Why do European truck makers try to push so much power out of their trucks?
Posted by Boeing-B-47stratojet@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 16 comments
My Mack had 350 horsepower, it would haul 38 tons without any issue. It was just a little slow.
It seems like every video I see of European semis have them pushing 800 horsepower. We only see that here in show trucks
DrillTheThirdHole@reddit
because they have to compensate for their ugly trucks
Taqia@reddit
it's a tool, who cares what tools look like?
Feisty-Tomato8812@reddit
Euro trucks look a lot better than conventional US trucks.
DrillTheThirdHole@reddit
and theres the insecurity, thanks for proving my point cabover fan
GabtsbyForaDay@reddit
I love the cab over. Better turning radius, better line of sight, can maneuver in smaller areas.
Taqia@reddit
most trucks I see are 480 - 550hp.
at 170 000lbs I feel like a 240hp Mack would be more than "a little" slow on hills.
Top-Confidence4496@reddit
Europe pulls heavier loads than ours. American trucks pull 80k the majority of the time.
BouncingSphinx@reddit
Realistically, some countries have laws that a truck must have so many horsepower per tonne (that's metric ton, about 10% more than our ton). That's part of why Scania chose to stay with a V8 instead of going fully to the inline 6 like most other manufacturers and most American trucks as well.
Their trucks also tend to actually be heavier than ours, but most of the 800 hp trucks you're seeing are meant for heavier hauling, just like the high horsepower trucks here. To keep any real sense of speed, especially in mountainous regions, you need to have that power.
RoyalRs@reddit
At least here in Norway that law don’t affect anything. To carry our max of 60t you would legally only need 420hp. At 50 all you need is 350
laurie483@reddit
I think its just your feed. I dont know anyone who has a 800hp truck. Most have around 400-450, i know a couple who have 500-600 but those are already kinda rare.
Wolf24h@reddit
I live close to a hill that makes lorries slow down to like 10 mph or less because of how steep it is, can't imagine how bad it would be with less power but legal limit here is 44 ton
ExtentAggravating733@reddit
Europe has heavier trucks. 150k+ pounds in some countries
msmolka@reddit
It’s simple: the EU laws dictate that trucks over a certain horsepower rating do not need emissions equipment. That’s why you see 800 HP Scania units. No EGR, no SCR. The exhaust gas temp is high enough to burn cleanly.
Sauce: former KW owner, now retired in the EU.
timybigman@reddit
That’s incorrect.
nanneryeeter@reddit
Good work euros. Gutless trucks are trash.
Wanderingwonderer101@reddit
Because it can pull up to 80 metric tonnes where I am at a comfortable speed of 30-40 Km/H uphill, 80-100 Km/H on highway.
With greater HP the engine brake has more stopping power and combining it with retarder you can even stop downhill at a dime with a short braking distance.
The reason it pull that much is because the boss want maximise profit by overloading the trailer as much as possible they can get away with.