Commercial_Vehicle_Engineer_August_2019.pdf

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AUGUST|2019
IN THIS ISSUE
The new boss at Volvo
Trucks UK sets out his stall
BEHIND THE LATEST
ACTROS WHEEL
IS THIS TRUCK A GAME-CHANGER?
IF YOU’RE NOT CONFUSED
YOU MUST BE MISINFORMED
here is a lot of confusion,
misinformation and an over-
abundance of terminology. This
is not, as you could be forgiven
for imagining, a comment on
the latest Brexit rants by yet another deranged
Tory government minister. In fact it is among the
remarks made by Neil Greig, the reassuringly sane
and level-headed policy and research director at
IAM RoadSmart (trading name of the Institute of
Advanced Motorist), in response to a recent IAM survey into driver attitudes towards
development of self-driving vehicles. More than 66% of the 1,600 respondents to
the survey were “concerned” or “very concerned” about the way that more and more
functions are being taken away from drivers and left under the control of algorithms.
“It’s clear from the results of our survey that the motor industry has a big job ahead
in convincing drivers of the safety virtues of self-driving vehicles,” says Greig. Not half.
And the task is by no means confined to car drivers.
Truck drivers and commercial vehicle fleet managers too are faced with an ever-
expanding array of systems such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning
and satellite-navigation-based gearshift control systems. The new Mercedes-Benz
Actros truck boasts greater refinement in this technological field than any rival to
date (page 14), including its “world first” MirrorCam system. Mercedes engineers and
managers deserve credit for having recognised how essential it is that drivers and
their bosses are properly informed about how to use these systems effectively and,
more important still, what their limitations are. The same certainly cannot be said of
all car manufacturers. That is why Matthew Avery, director at Thatcham Research, a
respected, Berkshire-based not-for-profit research centre funded by motor industry
insurance companies, added his heft last year to calls for greater clarity.
“There’s a problem with the manufacturers trying to introduce technology and
consumers not being ready for it, not being sure if it’s automated or whether they
need to keep watching,” he said. “We want it very clear. Either you are driving,
assisted, or you are not driving, automated.”
Now IAM RoadSmart is calling for vehicle manufacturers to work with the
government “to ensure the facts out there are clearer and easy to understand.” Some
sort of agreement or even an industry standard on acronyms and products names, as
IAM suggests, surely would be a good starting point.
T
EDITORIAL & DESIGN
Immediate Network Ltd
6 Wey Court, Mary Road, Guildford,
Surrey GU1 4QU
t: 01483 546500
w: inl.co.uk
w: cvengineer.com
EDITOR
Tim Blakemore
t: 01428 605605
e: tim@cvengineer.com
ADVERTISING
Tony Greville
Business Development Director
t: 01483 546500
e: tony@inl.co.uk
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Annual subscription
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PUBLISHED BY
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Tim Blakemore
Editor
AN EXPERT
THE CAR EXPERT
THE TRUCK EXPERT
THE V
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENGINEER >
AUGUST 2019
3
CONTENTS
6»
POINTS OF VIEW
Michael Kenyon of Bureau Veritas is concerned that a rush to
boost the quantity of electric vehicle charging points could
mean a sacrifice in quality. Horiba Mira’s Greg Harris argues
that the only way to really ramp up electric car sales is to
invest in rigorous development, testing and evaluation
programmes. ParcelHero’s David Jinks warns that one result
of a no-deal Brexit at the end of October could be empty
Christmas stockings.
9»
NEWS
Enterprise expands again through SHB Hire takeover
10»
NEWS
Green light for ZF takeover from Wabco shareholders
14
18
4
AUGUST 2019
> COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENGINEER
CONTENTS
11
>
NEWS
Volvo Group on a roll as it joins
forces with Samsung SDI
12
»
NEWS
Northern six appeal for
restructured Motus Group
14
»
STEERING CLEAR OF
TECHNOLOGY TRAPS
Deliveries of the fifth-
generation Actros truck range
have just started in the UK.
It is described as “a real
game-changer” by Mercedes-
Benz Trucks UK boss Mike
Belk. But will seasoned
drivers agree? Tim Blakemore
has been behind the wheel in
Spain and South Yorkshire to
find out.
18
»
TRUCK MARKETING
ROUTE MASTER
What drives the new Volvo
Trucks UK managing
director? Tim Blakemore
went to Warwick to find out.
22
»
NEWS FROM
THE NORTH
Our learned friend the
Transport News
Truck
Advocate is back with
advice on “hotbox” vehicles;
obstructive sleep apnoea;
and agricultural tractor
exemptions from operator
licensing rules.
26
»
PEOPLE AND JOBS
26
Mercedes-Benz Vans UK
charity fund-raising cyclists
shift up a gear or two. Martin
O’Shea takes charge of quality
control at Wheely-Safe.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENGINEER >
AUGUST 2019
5

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