A Busy Month for Daimler

News

22 May

They’ve been busy boys and girls down at Mulgrave this month with moves on all product fronts. Here’s a wrap.

Freightliner Cascadia

Freightliner Australia will introduce a head-protecting side airbag on the Cascadia heavy duty truck later this year, further extending its safety leadership in the conventional truck class.

**Makes a nice pillow, but best not to get to that point**

The Cascadia is still the only bonneted truck in Australia to be fitted with a steering wheel mounted airbag. It will also become the only manufacturer to offer a head-protecting side airbag in a bonneted truck in Australia.

The Cascadia’s head-protecting side airbag has been specially developed for the Australian market with partner RollTek by IMMI to ensure it caters for local preferences. As a result, it can be used with standard Cascadia ISRI seats.

In the United States, the RollTek airbag system is seat-mounted, while the seatbelts are mounted to the truck’s B-pillar.

**We like our belts seat mounted, so the side airbag is on the B-pillar. Makes sense.**

Australian drivers prefer the belts to be tethered to the seat instead of the B-pillar, allowing the belts to move up and down with the seat and the driver, which is incompatible with the US seat-based airbag deployment system. RollTek instead developed an Australian head-protecting airbag that is mounted on the truck’s B-pillar.

The Cascadia comes standard with the Detroit Assurance 5.0 safety package, which features AEBS and adaptive cruise control as well as Tailgate Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Intelligent High Beam, while Automatic Wipers and Headlamps are also standard.

In another update, and borrowing from the Daimler Corporate bin, the Freightliner Cascadia now has an updated Dashboard. Lifted from the M-B Actros, the Dash made its appearance at the Brisbane Truck Show, and will be available in the 4th quarter of this year.

The hi-def Digital Dashboard introduces new levels of functionality and improves access for drivers via two large tablet-style screens that can be used to easily access a wide range of controls and information displays.

A 12.3-inch display replaces the traditional instrument cluster with a digital tacho and speedo as well as gauges, trip data and adaptive cruise control system information.

The 10-inch centrally-mounted display features a touch screen for ease of use, allowing access to a raft of information and settings, but also features a row of traditional buttons for features a driver may want to control in a hurry, such as audio.

The driver can still operate the climate controls with easy-to-use dials to the left of the central screen. Information on both screens can be accessed through controls on the steering wheel, which features intuitive thumb control pads.

Having experienced this layout in the Actros, I commend Daimler for employing it in the Cascadia. (PS: It also looks a lot better than the current setup).

Mercedes Benz Actros that can drive itself.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks launched an Australian validation program for an Actros that can help steer itself at the Brisbane Truck Show.

The Active Drive Assist technology enables SAE Level 2 partially automated driving capability; a first for Australian heavy trucks.

The validation program will consist of 20 trucks, including 15 units in Australia and five in New Zealand. The trucks will operate with a wide range of customer fleets, clocking up substantial kilometres on various roads across both countries.

The Active Drive Assist system helps to steer the truck and keep it in the centre of its lane, although the driver is still required to hold the steering wheel.

It is one step ahead of some current systems that can push a truck back into the lane should it wander out. The Mercedes-Benz Trucks system actually helps to steer the truck in the first place and aims to prevent it getting out to the edge of the lane. The Active Drive Assist system is proactive rather than reactive.

It does this by using cameras to monitor the edge of the road and lane markings, and uses that data to help operate the electro-hydraulic steering system. The driver can overrule Active Drive Assist at any time and is able to turn off the system.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has already had a handful of Actros models with Active Drive Assist operating in customer trucks during the last few months and the feedback has been positive.

Level 2 automation has the potential to deliver a major safety boost and make life easier for drivers by helping to help reduce fatigue.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks Australia will examine customer feedback and data from the validation vehicles before making a decision on whether to add Active Drive Assist as an option in the local market.

Mercedes-Benz trucks launched a new Actros model mid last year, which introduced new technology including Multimedia Cockpit tablet screens, Predictive Powertrain Control, which uses GPS and topographic information to optimise gearshifts and coast when safe, and the optional MirrorCam mirror system.

Mercedes Benz Rigids Upgraded

More safety features for Mercedes-Benz rigid range were revealed at the Brisbane Truck Show

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has announced the extension of the Active Brake Assist 5 advanced safety package to cover its entire Australian and New Zealand rigid highway range at the Brisbane Truck Show.

The full suite was not previously available with the 8x4 Arocs model given application-related packaging restrictions.

These engineering challenges have been overcome and the 8x4 now features the radar-based Active Brake Assist package alongside its long list of existing safety features including Electronic Stability Program, driver airbag and Lane Departure Warning System.

The trucks also gained the multimedia dual screens seen in the Actros as well as the option of the brilliant (I think this is invention of the century) Mirror Cam.

The rigid range is now also available with the optional Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) feature. PPC improves the way the engines and the fully automated transmissions are controlled in order to save fuel by adding anticipation technology to the fuel saving mix.

PPC uses topographical information, including pre-mapped three-dimensional GPS data, to enable the truck to make the best, and most economical, choice of throttle application and gear selection.

On steep hills, ahead of a hilltop, coasting down a hill, in dips or on the flat, PPC recognises impending driving situations in good time and takes anticipatory action. This could mean holding on to a gear, rather than changing up, just before the crest of the hill, or briefly selecting neutral to save fuel in the appropriate conditions.

The Active Brake Assist 5 system uses a radar and camera that work together to try and prevent avoidable collisions. It has the capability to bring the truck to a complete halt when it detects moving pedestrians.

The system can also stop completely for moving or stationary vehicles when the driver may be distracted, something that is proven to save lives and reduce road trauma. The Advanced Emergency Braking System, called Active Brake Assist, is designed to avoid or reduce the impact of collisions including heavy vehicles.

The new Mercedes-Benz rigid range also features Lane Keeping Assist, which alerts the driver if the truck drifts out the lane without the indicator on and Attention Assist, which alerts the driver who is beginning to drive in a fatigue-affected manner.

A very popular part of the safety technology suite is Proximity Control Assist; an adaptive cruise control function that can modulate the speed of the truck in traffic, even when the traffic grinds to a halt.

Fuso Fighter

Fuso presented an upgraded medium-duty Fighter with Euro 6 emission technology at the Brisbane Truck Show. The truck’s arrival means Fuso now offers a vehicle with Euro 6 ratings or better in all truck segments, as well as light duty bus.

The Fighter Euro 6, which is now on sale, provides medium duty customers with an option of a durable Fuso truck with the latest emission technology as well as the latest safety technology including Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) and Electronic Stability Program (ESP).

It also introduces Side Guard Assist technology, which is available for most models in the Fighter Euro 6 line-up. Fitted as standard on applicable models, this system can warn drivers of cars, objects, cyclists and pedestrians to left side of the truck that may have been unsighted.

The new Fighter joins the heavy duty Shogun range in offering customers a cleaner Euro 6 solution, while small truck customers can now add the all-electric eCanter, which produces zero local emissions, to their fleets.

The rigid has also been given an interior upgrade. Highlights include a new multi-function steering wheel, similar to that found in its Shogun sibling. There is also a new instrument cluster with central digital information screen, as well as new-look dashboard designed to allow the driver easier access to controls.

The Fighter’s 7.5-litre 6M60 six-cylinder engine, which is available with 240hp/745Nm or 270hp/785Nm, has been slightly upgraded. The outputs remain the same, although the 240hp unit achieves its maximum torque between 950rpm and 2270rpm instead of between1100rpm and 2400rpm.

Velocity Truck Centres completed their acquisition of Eagers Automotive Daimler Truck business on May 1.

Velocity Vehicle Group will take-over all Daimler Truck and Bus sales and service dealerships operated by the Eagers Automotive group across Australia. This business employs approximately 650 people at metropolitan and regional locations across Australia, including Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Velocity Vehicle Group is one of the largest Daimler Trucks dealership networks in the United States, serving customer across more than 30 dealership locations in major US markets.

Just like its US operation, Velocity Vehicle Group’s Australian network will only sell and service commercial vehicles, with a firm focus on the unique needs of truck and bus customers. It will also exclusively represent Daimler brands Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso.