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The power game
Page 55
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Power is the talking point at the Frankfurt Show which opened yesterday, power for a new generation of trucks to meet forthcoming German regulations in particular—though this is only part of the story.
In about two years' time, manufacturers and operators in West Germany will have to conform to a legal minimum of 8 bhp per ton g.v.w. For maximum capacity vehicles at the present limit of 38 tons this means 304 bhp, the exact output of the new MAN V8. But 40 tons is said to be just around the corner, and Daimler-Benz and Deutz are among those who have gone ahead of the target in one jump, with an output of 340 bhp. The Deutz unit is an aircooled V12, the other a VIO which is one of a rationalized range of engines using common dimensions and parts.
Maintaining its lead in the power stakes, however, is Scania-Vabis, which has unveiled its long-awaited V8 at Frankfurt and which, unlike most of the German makers, uses turbocharging to achieve its 350 bhp maximum. Taking into account the British and American engines and trucks on show, can anyone now doubt that the Vee has arrived ?
And whistling away waiting to take a central place in the truck scene is the gas turbine. British Leyland's g.t. truck is prominently displayed at the exhibition as a thoroughly practical, fully-engineered vehicle. Ford and MAN have taken the opportunity offered by the Show to demonstrate their gas turbine contenders on the road—and MAN is involved in a significant agreement with DaimlerBenz, through MAN Turbo AG, which could lead to joint development of truck turbines, on which DB has been doing design work for some years.
State of suspense
The Germans may be faced with restrictive new power-to-weight legislation, but at least they have a basis on which to plan. In Britain both operators and manufacturers are, as we write, in the too-familiar situation of waiting for regulations which will determine the next stage in vehicle production and use.
Everyone knows that new maxima for commercial vehicles are on the way, and that the trade bodies have asked for some really big increases. But nobody outside the Ministry of Transport (or perhaps within it, either) knows for certain whether the upper limit will be 36 tons or 44 tons or any step in between.
Nor do we know whether the UK will follow the German example and stipulate an 8 bhp/ton (or some other) power-to-weight ratio, or whether an entirely different criterion will be adopted to meet the need for ensuring adequate acceleration and hill-climbing performance.
We have always favoured the idea of a true performance measurement, irrespective of actual power and weight—perhaps like the American gradientability figures. It seems more rational to adopt a limit that measures actual road capability, so long as a reasonably simple yardstick can be found which does not tend to distort vehicle design trends.
The important thing at present is to get those maximum gross weights settled and dated as soon as possible, so that makers and users can plan ahead efficiently.