Cummins, a leading maker of diesel and natural gas engines for commercial trucks, unveiled a Class 7 heavy-duty truck cab Tuesday featuring an advanced 140 kWh battery pack that it will sell to bus operators and commercial truck fleets starting in 2019. The 18,000-pound tractor cab, dubbed AEOS after one of the four-winged horses driving the chariot of the Sun God, Helios, across the sky in Greek mythology, is just…
Read MoreNavistar to Pay $30.8M in MaxxForce Lawsuit
Navistar Inc. disputes allegations that it didn’t thoroughly test its MaxxForce EGR engines — allegations that surfaced in a lawsuit where a jury last week awarded $30.8 million in damages — including testimony about the engine program by former executive Jim Hebe that the company “did not test sh*t”. The Tennessee jury found that Navistar committed fraud and violated the Tennessee Consumer Practice Act in connection with the sale of 243 Navistar…
Read MoreFreightliner & Western Star Tow Hooks Recall
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is recalling certain 2018 Freightliner Cascadia, M2 Business Class, 114SD, and 122SD trucks, and Western Star 4700 and 5700 trucks. These vehicles have tow hooks used for recovery purposes that may fail during use. CONSEQUENCE: If the tow hook fails without warning during a recovery operation, the sudden release of the vehicle may increase the risk of injury. REMEDY: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers…
Read MoreMitsubishi Fuso Begins Electric Truck Production
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus has announced the start of small-scale series production of its electric medium-duty truck, the Fuso eCanter. All eCanter trucks for U.S. and European markets will be produced at the production plant in Tramagal, Portugal, in line with conventional diesel Fuso trucks. Mitsubishi Fuso introduced the eCanter at the Work Truck Show earlier this year, saying that it would be made available in the U.S., Europe, and…
Read MoreFord Transit Driveshaft Coupling Recall
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling all 2015-2017 Transit vehicles except 156″ and 178″ wheelbase Chassis Cab and Cut-Away bodies. In the affected vehicles, the flexible coupling connecting the transmission to the driveshaft may prematurely fail. CONSEQUENCE: If the coupling fails, the vehicle will not be able to move under its own power and the disconnected driveshaft may impact and damage the brake and fuel lines. Additionally, the separated driveshaft…
Read MoreCummins X15 Diesel Fuel Pump Recall Alert
Cummins, Inc. (Cummins) is recalling certain X15 heavy duty diesel engines used in trucks, fire trucks and recreational vehicles. The affected engines have a fuel pump whose drive gear may slip on its drive shaft, resulting in a loss of fuel pump function. CONSEQUENCE: Failure of the fuel pump will result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Cummins will notify the vehicle manufacturers that purchased…
Read More2017 Thor Motor Coach Challenger Recall
Thor Motor Coach (Thor) is recalling certain 2017 Challenger 37YT motorhomes. The exhaust pipe for the onboard gasoline generator may be incorrectly installed or missing completely from the vehicles. CONSEQUENCE: Without a correctly installed generator exhaust pipe, there may be a buildup of carbon monoxide within the interior of the vehicle, increasing the risk of personal injury or death. REMEDY: TMC will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the Challenger…
Read MoreCummins Plans for Electric Class 8 Powertrains
Diesel Engine maker Cummins expects to start building and selling electric powertrains for transit bus applications in 2019, with a “longer-range version” available by 2020, as the OEM believes electricity will become a key commercial vehicle power source in the near future. “We know things about electrification that maybe others don’t,” explained Julie Furber, executive director of electrification business development for Cummins, explained in an hour-long conference call with reporters…
Read MoreDriveWyze CA Weigh Station Bypass Service
Drivewyze has announced that it has been awarded the contract to operate its Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass service in California. The company is working to install its service with existing weigh-in-motion scales, underway at 37 locations where the state has chosen to operate bypass services. Drivewyze expects the service to be fully operational in the state within 60 days. The 37 sites supporting PreClear are located on many of…
Read MoreTexas Legislators Pass Autonomous Vehicle Bill
Legislators in Texas passed a bill to establish a basic regulatory framework for autonomous vehicle operation in the state, including allowing vehicles without humans present in the vehicle to operate on the state’s roadways. The Texas House passed the bill, SB 2205, May 21, a few weeks after the state’s Senate approved the legislation. The bill now heads to Texas Gov. Rob Abbott’s desk to sign into law, which he’s…
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