Felix Amann drives the new Arocs before it goes into series production – part 1
Series: Customer testing of the new Arocs
The Arocs is the benchmark in construction transport – and thanks to cutting-edge technology it's better still: MirrorCam and displays replace the exterior mirrors. And improved Predictive Powertrain Control can be used for long-distance routes. Felix Amann is already driving the new Arocs.
First driver of the new Arocs: Felix Amann.
The new Arocs travelling in the Hegau region.
Powerful appearance with revolutionary novelties – MirrorCams have replaced the mirrors.
Felix has been driving trucks for 24 years.
The works yard of Meichle + Mohr as the day is dawning. Outlines of silos and conveyor belts, great mountains of gravel and grit. As if appearing from nowhere, the glaring LED lamps of the earthmover approach the tipper. A slight shudder – the first bucket-load of gravel rattles into the semitrailer, then another, then a third. “That's almost 27 tonnes. We always have to deal with heavy loads,” says Felix Amann. Just a quick trip to the weighbridge, then out of the yard in Radolfzell, a right turn and off he goes.
He's heading for Hegau, north-west of Lake Constance. In this region, volcanoes and ice ages left their mark over the course of millions of years – so the scenery is spectacular, but the topography is tough to navigate. It's a constant up and down, left and right, and a series of roundabouts, junctions, villages and heavy traffic.
Felix is driving the new Arocs as part of customer testing – the last endurance test before it goes into series production. “I'm interested to see how I get on with the MirrorCam. The truck hasn't got any rear-view mirrors any more,” says the 51-year old truck driver. Also, his new Arocs is equipped with improved Predictive Powertrain Control. The automatic cruise control and transmission control system uses even more precise digital road maps that contain data about topography, the course of bends, the geometric layout of junctions and roundabouts, and also traffic signs. The system optimises the driving style, not only going downhill and uphill, but also on winding cross-country routes, where it was previously not advisable to use cruise control.
The green symbol in the display is lit – Predictive Powertrain Control is active.
Roundabout – Predictive Powertrain Control selects the right speed to roll through.
Predictive Powertrain Control selects the speed so that the truck is doing 50 km/h when it passes the road sign. Of course without using the brakes!
Relaxed thanks to cruise control support, but alert, heading towards the roundabout. If he has to give way, Felix has to intervene.
Coasting through.
Putting it to the test: Felix gets to the first roundabout. The green marking at the bottom left of the central display is lit up, showing Predictive Powertrain Control is active. The truck slows down in cruise control mode without braking. Felix looks left; all clear. All he has to do is steer. He takes the first exit, directly to an upward slope – a lot of work for the 338 kW of the OM 471. Then it's straight on for a short stretch, followed by a sharp right-hand bend. Predictive Powertrain Control decelerates again; the Arocs rolls on, slowly losing speed. Just the right amount so he can drive through at the ideal speed. “You couldn't do it better yourself,” says Felix, who has 24 years of experience as a truck driver.
The next ten percent climb follows. Here you have to keep the momentum. But then it's downhill again. Predictive Powertrain Control does its job perfectly. “Every time I think that I should shift down a gear, the system does precisely that,” says Felix. Or it allows a higher speed for a moment longer, allowing speedier driving. Also, EcoRoll switches on slightly earlier and stays active for longer, whilst at the same time ensuring optimum fuel consumption.
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For the driver, it is important to be able to drive with full concentration at all times, because Predictive Powertrain Control is an assistance system – it doesn't offer autonomous driving. Felix says: “As the driver, I have to keep an eye on other road users all the time. The system can't do that. It selects the right speed for driving round a roundabout. But for example, when it comes to giving way, I'm the one that has to do that. The system can't do it for me, of course.”
Also, Predictive Powertrain Control indicates via the green box whether it is supporting the driver in selecting and controlling the speed of the drivetrain. If the green box does not light up, then the driver has to select the speed – for example in urban areas.
Felix sets the upper hysteresis, i.e. the margin of tolerance for exceeding the set speed, down from plus four to plus two. “It can get tricky down there. I don't want to drive into it too fast,” says Felix. He reduces the speed on the cruise control too. 60 km/h is allowed, but he sets 55.
Down there, that means: after the next junction, the road has a steep downhill and a comparatively narrow section leading right through the forest. If something comes the other way there's not enough space – so Felix’s caution is fully justified. At the bottom of the hill, he sets the speed back to 60.
Uphill, brow, bend, downhill – and then he enters Heudorf in the Arocs at precisely 50 km/h. The electronic speed display board shortly behind the sign with the village's name on it lights up green.
But Felix really wants to find out. And what would be a better test than driving over a mountain pass? More about Felix's experiences with the new Arocs in part 2 of our story on 8 April 2019.
Photos: Christoph Börries
Video:
Alexander Tempel
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13 comments
Wer damit Schwierigkeiten hat ist selber Schuld !! Lese und schaue morgen gleich Bericht 2 und 3 👍😎
Bin zwar der mega ACTROS Fan aber mir hat noch nie das 2 Farbige Cockpit gefallen ( Sorry ) deswegen würde ich schon beim nächsten mal den Arocs nehmen !!!!!!!!! Mega-Auto !!!! Jetzt erstmal wieder Arbeiten.......
Wer damit Schwierigkeiten hat ist selber Schuld !! Lese und schaue morgen gleich Bericht 2 und 3 👍😎
Bin zwar der mega ACTROS Fan aber mir hat noch nie das 2 Farbige Cockpit gefallen ( Sorry ) deswegen würde ich schon beim nächsten mal den Arocs nehmen !!!!!!!!! Mega-Auto !!!! Jetzt erstmal wieder Arbeiten.......
Aber wenn man Baustellen befahren muss kann leicht so ein Camera Arm beschädigt werden . Dann wird's noch teurer wie ohnehin schon die Spiegel .
Aber den Bericht über den Arocs mit Felix finde mal wieder gut gelungen . Sachlich und Informativ .
Aber wenn man Baustellen befahren muss kann leicht so ein Camera Arm beschädigt werden . Dann wird's noch teurer wie ohnehin schon die Spiegel .
Aber den Bericht über den Arocs mit Felix finde mal wieder gut gelungen . Sachlich und Informativ .
Bin mal gespannt, wie robust die Kamera-"Ausleger" sind. Im Baustellenbetrieb, werden herausstehende Teile nicht selten ... strapaziert.
Ragen die Kameraarme weiter nach Außen als Spiegel?
Na, vielleicht kann ich auf der Bauma mal dran wackeln 😄.
Gruß
Klaus
Bin mal gespannt, wie robust die Kamera-"Ausleger" sind. Im Baustellenbetrieb, werden herausstehende Teile nicht selten ... strapaziert.
Ragen die Kameraarme weiter nach Außen als Spiegel?
Na, vielleicht kann ich auf der Bauma mal dran wackeln 😄.
Gruß
Klaus