DAF components, a part of the Dutch truck manufacturing company, DAF Trucks, and a division of PACCAR, a US-based medium and heavy duty commercial vehicle manufacturer, has unveiled a new rear axle for coaches and buses. It is claimed to be 70kgs lighter than its peers, and along with lower internal friction, thanks to the new crown wheel and pinion set, the fuel consumption is said to have reduced by approximately 2 percent. At the Busworld 2019, which is going to be held in Brussels from 18-23 October, DAF is also going to unveil new Euro 3 and Euro 5 PACCAR engines.

The new rear axle for coaches and buses and the new series of Euro 3 and Euro 5 PACCAR MX-11 and MX-13 bus engines

Light and Frugal axle
DAF claims that the new rear axle - with a total gear reduction of 2.05 – fits seamlessly into DAF component’s down-speeding philosophy. Thus, it delivers maximum performance at unprecedented lowest RPMs ever, which minimises fuel consumption and reduces noise for maximum passenger comfort, therefore, reducing the fuel consumption by approximately 2 percent. Experts DAF explain that in order to reduce the friction the new rear axle comes with the newly developed crown wheel and pinion set. The new axle of DAF Components is up to 70 kg lighter than any other driven rear axles for coaches and buses. An additional bonus is that the oil in the axle body only needs to be changed once every 540,000 kilometres, leading to even greater levels of uptime for the coach or bus.

Meeting regulations and expectations
The range of newly developed Euro 3 and Euro 5 PACCAR engines for coaches and buses is claimed to be up to 12 percent more efficient than the engines it is replacing and is based on the equally reliable and efficient Euro 6 powertrain launched in 2017. DAF claims that the engine has good outputs at low rpms, reaching maximum torque at speeds as low as 900 revolutions per minute. This allows for cruising speed to be achieved at just over 1,000 RPM, increasing comfort inside the vehicle.

DAF Components' new Euro3 and Euro5 engines for buses and coaches MX-11 and MX-13

The new Euro 5 PACCAR MX-11 engine is available with power ratings of 300 kW/408 hp and 330 kW/449 hp. These feature torques of 2,100 Nm and 2,300 Nm respectively. The new Euro 3 and Euro 5 PACCAR MX-13 engines are available with 315 kW/428 hp with 2,300 Nm torque, 355 kW/483 hp with 2,500 Nm, and 390 kW/530 hp with 2,600 Nm.