II NEWS OVERSEAS WEST GERMANY MORE POWER
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• Economic growth so far this year in West Germany has taken place against a background of zero inflation, says the Continental Group, and the automotive industry above all has benefited from growth in the purchasing power of private consumers. Meanwhile, the appreciating strength of the D-Mark is making imported goods cheaper and thus more attractive. Production of light commercial vehicles and cars has increased significantly. Demand for heavy trucks has picked up in recent months.
The German rubber industry has raised its turnover of tyres and technical products compared to the 1985 level. Aftermarket tyre business has recorded a small increase in sales volume. Overcapacity, however, has resulted in fierce competition, especially in the truck tyre market.
WEST GERMANY LESS FUEL
• According to the German Association of the Automobile Industry, fuel consumption in 38-tonne trucks operating in Germany was reduced by 30% between 1967 and 1985 to around 35lit./1001cm. The average speed also increased from 49 to 65km/b.
Verkehrs-Rundschau, November 1.
WEST GERMANY MORE LIGHTS • German statistics show that light trucks now account for more than 65% of commercial vehicle production. On the other hand, vehicles with a permitted overall weight of over 16 tonnes show a dramatic 46% decrease in production. Verkehrs-Rundschau, November 1.
HOLLAND KILOMETRES
• Figures published by the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics show that light and heavy trucks travel an average of 43,000km every year, 35,000km of which are within the Netherlands.
The average distance covered annually by a Dutch delivery van is 17,000km.
Vans with a diesel engine cover 22,000km, whereas those with a petrol engine do only 12,000km on average. Transport Echo, November 1.
HOLLAND DESERT DAF
• OAF Trucks has decided to take part in the 1987 Paris-Dakar rally. It will use a special new vehicle containing a fair amount of aluminium bodywork, and which has two DI{Z 1160 engines, each with a maximum of 369kW(495hp).
Transport Echo, November 1.
HOLLAND TAX INCREASE
• Since November 1, there has been an extra six cents tax per litre on diesel and nine cents on petrol in the Netherlands.
Verkrhrs-Rundschau, November 1.
SWITZERLAND ROADWORTHY • Statistics recently published in Switzerland estimate that the roads carry 80% of the freight transported. Verkehrs-Rundschau, November 1.
ITALY ELECTRIC • Fiat Fork-lift Trucks has been commissioned by the Italian National Research Council to develop electric vehicles for use in urban transport systems.
The result of this project is the lveco Daily E2 minibus with a battery-powered electric motor. The 16-seater minibus has a maximum speed of 60-70km/h. It can function either with a lead battery or a nickel/iron battery.
There are 50 other electric Iveco Daily Minibuses (900 E model) currently in use with various Italian firms and there is one in Dublin used by the Energy Supply Board, and two in Scandinavia. HP Transporti, October 1986.
ITALY ROAD DEATHS
• Italy's road death toll rose by an alarming 33% in the first eight months of this year with 248 victims, compared with 186 in 1985. Fatal accidents involving commercial vehicles rose by only 1.1%, but the fatalities these caused were up by 19%.
These figures were reported to the 20th annual congress of AISCAT, the 23member consortium operating the motorway system, which also said that there were no plans to abolish the present toll system.
Of the 1.7 million vehicles using the 5,000 kilometre motorway system everyday, some 400,000 are commercial vehicles carrying three million tonnes of freight and two million passengers. CM correspondent.
USA NAVISTAR PROFIT
• Navistar International, the US heavy trucks group, has reported a net profit of 82 million for the year after incurring a loss of 8364 million in 1984.
Navistar, which changed its name from International Harvester earlier this year, said shipments of medium and heavy trucks and diesel engines this year were 4% lower than 1985 at $3.4 billion, reflecting a 13% fall in demand for heavy trucks offset by a slight improvement in shipments of medium trucks.
Financial Times, November 11.
AUSTRALIA PROFITS • The Australian-based TNT group achieved record sales in the financial year ending in June 1986. Its turnover totalled 3,700 million Australian dollars, an 18% increase on 1985. TNT's strategy for Europe includes an expansion of its network in order to provide an improved service and expand its market share. Verkehrs-Rundschau, November 1.