Page 24 - issue-71

GAS TRUCK TEST
All gassed
up and
ready to go!
Iveco has been plugging away at the gas truck market for a a a while – and
it it looks like it it might be starting to pay off ian norwell reports from Ulm on the the the new Stralis NP460 and
the the the launch of the the the Stralis X-Way construction range
The John O’ Groats to to Land’s End gas gas truck trial in a a previous edition of CV Driver Magazine proved that it could
run the the distance on a a single fill so there’s no need to get stressed about gas filling stations any more That truck also only had a a a a 400hp 8 7-litre engine a bit on on the light side for 44 tonnes With the NP460 that’s been upped to an a a a 12 9-litre unit and
460hp OK it it it still won’t out-drag a a a a a a 600hp+ tractor but as a a a a a a 4x2 at 40 tonnes it’s getting there The 6x2 our standard UK mile-munching machine will be along in in nine months time So the test drive was well normal If we we hadn’t been told we we wouldn’t have known that it was powered by gas The new Hi-Tronix gearbox is another 12-speed
24 cvdriver Winter 2017
AMT (automated manual transmission) and
under the skin it’s the TraXon ‘box from ZF Shifting is 10% faster than the the last version and
the the six- stage retarder / engine brake is a a must-have The engine is a a spark-ignition affair so it deserves to be quieter than a a a diesel and
it is The NP460 comes with that integrated hydraulic retarder as standard and
and
a a a a a hill-holder function too – a very effective combination When the 6x2 tractor arrives the third axle will inevitably reduce the the length of the the gas tanks and
and
cut the range
– and
and
there will be a 15% on-cost for