Mack Unveils 2017 Powertrain

AUSTIN, Texas — Mack Trucks celebrated Earth Day here by rolling out its 2017 powertrain designed to meet the second part of Phase 1 federal greenhouse-gas limits that start in January, including new technologies for its MP7 and MP8 engines.

Mack President Dennis Slagle also said April 22 that Mack personnel are monitoring what happens with Phase 2 on greenhouse-gas developments, including meetings with top Environmental Protection Agency officials.

Asked about a report from ACT Research Co. that Phase 2 could cause another pre-buy situation where truck sales boom in 2019 and 2020 and then crater in 2021, Slagle said it is more than a hypothetical situation.

“I understand the logic behind it. This needs to be addressed,” he said.

Slagle said EPA officials understand the problems caused by a pre-buy and don’t want a repeat of the 2005-2006 selling spree, followed by a 2007-2008 bust. He said unions have told the Obama administration that the January 2007 regulatory change led to significant decreases in factory employment.

Slagle agreed that if California tightens regulations even further beyond EPA it could make matters worse.

“They don’t want this,” Slagle said of EPA’s preferences concerning a supplementary rule from California.

Mack Trucks Unleashes 2017 Mack® MP® series engines bringing significant performance. https://t.co/SClFNdS94N pic.twitter.com/pyosdqZpys — Mack Trucks (@MackTrucks) April 22, 2016

All heavy-duty engine makers have to improve fuel efficiency and decrease carbon dioxide and other GHG emissions by at least 3% starting in January, and Mack said its features should increase MP7 efficiency by up to 5.1% and MPS efficiency by up to 5%.

The MP7 engine has 11 liters of displacement and the MP8 has 13 liters.

Similar technologies were unveiled by Volvo Trucks North America, a sister company to Mack within Volvo Group.

The new Mack engines feature wave pistons that make combustion more complete, a lighter camshaft and engine block, and turbo compounding. The addition of a second turbocharger takes exhaust and turns it into extra horsepower applied to the crankshaft.

Mack is also combining its two aftertreatment systems into one unit called ClearTech One. Starting in 2017, the selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) and the diesel particulate filter (DPF), which now operate separately, will be combined in one system.

The company also said its mDrive automated manual transmissions will be equipped with predictive cruise control that uses GPS to memorize the topography of up to 4,500 hills. Designed for trucks that follow repetitive routes, the transmission software develops a plan of attack for specific hills, getting a truck up and down with minimal fuel loss from downshifting, the company said.