Capital Equipment News March 2018

MAN SA partners Cartrack to offer full suite of telematics

telematics supplier from the vehicle assembly stage, MAN now gives customers access to a range of long-term benefits, thanks to the optimal use of information sent from the vehicle’s Controller Area Network (commonly known as the “CANbus”). “By building telematics into the construction of the vehicle and offering a single solution to clients, MAN has significantly decreased the potential fragmentation of vital information,” says Andre Ittmann, Cartrack SA CEO. “The telematics structure compli- ments the existing value suite they already offer to clients, which, in turn, drives value for the MAN business as a whole.” b

MAN Automotive South Africa, locally representing both VW and MAN heavy commercial vehicle brands, has recently demonstrated the overarching value that can be derived through establishing cross-market partnerships, specifically in the telematics industry. As a business that supplies vehicles to fleet managers oper- ating across the commercial spectrum, MAN hasn’t traditionally been involved in the end-customer’s use of telematics systems. Users of MAN and VW vehicles previously used a variety of telematics and fleet management systems, and the OEM original- ly only used fleet management systems to track stock vehicles for Stolen Vehicle Recovery (SVR) and insurance purposes. In 2015, the paradigm changed. A partnership with leading fleet management, insurance telematics and SVR provider, Cartrack, has seen advanced telematics technology become part of the MAN chassis production process and extended business solution model. The move has boosted MAN Truck SA’s business by offering new value to end-users. Today, MAN offers fleet management systems to customers as an essential part of the vehicle purchase, resulting in custom- ers acquiring a lot more than a truck. Included in their purchase are crucial telematics business support services such as MAN ServiceCare SA and MAN TeleMatics SA. The solutions support MAN’s philosophy of delivering appropriate fleet solutions to companies operating in the unique Southern African context. Through partnering with a single

Automation: putting humans and safety at the centre

Frost & Sullivan’s latest analysis of the electric truck market finds that by 2025 the global light/medium/heavy-duty hybrid and full electric truck segments are expected to achieve annual sales of more than 2,25 million units. China will lead the electrification of powertrains and contribute 60% of global sales. Key factors like a policy shift towards electric powertrains, incentive programmes, strengthening emission regulations, (especially in urban centres) and rapid technology advancements will augment high sales growth globally. The report, Executive Analysis of Electric Truck Market, Forecast to 2025, provides a strategic overview of growth opportunities, developments and forecasts in key regions such as North America, Europe and China. Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) product launch roadmaps, adoption rates and future market trends are also assessed. “The case for electric trucks is becoming more compelling with new business models like leasing of trucks and battery packs or fuel cell stacks, the availability of incentives, as well as Technology advancements to fuel electric truck market

The steady advance of vehicle automa- tion enables exciting possibilities for the transport industry and society as a whole. Volvo Trucks has been at the forefront of this evolution for well over two decades. A newly released two-part film presents the Volvo Trucks view on how automation is set to transform the way we live and work in the coming years. The technological possibilities of tomor- row have been inspiring and intriguing us for generations. Today technology moves faster than ever. Robots taking over the service industries. Cars and trucks driving themselves. This can give the impression of a rather faceless and functional future. Yet automation already plays a huge part in our lives and, for Volvo Trucks, humans have always been and will remain at the very centre of a forward-thinking philoso- phy. As technology now moves to a point where seemingly radical new concepts are within touching distance, Volvo Trucks continues to develop practical solutions to make the lives of drivers, customers and other road users easier and safer. Volvo Trucks’ films “Automation – the Big Change” and “Automation – Driving into the Future” deal with today’s hot topics surrounding future truck technology.

The two-part film zooms in on the life and work of two key players from Volvo Trucks, Sasko Cuklev and Ann-Sofi Karlsson. It also features contributions from truck driver Lu- kas Strohmeier from Austria, and commuter Rohini Teather from London. Sasko Cuklev, Director Autonomous Solu- tions, has a strong vision and talks frankly about the possibilities he sees for the near future. “There is no doubt we will start to see self-driving trucks from Volvo on our roads becoming a part of our society. The exact timing depends on many things such as traffic regulations, road infrastructure and of course safety standards,” says Cuklev. While a shift towards using fully auto- mated vehicles forms part of the devel- opment, work currently remains focused on implementing automation stepwise to enhance the driver profession towards further increased safety, productivity and convenience. “Automation is not about killing jobs,” states Ann-Sofi Karlsson, Director Human Factors for Automation. “The future need for skilled drivers will still be high. As trade and the world population continues to grow, so does the transport of goods. Automation is about making it more efficient.” b

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