• by Colin Barnett Iveco recently invited CM to spend
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some time driving a pair of its tractors equipped with EuroTronlc automated 12-speed transmissions.
The first vehicle to be sampled was a EuroTech 4x2 with a Cursor 8 engine rated at a nominal 350hp, running at 38 tonnes gross weight with a
triaxle cur
tam-sided trailer. A stubby lever located In the usual position on the engine cover to the left of the driver's seat changes the EuroIronic's gears. The selector moves fore-and-aft with two positions in each direction; pushing forward changes to a higher gear.
The first position, approximately 15-20mm from neutral, normally changes gears singly, while the second position makes double changes. As well as straightforward changes. using a function button on the selector can order the system to change gear so engine speed is at either maximum power or torque.
There is also a function to increase engine speed to 1.400rpm—for PTO operation, for example. Other sequences of the function button can request diagnostic information. Another button on the side of the selector engages neutral, while a letup collar gives access to the reverse gears.
With the transmission in neutral (indicated by an "N" shown on the dash display as soon as the system's power-on self-test is completed), the lever is nudged forward to engage the pre-programmed starting gear
Starting gear
Once a starting gear is chosen, typically third for a normal take off on level ground, the system remembers that gear until it is told otherwise.
Any one of the first five gears can be pre-programmed as the start-off gear.
We started our journey in the confines of an industrial estate where control was more important than rapid progress. so gears were taken singly to begin with. Despite the absence of a clutch pedal. the fine control needed for low speed shunting manoeuvres is easily achievable.
Changing gear is simply a matter of nudging the lever at the chosen moment—the change process begins immediately and is achieved as smoothly as any competent driver could manage.
Once into more open spaces, the selector can be pushed forward through its full travel. taking gears two at a time until ninth or tenth is reached.
The absence of a clutch pedal is soon accepted; the most unnatural part of the process is developing the discipline to keep the throttle pedal depressed during changes, leaving the engine management system to adjust engine speed as required.
When the need to change down arises, the system is full prepared. The dash display ind cates the number of dowr shifts available, taking int account road and engine speed As with going up the box, a smi rearward nudge changes doll one gear and a full push Noel shifts two gears.
Block shifts It's also possible to achiel block shifts with two or mei small nudges. This is the on time that a driver would ha, less than total control of tl transmission. If he tried to mal a potentially damaging shi outside its safe parameters. tl system would simply refuse make the change.
Our journey took us along t M25 before heading for the hi roads of the Chilterns. It was and down these undulations th we came to appreciate EuroTronic's ability to change gears without the cruise control disengaging itself.
With so little effort involved in gear-changing, there is no reason for the truck not to be in the most efficient gear at any given time, But our favourite Euroironic trick was the way it handled roundabouts. Simply brake and roll up to the line, making a minimum of downshifts on the way, wait for a gap in the traffic then give the selector a single nudge back—Euroironic will select the ideal gear to accelerate away. All the driver has to do is concentrate on the traffic and steer.
The second leg of the route was in a 6x2 EuroStar with a Cursor 10 430. running at 41 tonnes. The EuroTronic trans mission, including ratios, is the same in both vehicles although our Cursor 10 had a 3.07:1 axle ratio compared with the Cursor 8's 4.1:1.
Taller ratio
As might be expected, the extra 620/Im of torque produced by the 430 more than made up for the taller ratio and the extra three tonnes of gross weight. As a result, even fewer gear changes wore made, but in every respect the EuroTronic behaved as well in the 430 as it did in the 350.
One unrelated area where we noticed a significant Improvement, however, was in the braking systems.
The EuroTech comes with a front disc and rear drum setup with conventional ABS, which worked well enough. But moving straight from that into the EuroStar with discs all round and EBS graphically illustrated the improved response that full electronic braking provides.
Any form of automatic transmission inevitably attracts some resistance from drivers who seem to think that not having a clutch pedal devalues their hard-won skills. But the EuroTronic transmission leaves the driver in almost total control, as well as providing most of the stress-reducing benefits of a fully automatic system.
In today's congested traffic, anything that allows the driver to concentrate more on his surroundings is worthwhile on safety grounds alone. If it has the bonus of making it easier to operate the truck more efficiently, then it really is worthy of serious consideration.