NTEA’s Work Truck Show Kicks Off Next Week

More than 10,000 work truck industry professionals are set to descend on Indianapolis next week for North America’s largest work truck event, according to a press release.

The Work Truck Show 2013, hosted by the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA), runs March 6-8 at the Indiana Convention Center and features 500,000 square feet of the newest vocational trucks, vans and equipment.

“This is the biggest week of the year for many people in our industry,” says Shawn Jacobs, NTEA 2013 Convention chairman and president and CEO of STS Trailer & Truck Equipment, Syracuse, N.Y. “The Work Truck Show is where new chassis, bodies, equipment, components and technologies are launched. Educational sessions start March 5, a day before the show floor opens, because we have so many topics to cover.”

Off the 500,000-square-foot show floor, attendees can take part in the interactive Green Truck Ride-and-Drive. It is the only event in the country that offers real-world test drives in more than 20 commercially viable advanced hybrid and alternative fuel vocational vehicles. The Ride-and-Drive route takes participants onto the streets of Indianapolis and around Lucas Oil Stadium before returning to the Convention Center.

Last year’s Work Truck Show at the Indiana Convention Center was the largest in history, with 563 exhibitors and more than 10,400 attendees. Shortly after it wrapped up, the NTEA committed to holding the event in Indianapolis through 2016.

Ford’s U.S. Transit Van to Feature EcoBoost V-6

Ford Motor Co. said Monday (March 5) that it will include the fuel efficient EcoBoost V-6 engine as one of the power options in the full-size Transit van the company will begin selling in the United States in 2013.

Transport Topics reported that the Transit, versions of which have been sold in Europe since 1965, is scheduled to replace the venerable E-Series cargo van here as Ford shifts to focus on more global platforms – vehicles which use similar components and can be sold in international markets.

The E-Series vans will be available for some undetermined time after the Transit is introduced here, Rob Stevens, chief engineer, said during a press conference held prior to the opening of the National Truck Equipment Association’s (NTEA) annual Work Truck Show here.E-Series cutaways and strip chassis will “continue into the future,” Stevens said.

The EcoBoost may deliver up to 25% better fuel mileage compared with the current E-Series vans, thanks in part to a 300-pound weight savings due to the lighter engine, Stevens said. The EcoBoost won’t be the only engine option, but Ford officials declined to say which others would be used. The Transit will be built in Kansas City.

FCCC, CleanFUEL USA Launch Propane Vehicle

CleanFUEL USA, a leading supplier of propane autogas infrastructure and engine systems, today introduced with Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) the only propane autogas-fueled vehicle option for the medium-duty commercial market. The new Freightliner S2G chassis is equipped with CleanFUEL USA liquid propane injected engine technology and will be on display this week at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.

Built on Freightliner’s popular S2 chassis, the S2G’s 8-liter, 325-hp engine offers clean-burning propane autogas engine technology on a platform already known for its durability, reliability, maneuverability and design flexibility. As the only propane autogas-fueled option available to the medium duty commercial market, the Freightliner S2G chassis is suitable for pickup and delivery, school transportation and municipal applications.

Propane autogas is the third most widely used transportation fuel globally, behind gasoline and diesel, and is proven to be a more attractive option from an economic and environmental standpoint. As the lowest greenhouse gas emitting fuel, propane autogas averages 40% to 50% less than gasoline/diesel per gallon. There are more than 52,000 autogas refueling stations and 17 million propane-powered vehicles worldwide. With automakers producing more alternative fuel vehicles and gasoline and diesel prices soaring, CleanFUEL’s products help ease the challenges for fleets everywhere.

“CleanFUEL continues to demonstrate its engine technology leadership in the fleet market by rolling out new propane autogas fleet vehicle options, such as the Freightliner S2G,” says Tucker Perkins, president of CleanFUEL USA. “Fleet managers are experiencing significant economic and environmental benefits from using propane autogas-powered vehicles, without sacrificing any compromise of payload, power or performance.”