BYD California’s truck and bus facility isn’t much to look at – an elderly concrete tilt-up in a mostly still unbuilt industrial center in Lancaster, a high-desert community about 70 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. But things are changing for the electric vehicle maker, a unit of China’s giant BYD Co. BYD has started a factory expansion on a 200,000-square-foot lot in front of the former recreational vehicle assembly…
Read MoreMIT Engineers Turn Yeast into Diesel
MIT engineers have genetically reprogrammed a strain of yeast so that it converts sugars to fats much more efficiently, an advance that could make possible the renewable production of high-energy fuels such as diesel. The researchers, led by Gregory Stephanopoulos, the Willard Henry Dow Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at MIT, modified the metabolic pathways of yeast that naturally produce large quantities of lipids, to make them about 30…
Read More2017 Ford F-250 & F-350 Super Duty Recall
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty trucks manufactured August 10, 2016, to September 17, 2016. The frame reinforcement bracket may not have been attached to the front fuel tank strap, allowing the fuel tank strap to separate from the frame. CONSEQUENCE: A fuel tank strap that separates and allows the fuel tank to contact the ground may cause a fuel leak, increasing…
Read MoreElectric Truck Sales to Increase Tenfold
According to a new report from Navigant Research, global annual electric powered medium-duty and heavy-duty truck sales are expected to grow from about 31,000 vehicles in 2016 to nearly 332,000 by 2026. The report forecasts sales of medium- and heavy-duty trucks for each major world region — segmented by electrified powertrain type, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel cell — through 2026. As local and national governments…
Read MorePaccar Updates MX Engines & Drive Axles
Available in Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks in January will be new power, torque and fuel efficiency enhancements to Paccar MX-13 and MX-11 engines for North America. Nearly 50% of Peterbilt and Kenworth heavy-duty trucks currently are produced with Paccar MX engines, according to Sproull. Paccar increased the MX-13 engine’s output to 510 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of torque and increased the MX-11 engine’s output to 430 hp and 1,650 lb-ft…
Read MorePeterbilt Offers Model 579 Daycab Configuration
Based on the success of the aerodynamic Model 579 EPIQ sleeper truck, Peterbilt has introduced the aerodynamic, fuel efficient Model 579 EPIQ daycab. Peterbilt Motors Co. announced the new model during the ATA Management Conference & Exhibition, which ends today in Las Vegas. “Fleets wanting to operate fuel-efficient daycabs have been an underserved market, and Peterbilt is pleased to provide the new Model 579 EPIQ daycab,” said Robert Woodall, Peterbilt’s…
Read MoreVolvo’s SuperTruck Testing Yields 13 MPG
Volvo Trucks North America’s SuperTruck demonstration rig combined advanced aerodynamics, vehicle and powertrain technologies to achieve a freight efficiency improvement of 88%, exceeding the 50% improvement goal set by the U.S. Department of Energy SuperTruck program compared to a base model 2009 Volvo VN. From the top-of-cab solar panels powering its battery and interior lights, to its ultra-light aluminum frame and highly advanced 425 horsepower 11-liter proprietary engine, the SuperTruck…
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