Two factors reign supreme for heavy-duty truck owners: torque and durability. With nearly 1.3 million Duramax diesel engines put into operation since its launch in 2000, no other automaker has as much diesel engine development experience for meeting the demands of the heavy-duty truck customer as General Motors. For 2011, that bar has been raised with the new Duramax 6.6L turbo diesel V-8, which debuts on the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD and 3500HD launching this summer.

The 2011 Duramax diesel brings together Chevrolet’s proven legacy of building capable, durable heavy-duty trucks, along with improved efficiency and durability designed to maintain leadership. Highlights include:

• Significantly more torque and higher horsepower ratings
• Improved fuel efficiency
• Internal changes that enhance strength and durability
• Engine braking system with the Allison 1000 six-speed transmission
• B20 biodiesel capability

Building on a proven architecture and knowing that our 2011 engine operates within the same boundary conditions let us confidently offer a product that takes performance and fuel economy to the next level,” said Gary Arvan, Duramax chief engineer.

The original Duramax turbo diesel earned its reputation for durability and led the industry with first-in-class common rail fuel injection and aluminum heads with a six-bolt-per-cylinder design. Those attributes formed the foundation for the 2011 engine, with digital modeling and simulation tools used to raise the Duramax’s power and durability benchmarks. It is expected to produce significantly more torque and horsepower than the previous engine, while delivering greater strength and durability.

The internal elements that help enhance strength and durability include:

• The main bearing profiles are changed to enhance oil film thickness
• Oil pump flow is increased for more pressure at low speeds
• The turbocharger’s oil circuit is changed to provide increased pressure at the turbo and faster oil delivery
• The connecting rods’ pin ends are modified to provide increased piston support
• A new, higher-strength piston design eliminates bushings to provide lower reciprocating weight
• An EGR cooler bypass reduces high-mileage soot deposits in the cooler and EGR circuit

The new Duramax 6.6L improves on an already low-noise reputation with double-pilot injection, a strengthened block and, in some conditions, lower rail pressure, contributing to a nearly 30-percent improvement in noise at the engine level. A new 30,000-psi (2,000 bar) piezo-actuated fuel injection system – capable of operating on ASTM grade B20 biodiesel – ensures more precise fuel delivery, improving emission performance and playing a crucial role in reducing high-speed noise, vibration and harshness.

Greater capabilities, cleaner operation

The new Duramax 6.6L helps boosts towing capacity of the Silverado HD trucks to a maximum of 20,000 pounds (9,072 kg), which is best in class. Power and cooling improvements, along with improvements to the truck chassis, were key elements in boosting the towing rating.

The Duramax 6.6L’s variable vane geometry turbocharger and new Allison 1000 transmission make downhill towing less stressful, too, with the addition of a new engine braking system. The feature creates added backpressure in the exhaust, resulting in negative torque during deceleration and downhill driving, enhancing driver control and prolonging brake pad life.

Significantly, all of the Duramax 6.6L’s improvements in power and towing capability don’t come at the cost of fuel economy. Already respected for its efficiency, the new Duramax turbo diesel helps delivers up to 11-percent greater highway fuel economy than the outgoing vehicle. Combined with a new 36-gallon (136 L) fuel tank, Duramax-powered Chevrolet Silverado HD pickup trucks can stretch up to 680 miles (1,090 km) of driving range on a single tank of fuel.

The 2011 Duramax will continue to provide outstanding cold-weather performance, with microprocessor-controlled glow plugs capable of gas engine-like start performance in less than three seconds in temperatures as low as -20 degrees F (-29 C), without a block heater.

When it comes to durability and reliability, no other heavy-duty pickup truck manufacturer has the level of experience as Chevrolet, which is why Chevy backs the Duramax with a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. The engine has been developed to operate for at least 200,000 miles (322,000 km) on a rough-duty cycle without the need for a major overhaul.

“We recognize that a great number of our customers will use the product to its limits, that’s why we design our durability schedules to test for these heavy-towing customers. We also recognize that having any issues when towing large cargo long distances is much more than an inconvenience. That’s why reliability and durability are top focus,” Arvan said.

GM’s 6.6L Duramax diesel features the latest in emission control technology, making it the cleanest Duramax engine ever produced, with NOx emissions reduced by at least 63 percent, compared to the 2010 model. NOx emissions are controlled via a Selective Catalyst Reduction aftertreatment system that uses urea-based Diesel (Emission) Exhaust Fluid (DEF). The DEF is housed in a 5.3-gallon (20 L) tank and needs to be replenished about every 5,000 miles (8,000 km). Electrically heated lines feed the DEF to the emission system to ensure adequate delivery in cold weather.

The 2011 Duramax 6.6L will also include GM’s second-generation diesel particulate filter system. Unlike most of the competition, the Duramax regenerates its diesel particulate filter using a downstream injection of diesel fuel directly into the exhaust stream and can travel up to 700 miles (1,125 km) between regenerations – a 300-mile (482 km) increase over the previous Duramax engine. The use of downstream injection also helps to improve engine life by eliminating concerns surrounding the possibility of diesel fuel contaminating engine oil, which can happen when fuel used for regeneration is introduced directly into the cylinder.

Source: http://publish.media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/news/news_detail.brand_gm.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2010/Feb/10chicago/0210_duramax

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Thirty GMC Sierra pickup trucks donated by the General Motors Foundation, and packed with supplies donated from universities and organization in the USA and Canada, will be shipped from Miami to Haiti today. The GM Foundation donated the trucks following President Bill Clinton’s recent public call for vehicles to support recovery efforts.

“I’m pleased the GM Foundation has made a generous donation of trucks to our relief efforts in Haiti, which will be instrumental in mobilizing food and lifesaving supplies,” President Clinton said. “The American auto industry has made great strides to increase aid and assistance to Haiti, and GM’s leadership demonstrates what corporate citizens can do to help the people of Haiti rebuild and recover from the massive earthquake.”

The Sierra pickups are being sent to Haiti at request of the United Nations as part of a coordinated effort of the GM Foundation and the William J. Clinton Foundation, in response to the dire need for trucks to transport supplies to survivors. The William J. Clinton Foundation is providing transit of the vehicles to Haiti. President Clinton currently serves as U.N. Special Envoy for Haiti.

“The GM Foundation is honored to play a part in assisting with the relief efforts in Haiti” said John T. Montford, Chairman of the GM Foundation & Senior Advisor for Government Relations and Global Public Policy. “Since this tragedy occurred, GM employees have mobilized to assist in many different ways. We sincerely hope these 30 GMC trucks, built by the GM team in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, will help transport people and resources to where they are needed most.”

The donation of the trucks is a contribution from the General Motors Foundation GM Global Aid program.

In addition to the donation of these 30 GMC trucks, the GM Foundation’s total giving for Haitian Relief is $100,000 in cash. An additional $250,000 was raised on Saturday, January 23, by the auction of a limited-edition Chevrolet Corvette at the 39th annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction. Additional donations are being collected at U.S. auto shows. All monies for Haiti relief efforts will be presented to the American Red Cross.

Source: http://publish.media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/news/news_detail.brand_gm.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2010/Feb/0210_haiti

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The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) has announced support of the first ever TruckWeek being held 21-27 February 2010.

VTA Chief Executive, Philip Lovel said “the VTA is proud to be involved in TruckWeek, we are encouraging our members to get involved and want to spread the word to the wider community”.

Australia’s national trucking industry body, the Australian Trucking Association, is running TruckWeek from 21-27 February.

TruckWeek aims to highlight the importance of the industry and its employees, the careers available and how the industry can improve road safety.

Mr. Lovel said “The Transport and Logistics industry is critical to the economic growth and sustainability of Australia’s economy. It provides a vital service, moving people and freight locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, using a variety of modes.

Research shows that the Victorian industry will need almost 15,000 extra workers over the next three years. It’s time to get the facts straight and support this vital industry.”

Mr. Lovel will be available for media interviews during TruckWeek and would like to highlight the following issues:

• The industry cares;
• Higher Productivity Vehicles;
• What would we do without trucks?;
• Freight is diverse and keeps the city alive;
• Truck drivers are professional; and
• Rail is not an alternative, it is complementary.

For further media information and to arrange an interview time contact Philip Lovel, VTA Chief Executive or Lucille Degenhardt, VTA Communications Manager, on 03 9646 8590

Source: http://www.truckweek.com.au/news/single.php?post_id=313

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Hino Motors, Ltd. (Hino) has officially launched a light duty hybrid truck, the Hino 300 Series Hybrid, in Hong Kong, and began selling through its local distributor.

In May of 2007, Hino launched the HINO 300 Series Hybrid in Australia, where nearly 100 units have already been sold. Hong Kong is now the 2nd overseas market into which Hino has introduced its hybrid truck.

Hino has received an order for 2 hybrid vehicles from the world’s largest express transportation company, FedEx Express. A hand-over ceremony was held today at Taikoo Place in Hong Kong. This event marks delivery of the first ever hybrid truck sold in Hong Kong, which is also the first light-duty hybrid truck for FedEx Express in Asia Pacific, outside Japan.

The HINO 300 Series Hybrid features superior fuel efficiency while meeting customer’s eco-drive needs. The Hino Hybrid is an environmentally responsible vehicle, offering lower CO2 emissions and reducing strain on the environment.

Hino began commercial production of parallel hybrid buses with diesel and electric power in 1991 as the global forerunner, followed by its launch of the world’s first** light-duty hybrid truck in 2003. To date, Hino has sold more than 6,800*** hybrid trucks and buses.

By applying our exclusive diesel-electric hybrid technology cultivated through years of development, manufacturing and sales experience, Hino aims to expand its hybrid vehicle offerings in the global market, to further help reduce environmental impact.

Source: http://www.hino-global.com/news_release/183.html

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