For a country that relies on diesel-powered trucks for its medium-duty market, you may be surprised to know that gas-powered engines are gaining popularity in the United States. This according to the chief executive officer and president of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America Inc., Justin Palmer, who says that trucks with gasoline engines hold about a 40 percent market share. Based on those statistics, offering new Mitsubishi Fuso gas trucks in 2019 was an easy choice.
Gas-powered Class 5 and Class 4 Fuso FE Series cabover trucks run on a six-liter GM V8 engine with twice the displacement of their diesel engine. The initial lineup of new Mitsubishi cabover gas trucks for 2019 is limited to two Class 4 models: the 14,500-lb. FE140 and the 15,995-lb. FE160, which were available at dealers earlier this year.
According to Statista, Class 5 truck sales continue to grow. The GM V8 will also eventually be offered in the 17,995-lb. Fuso FE180, which will be the first Class 5 gasoline-powered cabover. Future models will also offer a choice between using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) fuels.
Every gas-powered GM V8 Fuso engine provides 361 lb./ft. of torque and 297 HP. Developed explicitly to integrate with FE models that use the Allison 1000 Series 6-speed automatic transmission, the GM V8 features engine management calibration and a broad torque curve. The Allison works with a vast array of aftermarket power take-offs (PTOs) for a range of vocational truck accessories and is a Fuso-exclusive option in its segment.
The Allison automatic makes good use of the Mitsubishi’s Fuel Sense 2.0 transmission management software that features DynActive shifting technology. DynActive consistently refines shifts via a proprietary learning algorithm instead of shifting gears based on fixed shift points. This gives it a balance between fuel economy and performance for each duty cycle. Fuel Sense 2.0 also offers a Neutral-at-Stop feature to reduce fuel consumption.
The new Mitsubishi Fuso gas trucks for 2019 have a 40-gallon fuel tank with a streamlined fuel line for an increased operating range. They also improve serviceability and protect sensitive wiring and fuel lines from chafing and rubbing damage with wiring harness routing and securement. You’ll also find the new Mitsubishi cabover gas trucks of 2019 offer clean frame rails so you can easily carry side-mounted vocational equipment and toolboxes.
These trucks will be the first Fusos to be assembled in the U.S. at Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. Together with the existing eCanter all-electric models and diesel FEs, dealers like Truck-N-Trailer can offer their customers a broad range of powertrain choices. Mitsubishi is the only truck manufacturer to offer all three options.
