Yesterday, as if you all needed telling, was Volvo's 'Capital Market Day' in Eskilstuna, Sweden where Volvo CEO Leif Johansson talked about the truck makers plans and also let slip that the Group had developed its own in-house medium-heavy engine for trucks and buses scheduled for launch in 2010. Apparently the first of these new 'proprietary' (at least that's what the Swedes call them) "Group-wide medium-heavy diesel engines will be launched next year" ...But the big question (which Leif Johansson neglected to address) was what will they be used in?
Group wide means shared by Volvo, Mack and Renault... But medium/heavy? Biglorryblog's first thought was that it was a new range of home-brewed medium-duty diesels to replace the Deutz-supplied engines (naturally 'tweaked' by Volvo) which are currently used in the FL range... But click through here, for my blogging co-evil Ollie Dixon (he of Word Truck Blog on www.roadtransport.com) soon put me in my place with an official release from Deutz!
"You do go on don't you?" says Ollie. "Here's the Deutz release from today, which speaks of extended partnerships. Remember that VOLVO has 6.7 % of the stock."
Volvo and DEUTZ negotiate extension of co-operation agreement
"The Volvo Group and DEUTZ AG concluded a co-operation agreement in 1998 concerning the development and supply of diesel engines with 4-7 litre displacement for non-automotive and automotive applications. Since then the DEUTZ products have strongly contributed to the successful growth of Volvo's Medium duty Engine Platform. The agreement has a term of 15 years and it expires at the end of the year 2013.
Although the agreement is set to remain unchanged for the next 4 years, both companies have already now started negotiations on products, volumes and terms for the continuation of their partnership in the period beginning in 2014.
Catalysts for the early start of the negotiations are the long development times for the next exhaust gas emission stages for industrial engines and the decision of Volvo to develop their own automotive engine for the next emission stage Euro 6.
Common projects for industrial engines with the exhaust gas ratings COM II, III A, III B and IV (EPA 2, 3, 4 interim and 4 final) and automotive engines with the exhaust gas ratings Euro 3, 4 and 5 are not affected by this decision and both partners are targeting to further increase sales of engines with 4-7 litre displacement in these segments.
DEUTZ requires its own development resources for the business expansion in the compact engine range up to 4 litre displacement, where two entirely new engine series are developed for the next exhaust emission stages in the off-road segment."
By which I take it to mean that I'm barking up the wrong tree regarding changes to the Deutz/Volvo arranegement. So if it's not the Deutz engines in the FL series what do these new engines replace? Questions, questions, it's always questions...
Meanwhile quick as a flash my old mate Chris Mullett, who runs the excellent PowerTorque publishing operation, www.powertorque.com.au in Australia e-mails me to say: "Try the new medium duty diesels for size in the UD Trucks range. In Australia the UD brand is going through the integration into the Volvo and Mack branding with dealerships to be multi branded three ways. The new Volvo diesel will probably replace the current Hino sourced range used by UD. That's my guess. Regards Chris."
And Chris tells me you can see him in action on the telly doing car stuff to on www.ecocarmagazine.com.au and click on the video link - there's no holding him back. Anyroadup he ends by sayiong: "I am visiting the UD Trucks head office today and will ask the hard questions on your behalf. That's how incisive we can be out here!"
This new engine platform comes from the Nissan Diesel purchase.
Volvo's heavy duty engine range is being integrated (or already is) in Renault Trucks, Mack and Nissan Diesel. I've seen Nissan Diesel tractor units (prototypes) with Volvo engines.
Deutz supplies 4.7 and 7 litre engines (NB these were co-developed with Volvo to Volvo standards. No one at Volvo Powertrain would want to hear it said these were simply off the shelf Deutz engines!! They arent...)
What's missing. Well, look to the Eicher brand and the lower end of the Nissan Diesel range. A new range of small Volvo Group Trucks (under other brand names) is coming and they need a new engine platform/ engine range to power them.
NB Volvo has the G9A CNG spark engine based on the heavy duty family range. Volvo-Eicher has chosen Quantum in the USA to assist with development of new spark ignition CNG engines.
You see, new smaller engines coming from the Volvo group....
Will Eicher go further and launch something akin to the Nissan Cabstar/Renault Maxity? They certainly should!!!
If so, what will power it?
Ideally not the current Nissan ZD30! It's awful!
Instead, use of Volvo Cars D5 and new developed (but never launched) D6 3.0 common rail unit. If Volvo AB is going to outsource to someone, it might as well be their brand kinsman Volvo Cars. The two are still close anyway (even if not financially) but new R&D arrangements will move them even closer. Volvo AB is careful to ensure Volvo Cars quality and branding lives up to the Volvo Groups expectations.
These two engines could also be used in the new Renault Trucks (without Renault Cars being involved this time) Renault Trucks Mascott. Due 2010, hopefully the right engine decision has been taken. Or use a Volvo-Deutz 3.0 engine instead of the Nissan/Renault one.
Further, what about Volvo Vans? They NEED them in the lineup. Their move to supply Renault/Nissan vans to their Volvo dealers shows this.
A better solution would be to buy the going-for-cheap LDV group and relaunch it as a Volvo Group Van brand.
Replace the VM unit as above with the Volvo D5 or D6, M66 gearbox or Powershift unit. The Electric Maxus fits Volvo's branding very well as well!
LDV needs and owner, Volvo Group needs vans...win win for all.....
:)