SAE Commercial Vehicle Congress

Budget cuts fueling military collaborations Collaboration has become a watchword for the many aspects of vehicle development projects over the past years as cost-strapped vehicle makers added complex electronic features and functions to vehicles. Military developers also are planning to use even more of these linkups as military budget cuts loom. Read full story

Hybrids face challenges in military usage Hybrid and electric vehicles are being eyed by the military, which has often found it difficult to supply fuel when many vehicles are on the move. But a number of challenges must be overcome before warfighters see electrified vehicles in the field. Read full story

Accelerating the process of commercial-vehicle test system implementation HIL testing is used to shorten development and testing time for both engine and machine control systems. To use this process, many of these companies have to develop and maintain expertise in the area of model-based development. Read full story

Turning engineers on—and off Top engineering executives from Daimler Trucks North America lead the technology discussion at this year’s SAE Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress, covering topics paramount to both on- and off-highway engineers. Read full story

Electromechanical drivetrain for tractors trialed Field trials showed that the tractor with an electromechanical drivetrain performed better than the conventional tractor on which it was based. Read full story

Getting (force) feedback on hydraulic efficiencies To address problems caused by insufficient operator skills, automatic digging and remote-control hydraulic excavators were recently studied by researchers from Doshisha University and Caterpillar Japan Ltd. Read full story

EPA digs up way to collect in-use emissions data from construction vehicles The U.S. EPA has committed to developing and using portable emissions measurement systems for emissions regulatory and inventory work. Read full story

Trends impacting military and defense engineering Among the many trends discussed by industry leaders during the Global Executive Leadership Panel at the recent SAE Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress was the challenge—and importance—of attracting young people to the engineering profession and, more specifically, to the military and defense businesses. Read full story

Researchers compare tractor trailer aerodynamic evaluation methods The need to improve the aerodynamic performance of a class 8 truck has become a higher priority for manufacturers with the constant increase in fuel costs and implementation of stricter governmental regulations on emissions. To meet these requirements, the ability to predict the aerodynamic performance and hence evaluate the impact of new designs and evaluate add-on devices is of critical importance. Read full story