Euro power play
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• Petrol-engined light commercial vehicles will soon become a rarity in Europe, if the trends reported in a study by a London-based research organisation continue.
Planning Research and Systems has produced a report on the West European CV engine market which shows that in 1985, the most recent year for which figures are available, petrol engined van production fell, while diesel applications grew strongly to account for almost half (49.9%) of total European production in the upto-3.5 tonnes GVW class, In 1983 diesel engines powered only 35% of new European LCVs.
The report also reveals that turbocharged engines are gaining ground rapidly in this weight class, from 777 vehicles (all diesel) in 1984, to 7,584 in 1985. PRS points out, however, that this is still only 1.5% of diesels in the class and comments: "There is a lot of scope for an extension of turbocharger penetration in this segment" The overwhelming dominance of diesel engines in European CVs above 3.5 tonnes is confirmed by the PRS study. Diesel engines powered all trucks over 15 tonnes GVW produced in Europe in 1985, all articulated trucks in the 3.51-15 tonne category, and 99.3% of rigid vehicles in this category, it says.
In 1985 76.4% of the 15 tonnes-plus trucks produced in Europe were turbocharged, compared with 63.8% in 1983. While charge-cooling has become "an increasingly common feature in European truck engines", in 1985 the proportion of new European trucks up-to15 tonnes GVW which were charge-cooled was a surprisingly low 3.1%. In the over-15 tonnes category, 37.8% were charge-cooled; up by 71.6% since 1983.
The overall position of "loose" engine suppliers like Cummins and Perkins worsened between 1983 and 1985, according to the PRS study. In 1985 only 7.1% of all the diesel engines used in new European vehicles over 3.5 tonnes came from the loose engine suppliers down 18.4% on 1983.
DaimIer-Benz is the leading European manufacturer of diesel engines for vehicles over3.5 tonnes GVW, followed by lveco and Volvo.
In the 3.51-15 tonne GVW class, Daimler-Benz produced a third of all European truck engines in 1985. Iveco/Sofim supplied 24.4%, with Renault Vehicules Industriels in third place. Daimler-Benz also led European truck engine production in the over-15 tonnes GVW class just ahead of the two Swedish truck manufacturers. The respective market shares of Daimler-Benz, Volvo and Scania were 19.7%, 17.8% and 14.3%.
Comparing cylinder Configurations of European diesel en
gines, PRS finds that the inline four dominates the light CV sector. Above-3.5 tonnes GVW, despite Daimler-Benz's market lead, vee-eight and vee-ten engines are losing ground in favour of the six cylinder in-line configuration, described by PRS as "the norm for trucks over 3.5 tonnes GVW." Six cylinder in-line diesels powered 243,746 trucks built in 1985, compared with 217,127 in 1983. Over the same two-year period veeeights fell from 47,587 to 32,692, while vee-tens fell from 6,684 to 3,697.
L The PRS report on the West European CV engine market costs £750 from PRS Business Publications, 44-48 Dover Street, London.