Among the major truck manufacturers in Europe, there are those who play power chains like Scania, those who play cutting-edge technology like Mercedes-Benz, comfort like Volvo and Duff, and performance and durability like Mann. In addition to these first-line manufacturers, what are second-tier brands playing?
In today's article, Tiga Commercial Vehicle Network will take you to see the answer that IVECO brings us.
1# Ultimate vehicle lightweight
A tractor weighing only six tons, can you believe it? Compared with the average 4x2 tractor, the 6-ton empty weight is more than a ton lighter. The lighter vehicle weight can give up more loads for the goods, achieving the effect of Dora Fast Running. At the same time, it can also lead to better economy and mobility. The two Iveco S-Ways pictured above were ordered by jocotrans in the Netherlands and weigh only 6,023 kilograms.
There is no basis for this statement, let's take a look at the registration information of this truck on the official website of the Dutch Ministry of Transport. Note that the vehicle's license plate is 61-BRR-6, which matches the truck license plate on the left in the image above. The information on the official website of the Dutch Ministry of Transport shows that this truck is branded IVECO, the model is AT440ST/P, and the empty weight is only 6023 kg, which is also an official certification for it.
So, how exactly does Iveco do this, is it Zenith Star Technology? Using steel wheels, but also adding parking air conditioning, how to control the weight of the car? There are several reasons for this, and we will talk about them one by one. First, the vehicle uses a narrow bevelled cab, not the highest-roof style, which Iveco calls the AT. Its internal height is narrower, the engine drum is correspondingly larger, and the overall size is one size smaller. However, it also has sleepers inside, which can meet the needs of medium- and long-distance transportation.
In addition, the vehicle uses a lightweight Cursor 9 engine. With a displacement of 9 liters, the engine delivers 400 horsepower, saving a lot of weight just by being smaller in size. At the same time, the engine does not use the EGR exhaust gas recirculation system, so it also has an additional weight advantage. Combined with the lightweight ZF TraXon gearbox and IVECO's own lightweight axle and suspension system, the overall weight can be reduced to hundreds of kilograms. The disadvantage is that this engine has only 1650 Nm of torque, which is slightly smaller. This, combined with the aluminum fuel tank and lightweighting throughout the body, eventually made the S-Way weigh only 6,023 kilograms.
In contrast, the European version of the Kenworth T600 4x2 tractor on the left weighs about 6370 kg. One of the characteristics of American trucks is that there are a lot of aluminum materials, and it is normal to be light. The Scania P360 in the flat-roofed day cab on the right weighs about 6,600 kilograms, and it also uses a small fuel tank of 350 liters. By comparison, you'll see how light this Iveco S-Way is. On the new generation of S-Way heavy trucks, Iveco has greatly promoted lightweight means. Compared to its European counterparts, the new S-Way always has a weight advantage.
2# Chassis layout that varies with user needs
"Don't be afraid I can't, I'm afraid you don't want to." On the new generation of S-Way heavy trucks, IVECO has truly realized the magic of chassis configuration. As long as the customer has the demand, they can buy the right truck from IVECO. Here's a few examples: Last year, the German subsidiary of the Dutch company WG Salari ordered a very special Iveco S-Way truck to be used with a semi-trailer dump truck. In order to adapt to the semi-trailer dump truck, this S-Way has made many improvements.
The lifting of a semi-trailer dump truck requires the tractor to provide hydraulic power. To achieve this, IVECO designed a new power take-off transmission structure for the vehicle to drive the hydraulic press to work. On the chassis side, IVECO has designed equipment such as hydraulic fuel tanks and compressors for the vehicle to be used. However, these devices take up a significant portion of the chassis space, and customers demand that vehicles be extremely compact.
Therefore, IVECO replaced the vehicle with a small fuel tank and a special-shaped urea liquid tank to exhaust as much space as possible on the side of the chassis. At the same time, the hydraulic tubing and compressed air pipes are moved into the circular storage tube in front of the vehicle saddle, which also saves space. IVECO also replaced the vehicle's second axle with a smaller follow-up axle, paired with 17.5-inch tires to make the vehicle more compact without compromising the vehicle's load.
You think that's the end of it? And that's not all! The S-Way also features a rear bumper fuel tank from IVECO. The fuel tank is made of engineering plastic and mounted on the side of the rear frame. Its body can meet the safety standards of cracking and collapsing in the event of collision. At the same time, the fuel tank has integrated tail lights and can be used as a standard tail bumper. The capacity of this tail tank is very large, reaching 260 liters, which further maximizes the use of space. Moreover, the vehicle will prioritize the use of fuel in this fuel tank to reduce safety hazards.
In the end, this unique truck was born. The 6x2 drive configuration allows it to legally haul 44 tons of cargo, and with the addition of the 480 hp Cursor 13 engine + ZF TraXon transmission, there is no problem in driving at all. Equipped with 690 litres of diesel fuel and 80 litres of urea, the vehicle meets the latest emission standards and is able to travel freely throughout Europe.
Such design examples are also used in other trucks, such as this S-Way NP gas truck. The left and right sides of the chassis are stuffed with natural gas storage tanks. In order not to affect the natural gas capacity, IVECO designed the entire hydraulic system under the chassis, next to the drive shaft arrangement.
Hydraulic presses, hydraulic oil tanks and corresponding pipelines have been made to the bottom end of the frame and the inside of the frame. In this way, the natural gas tanks on both sides of the chassis do not need to be reduced. At the same time, the bottom end of the hydraulic system is higher than the natural gas tank, which does not bring negative performance to the passability of the vehicle. Although it is a little difficult to repair, it can bring great convenience to daily transportation.
epilogue
As a Second-Tier Truck brand in Europe, IVECO's movements are always unobtrusive. Compared with the self-contained traffic of first-line manufacturers, Iveco is much weaker than it is. However, IVECO has retained many customers with the unique advantages mentioned above. Moreover, the unique natural gas drive technology also makes IVECO popular with large logistics companies. While IVECO doesn't have the cutting-edge technology, it has gained a foothold in the competitive European truck market. Why? In fact, it is just to do what you should do.
Text: Heseaotter