Kenworth announced Friday that its T680 is now available with the Bendix eTrac Air Bag Transfer System for 6×2 axle configurations.
The company says the 6×2 configuration saves several hundred pounds by using one ‘live’ rear drive axle instead of two, and eliminating the inter-axle driveline and rear differential. The need for internal gearing in the non-drive axle is also eliminated, resulting in fewer parasitic losses.
Kenworth says the combination of a 6×2 tandem axle configuration and wide-base tires may provide a significant fuel economy improvement, which will vary depending on use, road conditions and other factors.
The Bendix(R) eTrac system links into the Bendix(R) ABS braking system with automatic traction control (ATC) and electronic stability programming. This system automatically engages and disengages – without driver input – the vehicle’s airbag pressure transfer system, transferring pressure from the non-drive to the drive axle when it recognizes wheel slip. This provides improved fuel efficiency in a lighter package combined with on-demand traction, according to Bendix.
