ERF E6.21
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• The ERF truck in the run, which was entered by Econocruise, was chosen from the three 17-tonne models which the company now offers with a nominal power rating of 210hp (157kW).
Our vehicle was an E6.21 with a Cummins B Series engine rather than the C Series or Perkins Phaser which are now available to prospective buyers. ERF introduced the most powerful B Series engine last spring as an alternative to the existing E6.18, and the 6BTAA unit employs air-to-air charge-cooling to boost both power and torque.
This engine is not yet available in the more compact Steyr ES6 cab, so the E6.21 comes with the usual plastic SP4B cab, which in this case had the optional bunk fitted to make it what ERF terms a "night cab" (the full sleeper is a further option). Though it might be somewhat heavier, this cab does offer plenty of room and contributed to good in-cab refinement on the move.
Also in the package is the nine-speed Eaton 6109 transmission, which is teamed up with a Rockwell axle; completing the path to the road in this case were optional Aspect alloy wheels with low-profile radials.
With the help of these wheels and a small tank the ERF managed to achieve a reasonable kerbweight, offering a net payload of a fraction under 10 tonnes.
The torquey engine and one of the few nine-speed boxes in the group clearly paid dividends around the route, for the E6.21 was second fastest overall, and behind only the powerful AWD through the mountainous terrain on the second afternoon.
Unlike the Foden, however, which sacrificed fuel for speed, the ERF managed to combine good progress with a modest thirst, obtaining fuel results which at 21.851it/100km (12.93mpg) were the best in class and a close second overall. These positions were repeated when it came to productivity, with the E6's pace and economy compensating for its slightly inferior kerb weight.
Although the effect on the results is not possible to quantify, the use of the Econocruise cruise control on this vehicle undoubtedly helped fine tune the truck's speed extremely accurately on the motorways and dual carriageways; this was backed up by some uncannily straight traces on the ERF's tachograph charts.