It has now been two years since I first attended the IAA.
This year marks the 67th anniversary of the exhibition. My first impression of the trade fair is that there isn’t much new. However, this is only a first impression.
Well then. At 8 AM in the morning, off into the car towards Hanover. By half-past ten we had arrived. Some manufacturers were still setting up, while others were already finished. Due to the time constraints, I could only take in very little of the new developments, as I had an appointment with a four-axle Arocs at 2 PM.
What is missing from the reporting by other media representatives are the small details that get the wheel turning.
Sure, the big innovative things are great. Take just the new Actros, which I will also come to later. But without the suppliers, who are also represented at the fair and presenting their portfolios, such innovations would not be possible.
Yesterday I spoke with Mr. Zournatzis at the stand of Fa. igus . This company manufactures, among other things, the small wheels used to adjust the seat. Of course, the matter continued further. Electrically opening doors, trunk lids, etc., would not be possible without products from companies like igus. One hardly thinks about it.
Test drive with an Arocs
Mercedes-Benz Arocs 4154
The Arocs is already a cool machine. At the Truck Grand Prix this year, Mercedes showed what this vehicle can do. Among other things, a turbo-retarder clutch was repeatedly mentioned, but no one could or would give me information about it. Never mind. Since our Mercedes man for burning trees was also present and allowed me to make a test drive with the Arocs yesterday, I was able to learn about this technology and test it myself. Of course, I don’t let anyone else drive 😀
Press Shuttle
But first, thanks to the “Press Shuttle,” we went to the outdoor area, to the spoil heap Friedrichshall in Sehnde. Although I had already signed one or other explanation at the Voith stand, there was still everything in the construction container. I probably should have taken it with me.
After a brief explanation of what the turbo-retarder clutch is and how it works, we finally got to driving. I must say that things that are too technical are better understood in practice than in theory 🙂 Just so much: This clutch is designed for wear-free starting and also replaces the conventional retarder.
So with the driving trainer and the technical man from Voith , we got straight into the trekker. After answering “yes” to the questions of whether I had already driven an Actros and was familiar with seat and steering wheel adjustment, we were off. Of course, if one has only driven tractor units in recent years and has never driven a four-axle vehicle with two articulated front axles, one will inevitably make one or other habitual mistake.
Yes, well. There was also an entry every time I let the automatic do its job.
But back to the clutch. As already mentioned, this clutch enables wear-free starting. But not only that. Even wear-free maneuvering off-road is possible with this clutch.
During the test drive, the Mercedes driving trainer stopped me at a steep incline that was not too short. With the hill-start assist, one can already do much. But the clutch demonstrated here is also a retarder. Thus, oil flows through it. With this oil, one can pre-fill the clutch and easily hold the truck on the hill with the accelerator pedal for a longer time. Any normal clutch would eventually smoke up there. We stood there in third gear for about five minutes without the engine temperature rising significantly.
Here is the Daimler-Benz video on the turbo-retarder clutch… https://images.christiansblog.eu/2018/09/turbo-retarder-clutch_de.mp4?_=1
All in all, it was worth the experience. So I could also learn the off-road mode. And that is very hard to get used to at first.
Unfortunately, Mercedes only offers this clutch in vehicles with at least two driven axles. According to the driving trainer, this clutch can also be installed in a two-axle vehicle, but Mercedes simply does not offer it.
Little new at the fair
Dekra shows feasible VR gimmicks that one can take a look at, but it is not the hit. It might be because I expected too much. Painting zebra crossings and setting up traffic lights at the Lausitzring is just not my thing…
Iveco, DAF, and Volvo… Yes, I was there with my wife as well. Unfortunately, I could not discover anything new here. At Iveco, upon inquiry about assistance systems, they could not really say much, only managing to extract from the ladies at information “Yes, we have some.” Other contacts from Iveco found it more important to call. Well, I don’t look like a journalist now either; most were running around in suits anyway. I don’t need that.
I saved MAN and Scania for Saturday. But even when crossing the trade fair stand to get to Mercedes, I didn’t see anything new now. Of course, assistants are currently working on them all, but as we walked through the hall, a press conference about buses was taking place. A topic that doesn’t exactly knock me off my chair personally.
Is there more coming?
Perhaps. On Saturday, I will walk through the fair with my whole family and a few friends. I think there will still be something to report there. Especially because some trade fair stands were not yet finished yesterday and I couldn’t look properly at some of them. But I will pick up on that on Saturday.
My special thanks go to our Mercedes dealer and man when the tree burns, Bernhard Gollan from LKW Vermietservice LVS Witteler in Brilon. A very heartfelt thank you to Bernhard for the opportunity to drive the Arocs.
Also, a big thanks to the Voith trade fair team who took such kind care of my wife, who was suffering from headaches, while I drove the Arocs through the terrain. She did not want to come along; her head was buzzing too much.
