“Last year, it was paranoia … the end of the world.”
Flu pandemic? Mayan calendar? No. We are talking about the SCR versus EGR technology debate, and those were the words of Kevin Flaherty, Mack’s Senior VP of Sales and Marketing.
Flaherty told the trucking press today in Louisville that the debate over the best technology is a “non-event.” He said last year the big question was “where am I gonna get that stuff (urea)?” Today he says it does not even come up in the conversation with buyers.
Last night, it did come up in the conversation, however, at a Navistar VIP event here at MATS. Even though Jim Hebe, Navistar’s Senior VP of Sales and Marketing, said he was “through arguing about it” – he did take a few minutes to say that it’s simply because there is no other way but EGR to provide drivers with “no-hassle” driving.
This was at the Navistar VIP event where Hebe also delivered the all-crap-aside message to the press that “you know how we feel … we think our competition sucks.”
The SCR versus EGR issue also came up this morning at the Freightliner press conference. Andreas Renschler, head of Daimler Trucks, told the trucking press that “some may argue whether SCR or EGR is the right solution to meet EPA 10 … but I think that debate is pointless, because the customer decides.”
And one thing that Hebe and Renschler seem to agree on is that the market HAS decided. They both think that it’s clear. However, Hebe touts the popularity of the MaxxForce, and Renschler, of course, points to the sale of 25,000 Detroit Diesels so far.
So, while both technology camps may be tired of quarreling over it and the fur is no longer flying the way it did last year, there are still a few shots being fired.
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