Remember a few years back when Daimler-Chrysler introduced the awkward-looking Sprinter van to the North American market, at Dodge and Freightliner dealers? Back then, only a few people at FedEx thought that this very Euro vehicle could make much of a dent in the full-sized van market, but today the Sprinter is well into its second generation and is a common sight on American highways.

Well, the Sprinter is going to have to make room for another unusual vehicle from across the Atlantic. Yesterday I had the opportunity to drive a new Ford Transit Connect compact utility van around the city of Chicago, and in all respects it looks like a winner for contractor fleets, P&D fleets and any other fleet that needs a versatile, maneuverable, economical city vehicle that can swallow a lot of cargo.

Like the Sprinter, the Transit Connect is tall and boxy, for maximum space utilization. But the new Ford is a better match for smaller jobs with quicker turn-arounds, and is an easier fit for less-experienced drivers. As part of the Ford press event, we visited with several small business owners–a restaurateur/caterer, a paint & wallpaper store owner, and a home & garden store owner–who talked at length about how the new cargo-hauler could benefit their businesses. It was an effective presentation, and I left wondering if “smaller & quicker” might become the mantra of tomorrow’s commercial fleets… If so, then Ford is ready with the right product. Good show!

PS: Ford is working with Smith Electric Vehicles to produce a battery-electric version of the Transit Connect that will hit the market a year from now, and I have a feeling that Ford may have a hit on its hands.

Sixteen technicians have been invited to compete in the final round of the inaugural SuperTech competition. The scores of all 30 technicians were very, very close. The following 16 are invited to attend the final round in Hastings:

(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

Dennis Beckenhauer, Omaha

Tyler Benge, Omaha

Rich Braesch, Omaha

Brian Dizona, Omaha

Kevin Fine, Lincoln

Jeff Hoeft, Omaha

Kendall Larsen, Omaha

Myron Lundvall, North Platte

Jamie Morse, Hastings

Scott Nadermann, Omaha

Chris Ningen, North Platte

Jeff Schlecht, Norfolk

Todd Timmerman, Norfolk

Keith Wenstrand, Lincoln

Ray Wordekemper, Omaha

Tim Zieman, Lincoln

We are looking forward to seeing you all in Hastings on July 8!

The 2010 “EGR vs. SCR” emission control system debate has taken some interesting turns in recent days. The big news is that Navistar has filed a lawsuit against the EPA, because way back in 2001 the Agency expressed misgivings about whether Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) could meet its 2010 diesel emissions standards. Navistar, which has eschewed SCR in favor of “Massive EGR” to meet the 2010 standards, claims that the EPA has failed to properly explain and document why it is now willing to certify SCR systems. You can guess how all the other engine manufacturers are responding…

Meanwhile, in a survey of our own readers, we found that, of those fleet maintenance managers who have decided which 2010 engine technology they’ll be using, the majority are sticking with Massive EGR over SCR. It bears mentioning that over two-thirds of the respondents were undecided; of the remainder, 20% said they were sticking with EGR, while only 13% said they had chosen SCR. It’s too early to say if that’s where the industry as a whole will be heading, but it certainly raises some questions about how things will shake out in 2010.

Finally, in the 2007 emissions flashback department, I recently got a letter from a reader who is very worried about what is going to happen when the DPFs in his 2007 trucks all need to be removed for cleaning… We’ll be looking at that issue in our August issue, but I’m wondering if anyone else is losing sleep over their 2007 and/or 2010 emissions system worries…

Thirty technicians across the state of Nebraska are sitting on pins and needles waiting to see if they will compete in the hands-on round of the Nebraska SuperTech competition in Hastings, Neb., on July 8. Fortunately, they only have to wait seven more days!

In the meantime, the SuperTech Steering Committee is still keeping busy. Some of us may have erroneously thought we could sit and relax after the written test was over, but instead, there is much more work to do. We are actively seeking sponsorships, and have secured about half of the required funds. Hotel reservations have been made for the yet-unnamed Nebraska SuperTech and we’re working with multiple vendors who have helped us along the way.

Many of the most helpful vendors represent companies that are already very active in SuperTech: folks from ConMet, Haldex, Mitchell1, ArvinMeritor and Michelin, to name a few. It amazes all of us working on SuperTech how willing the vendors are to take on yet another competition.

Next week, I’ll report back on the 16 technicians who will be competing in Hastings for the final round!

This is getting depressing. The “New GM” is not going to include the Chevy Kodiak or GMC Topkick Class-5 through -7 medium-duty trucks. The General announced this week that it would halt production of its venerable work trucks on July 31, after efforts to sell off the line to both Navistar and Isuzu over the past few years failed to come to fruition.

To make matters worse, I received an e-mail today from GM, announcing the company’s 2010 model line-up, and… it’s a pretty short list. No Saturn, of course, as well as no Saab and no Hummer, and only the 2010 Vibe listed under Pontiac (although they say the G6 will still be available to fleets). I clicked on “GM Fleet and Commercial” and sure enough, all that’s listed under “Commercial Vans and Trucks” are the full-size GMC Savanna and Chevy Express Vans, and the somewhat silly Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon “Astro Package.”

Meanwhile, Roger Penske, fresh off his team’s win at Indy, has swooped in to buy Saturn, which is good news. That division was selling some nice vehicles, and, let’s face it: everything Mr. Penske touches turns to gold. If only he had been willing to buy GM’s medium-truck line, to provide private-label vehicles to his truck leasing business…

You knew it was coming, didn’t you? Summer is here, and gas prices are going up, close to $3 a gallon in many areas.

I pretty much knew it was going to happen, which is one reason I bought a flex-fuel Ford this spring, and have been running it on E-85 ethanol. Not only is E-85 selling at the pump in my town for $1.99 a gallon, it got me an unexpected perq over the weekend. My fiancee and I went shopping at a new grocery store in her neighborhood in Chicago, and were thrilled to pull into the parking ramp and see an open spot–right in front of the elevator–reserved for alternative fuel vehicles. I pulled in and parked, only to be stopped by the security guard the second we got out of the car. “You can’t park there,” he said. “It’s for hybrids only.” I replied that the sign said “for alternative fuel vehicles” and that my car is an alternative fuel vehicle. He wasn’t buying it–to him, “alternative fuel” meant “hybrid”–but I insisted that I had a right to park there, and he let up on me.

Once in the store, I told the manager what had happened, and we had a great talk. He explained that the guards were being very protective of the alternative fuel parking spot because a guy in a Ferrari had parked in that spot twice the week before–twice?? that’s pretty cheeky, even for a Ferrari owner. The manager said he would talk to the security guards about letting biofuel-powered vehicles park in the reserved spot, and I went away feeling pretty good about my car.

As for the guy with the Ferrari, well, he’ll be getting his all summer, every time he fills up with $3 a gallon gas…