Photos: Gustav Lindh, courtesy Scania

Photos: Gustav Lindh, courtesy Scania

Swedish truck maker Scania is introducing a new range of trucks that it is calling the result of the largest investment in the company’s history.

The new vehicles are designed with efficiency in mind, with new engine designs and aerodynamic solutions leading to an average of 5% decrease in diesel fuel consumption. Scania’s truck line will be launched in phases with a focus on various customer segments.

“There is a tremendous amount of development work by our engineers behind this introduction,” said Henrik Henriksson, Scania’s president and CEO. “The most noticeable features are of course the new cabs, but the real innovation is that we are now introducing new technologies, services and insights that will help our customers gain an overview of both their costs and their revenues.”

In the new truck, all Euro 6 engines have received new engine management systems and the installations have been completely overhauled. Improved cooling capacity with the new cabs provides the opportunity for further fuel savings of 3% on average. Scania is also introducing a new version of its 13-liter engine with 500 hp.

Furthermore, a new gearshift function is being introduced, allowing Scania Opticruise transmissions to shift faster and deliver almost constant momentum. Instead of using synchro rings to synchronize the different speeds of the countershaft and main shaft in the gearbox during gearshifts, as in most conventional gearboxes, Scania uses a lay shaft brake when upshifting. This means the shafts synchronize with each other significantly faster and that the next gear can engage almost immediately.

This not only shortens the actual gearshift time, it also means that turbo pressure can be better maintained. Therefore, the vehicle will upshift to the next gear with greater power, despite the gearshift feeling smoother than before.

The new truck also features new safety systems like rollover side curtain airbags to protect drivers and passengers if the truck rolls over. The system is integrated into the headliner molding above the doors.

“Our rollover side curtain airbag – particularly when combined with the steering wheel airbag and our seat belt pretensioners – ensures that the driver and any passengers on board will have a much better chance of surviving a rollover accident in one of the new generation of Scania trucks, with far less severe consequences than would be the case in any other truck,” said Christofer Karlsson, who developed Scania’s crash safety system.

Scania’s new truck generation cuts fuel consumption by an average of 5%, thanks to advancements in powertrains and aerodynamic solutions. Photo: Dan Boman, courtesy Scania

Scania’s new truck generation cuts fuel consumption by an average of 5%, thanks to advancements in powertrains and aerodynamic solutions. Photo: Dan Boman, courtesy Scania

Along with performance improvements, the truck model range boasts a new interior and exterior design as well as new technologies, services and insights. Scania says it was the result of 10 years of development, around 6 million miles of testing and more than $2 billion in investments.

“It is undoubtedly the biggest investment in Scania’s 125-year history,” said Henriksson. “It is with hearts bursting with pride that my colleagues and I are now presenting the products and services that will bring Scania to new levels regarding market shares and carry us far into the next decade."

Production of the new trucks starts immediately at Scania’s final assembly plant in Södertälje. Initially the focus will be on vehicles and services for long-haul transportation, but additional options will be continually introduced as more Scania plants readjust and additional options emerge.

Correction: Originally stated that the new truck underwent 600,000 miles of testing, the actual number was 6 million.

0 Comments