Ford F-Max class 8 tractor

[BravoXray]

There’s quite a few coke, Pepsi or beer delivery trucks that are single axel. But I agree a single axel cab over isn’t going to be a big hit in the US.

Yeah, from what I've seen lately, a lot of drivers are too fat to crawl up in them.

 

[Renze]

So, being that you hold European design in such high regard, it’s great that you live there. I’m sure we Americans can continue to limp along with our archaic machines, like we have for years and years. I guess I’m done here.

You'd have to ask the Australians: Australia is the only continent which has an even mix of trucks from the American, Asian and European continent: American trucks mostly used in roadtrains, where they are preferred because of bigger sleeper cabs, and because they have some room between the bullbar and the windshield because they hit kangaroos rather frequent. In local traffic they use Euro and Asian trucks.

Off course, European fuel and road tax are a driver of efficient vehicle design.. American manufacturers didnt have the incentive because fuel prices were half of what we pay here.. And with fuel prices on the rise in America too, you see European vans and European truck engines taking over. Because of manufacturers average emission penalties, Ford got interested in unibody construction to reduce the weight (and increase stiffness and reduce rattles) of their large rear wheel drive cars.

Fords previous attempt in the European big rig market in 1975 failed, because the Cummins NT855 proved more thirsty than its European counterparts... in 1984, after selling in total what they hoped to sell each year, Ford pulled the plug on the project.

 

[redman135]

Location: New Zealand
In an earlier post someone said there would not be much call foe 500 hp in town. WRONG! you need big engines to reduce the bullying by car drivers. Keeping up with traffic reduces getting carved up, but you are still not allowed to have any braking distance.
Running local tipper @44 tonne most later model rigs are 500hp. Interestingly the earthworks site trucks are mostly cab overs. We run japanese, european and US trucks here.

 

[Hay Dude]

In comparing European anything versus American anything, one must remember “Europe” is a continent of many countries. America is just one country.
It is difficult for one country to be superior to a collection of small, highly advanced countries (Germany, Italy, Spain, etc).
And while I will say we are in a precipitous decline after what looked like a path to becoming the envy of the world once again, it is not over yet.
I still have faith that the best is yet to come in America and we will once again produce and sell some of the best in the world.
That being said, I own a lot of non-US made farm equipment and my Ram, even with a Cummins diesel and US made Aisin transmission and AAM axles, has quite a bit of foreign influence (ownership and built in Mexico). I have 2 Japanese made Kubotas and a French made Massey Ferguson. Just one US made Case-IH and it’s a monster. Even at 20+ years old, its the strongest most powerful tractor I own. A real keeper.
Anyway, sadly it’s a different time now and the US is in decline. As a nation, interested mostly in virtue signaling and environmental issues. That has a detrimental affect on regulation of industry.
What Renze says is the cold, hard honest truth. You can’t deny how good Mann diesels are. You can’t deny how great Fendt farm tractors are (at least we bought them and made them part of American AGCO). And there’s many, many more examples of excellent European trucks and equipment.
Also, their vans and cars are all over American roads. Scania heavy trucks look incredible. Once those European heavy trucks get a foothold over here, they will become like European farm tractors.

 

[Renze]

We run japanese, european and US trucks here.

Yes, NZ and Australia are pretty unique in that... i think Japanese Hino trucks are only sold in the UK, not the rest of Europe, because both Japan and UK are right hand drive so they dont have to change as much for homologation.

What about Australia and NZ, left hand or right hand drive ?

 

[Renze]

.
Anyway, sadly it’s a different time now and the US is in decline. As a nation, interested mostly in virtue signaling and environmental issues. That has a detrimental affect on regulation of industry.

Europe is in decline too, hence Ford is producing in Turkey... now with this green deal, we are moving from dependence on Arab oil, to dependance on Chinese rare earth minerals, and Cobalt and Cadmium from Chinese owned mines in Africa.... The Chinese colonised Africa before they started to talk as if they were going to commit to the Tokio and Paris climate agreements...

 

[Hay Dude]

Europe is in decline too, hence Ford is producing in Turkey... now with this green deal, we are moving from dependence on Arab oil, to dependance on Chinese rare earth minerals, and Cobalt and Cadmium from Chinese owned mines in Africa.... The Chinese colonised Africa before they started to talk as if they were going to commit to the Tokio and Paris climate agreements...

I just saw last night that one Chinese company makes the bulk of the car batteries for the world.
Cummins still an excellent diesel and finding their way into foreign made equipment. Just rode on a Swiss made train powered by Cummins!
Id consider owning a Scania all wheel drive heavy truck, IF they had a big footprint here, but will probably end up in a Cummins powered IH or Freightliner.

 

[Renze]

Cummins definately amongst the pinnacle of diesel design... Mercedes signed a joint venture with Cummins, for Cummins to develop and build the newest generation of diesels for Mercedes small trucks, to be built in the Mercedes factory in Stuttgart

 

[blacktruck]

Interesting truck. I spent a fair amount of time in Europe and these would fit right in. As a long time driver, I wish they would go back to the COE in the US. The new Ford looks like a comfortable truck.