The name IVECO is an acronym for the Industrial Vehicles Corporation. The brand was formed in 1975 as a merger of 5 leading commercial vehicle brands. These were Fiat Industrial Vehicles, Lancia Special Vehicles and OM from Italy as well as Unic from France and Magirus-Deutz from Germany. The company has since grown to become a global leader in a wide range of commercial vehicle applications.
In the 1980s, the company became well-known for developing innovative solutions for commercial vehicles. In 1985, IVECO developed the first light-duty direct injection diesel engine for trucks. This was followed four years later in 1989 with IVECO’s record-breaking EGR engine which was the first of its kind.
Since 2013, IVECO has been part of the CNH Industrial Group. The group consists of more than ten medium to heavy-duty vehicle brands. CNH leverages its members to focus on their strengths and unique attributes. As such, IVECO has been able to continue pushing boundaries with its inherent innovative culture.
IVECO in Australia
In 1992, IVECO took over a cornerstone of the Australian trucking industry by acquiring International Trucks Australia, ITAL. This gave IVECO full control of the truck manufacturing facility in Dandenong, Victoria. The factory had already been manufacturing ACCO trucks in Victoria for more than 20 years.
It was from the Dandenong factory that IVECO Australia was born. IVECO boosted the facility’s capacity to produce commercial vehicles and aftermarket parts for European trucks in Australia.
The ACCO Background
The first ACCO truck was built in the Dandenong factory in Victoria in 1961 for the Australian Defence Forces. Specifically designed for Australian conditions, the truck thrived in the region.
ACCO’s robust design and versatility made it one of the flagships of Australia’s trucking industry. Since it was made locally, the truck was easily modified for a wide range of applications including tippers, agitator work and refuse collection among others.
IVECO absorbed the ACCO brand and continued producing it as the IVECO ACCO. IVECO found innovative ways to improve the truck’s performance without making major changes to its appearance. By retaining ACCO’s 1972 shape and design, IVECO maintained the truck’s local identity.
By 2014, the truck had undergone more than 4,300 specifications changes. The truck’s shape and design were inevitably modified to incorporate the new Euro 5, 2014 engine models.
Euro 6 ACCO Modifications
IVECO’s dedication to quality performance and customer satisfaction led to the quick adoption of the new Euro 6 ACCO truck design. Announced in 2018, the truck is expected to be commercially available in the first quarter of 2020.
IVECO has been testing the new truck on Australian roads for more than a year in cooperation with selected clients. The new IVECO ACCO has exhibited excellent performance results in a wide range of applications and conditions.
The Euro 6 ACCO is built on the new robust Stralis X-Way Chassis and will be available in 6X4 and 8X4 configurations. The shared platform simplifies the maintenance costs and operations for both vehicles.
IVECO officially discontinued the production of the previous Euro 5 model in Australia. The last unit rolled off the production line in the 4th quarter of 2019. It will be retained by IVECO as a memento of the generation.
Unique Features
The new ACCO comes with the same payload capacity as the previous model. Yet, it boasts several other improvements as listed below.
- Cleaner Euro 6, Cursor 9 Engines
- IVECO’s Hi-eSCR Emission Control System
- Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS)
- Electronic Stability Program
- Lower Emissions
- Better Fuel Economy
Read Also:
It’s really good news that next-generation Euro 6 ACCO is in Australia. The new Euro 6 ACCO will continue to be producing in Australia having been established specifically for Australia and New Zealand marketplaces.