reopening – a FAW 6.130FL […]
A battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros is being put to the test in daily operations by a German transport company. The 25-t vehicle, operated by Logistik Schmitt, travels between a warehouse in Ötigheim, southern Germany, and Mercedes-Benz’s Gaggenau plant in Rastatt, a distance of about seven kilometres. The vehicle is used in place of a conventionally powered truck to transport transmission housings, covering about 168 km daily as part of a demanding, three-shift operation. The truck is said to have a range […]
Land Rover’s new Defender has been put through its paces under the watchful eye of all-terrain experts from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in the latest stage of its global testing programme. The prototype vehicle recently visited the IFRC global fleet base at Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, ahead of its public debut later this year. Land Rover engineers demonstrated the Defender’s on- and off-road capabilities before the IFRC’s fleet experts took to […]
The Tata Ultra, built on the core philosophy to provide the best value for money offering to the customer, is a result of extensive feedback from customers and is specifically engineered for the South African market. “Since its introduction, the Tata Ultra – dubbed the business utility vehicle – has been well received in the South African market. The positive response has encouraged us to launch the Ultra Plus 1418 at Ultra 814 AMT at this month’s Futuroad Expo to […]
The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) reported that sales of new light commercial vehicles vehicle sales grew by 391 units – up 2,9 percent — compared with the figure for July last year. Sales in the medium and heavy-vehicle segments also reflected gains, an improvement of 14,9 percent in the case of medium commercials and 21,4 percent in the case of heavy trucks and buses, compared with figures for the corresponding month last year. Light Commercial […]
Scania Southern Africa has big plans for its bus and coach division heading into 2020. Customers got a taste of what is to come at the 2019 Southern African Bus Operators Association (Saboa) Conference The annual Saboa Conference returned to the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Convention Centre in Pretoria where Scania Southern Africa was front and centre with a beautifully streamlined stand, which offered ample seating – a pointer to the purpose of the brand’s presence at […]
EcoLife, ZF’s fuel-saving automatic transmission for buses, was a big hit at the Southern African Bus Operators Association (Saboa) Conference and Exhibition. Popular in Europe as well as many African countries, the gearbox is said to offer substantial benefits in terms of economy and the environment One of the biggest challenges associated with buses in congested urban areas is the fact that they have to make lots of short stops to allow passengers on or off. With engines idling, they […]
FOCUS Issue 9 2019 is available to view as an Ebook or to download in pdf format. Click here to download in pdf format.
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