IN ADDITION to its traditional diesel-powered FE Series, and the all-electric eCanter introduced at last year’s Work Truck Show, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America showed its new 2019-model gasoline-powered FE line-up at this year’s Work Truck Show.
The new Class 4 and Class 5 FE Series cabover trucks the proven GM 6.0L V8 gasoline engine and Allison 1000 automatic transmission, as well as a new cab interior designed to improve driver comfort and efficiency.
According to Justin Palmer, FUSO’s president and chief executive officer, “We’re extremely happy to be able to offer these new gasoline-powered trucks to our customers. While much of the medium-duty market still relies on diesel power, gasoline engines are increasing in popularity, and now occupy about a 40% market share, so development of a gas-engine option for our customers was a no-brainer. And I’m happy to note that these trucks will be the first FUSOs to be assembled in the United States-by FCCC (Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation), at its Gaffney, South Carolina plant.
“We’re also proud of the fact that, by adding our new gas-engine line to our existing diesel FEs and eCanter all-electric trucks, our dealers can offer their customers the broadest range of powertrain choices in the marketplace. No other truck manufacturer, in any GVWR class, currently offers all three of these powertrain options.”
The V8 gasoline engine will be initially available in two FUSO Class 4 models- the FE140 (14,500-pound gross vehicle weight rating) and FE160 (15,995-lb GVWR). The company notes, though, that it will soon be available in FUSO’s Class 5 FE180 (17,995-lb GVWR) model, making it the first Class 5 cabover with an available gasoline-fueled engine.
In all models, the proven PSI-GM V8 engine provides 297 horsepower and 361 lb-ft of torque. It has a broad torque curve and engine management calibration developed specifically to integrate seamlessly into FUSO’s FE models using the Allison 1000 transmission.
In future models, the engine can also be equipped to use compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuels, for those fleets looking to reduce their emissions footprint.
Just as notable as the new V8 gasoline engine is the Allison 1000 heavy-duty automatic transmission, which makes FUSO the first cabover manufacturer to offer a robust, commercial truck transmission in a medium-duty cabover. Competitors typically use a transmission initially designed for and used in pick-up trucks and even passenger cars. The Allison transmission, on the other hand, has been designed from the ground up for use in commercial trucks, and includes a provision for an optional power take-off (PTO) that can drive a wide range of vocational-truck accessories, like lift bodies or dispensing pumps.
The Allison transmission also takes advantage of Allison-exclusive Fuel Sense 2.0 transmission management software-with DynActive shifting technology. Instead of shifting gears based on a data table of fixed shift points, DynActive technology continually refines shifts via a proprietary learning algorithm, to provide the ideal balance between performance and fuel economy for each operator’s specific duty cycle. The results yield a 2-6% improvement in fuel economy. In addition, Fuel Sense 2.0 management provides a “Neutral-at-Stop” feature that further reduces fuel consumption.
To provide increased operating range and fewer fuel stops per shift, the new FUSO FE GAS models also include a 40-gallon, rear-mounted fuel tank, complemented by streamlined fuel line and wiring harness routing and securement. The latter improve serviceability for the lifetime of the truck while protecting sensitive fuel and wiring lines from rubbing and chafing damage, for enhanced durability and reliability. The clean frame rails that result also provide additional space for toolboxes and side-mounted vocational equipment.
In addition to the new powertrain, the FE GAS trucks will introduce a new cab interior design. Most notably, the driver seat bolstering and support have been substantially improved, to provide all-day comfort, the seat cushion covering has been extended for durability, and the seatbelts are now high-visibility FUSO red.
The instrument cluster colors have also been revised to improve visibility under all lighting conditions, and an LED cabin light has been added. Storage space, too, has been enhanced, with a new driver-side overhead console, floor tray and sun-visor pocket.
Finally, for aesthetics, a new black-on-black color scheme has been implemented marked by silver trim accents throughout the cab interior, including the stereo frame, the shifter panel and the steering wheel emblem.
All of the cab improvements noted above will be transferred to the FUSO FE Series diesel models, as well.
For complete details, visit www.mitfuso.com/en-US/Models.