Chapter 161: The Need for Improvement
Benz and Diesel carefully examined the blueprint for a long time before finally speaking. "Your Highness, this design is indeed feasible."
"Is that so? Then how long would it take to produce a prototype of this type of vehicle?" Arthur nodded as expected and asked with a smile.
Compared to passenger cars, trucks were more challenging due to the need for a well-structured design and high-performing engine. Now that Arthur had provided the design and Diesel's engine development capabilities were among the best in the world, the birth of transport trucks was within reach.
"It's hard to say, Your Highness. Because it's a cargo vehicle, we need to calculate the weight it will carry to ensure the engine can operate the vehicle smoothly. This situation is quite different from a passenger car; the engine requirements are more demanding," Benz replied after a moment of thought.
Carrying capacity was the main distinction between a passenger car and a cargo vehicle.
If they were going to develop a cargo vehicle, it couldn't be something that carried too little.
Currently, automobile engines around the world simply couldn't handle heavy loads, which was one of the reasons cargo trucks hadn't yet emerged.
However, this wasn't a serious problem for Australia. Diesel's newly developed diesel engine was just the solution needed to address this shortcoming.
In earlier tests, Diesel's engine could pull at least 500 jin (approximately 250 kilograms) at a steady speed of 30 kilometers per hour for more than three hours.
That performance already met Arthur's basic expectations for a cargo vehicle.
However, that didn't mean Diesel's engine was flawless. One of the biggest issues after prolonged operation was overheating, which led to frequent malfunctions. Finding an effective method of heat dissipation was one of the most urgent challenges in Diesel engine development.
"For the first cargo vehicle, our expectations don't need to be too ambitious. If it can carry 0.6 to 0.8 tons and match a car in terms of stability, that would be sufficient," Arthur said with a smile.
At this stage, the cargo vehicle project was still in the early stages of research and exploration. Arthur didn't expect them to create massive trucks capable of carrying several tons right away.
For Benz and Diesel, successfully building a truck that could carry over 0.6 tons while maintaining the stability of a regular car would already be a major accomplishment.
"If that's the case, then the difficulty of the initial development will be significantly reduced. Your Highness, give us three months, and we will produce a prototype based on the blueprint," Diesel said, visibly relieved, exchanging a glance with Benz before speaking.
If development had to start from scratch, designing a cargo vehicle could take six months—or even several years.
But with the diesel engine already developed and a conceptual design in hand, the development cycle could be shortened dramatically.
Three months wasn't long—especially for the creation of a new type of automobile.
Naturally, Arthur didn't press them further and nodded. "During your development period, the resources of the Ministry of Industry are at your disposal. Even though this is still an early exploration of cargo vehicles, I hope our design can handle poor road conditions. Stability must be a top priority."
While passenger cars prioritized performance and safety, cargo vehicles needed to be exceptionally stable.
A breakdown in the middle of a cargo delivery route would be a serious problem to fix.
And once cargo vehicles were successfully developed, they would make a substantial impact in both civilian and military sectors.
Whether transporting goods for businesses or moving strategic materials for the military, it would be unacceptable for the cargo to be stranded due to vehicle failure.
That would be a major issue for the vehicle's owner, the cargo owner, and the people relying on the goods. It was a problem the next generation of cargo trucks absolutely had to solve.
"Yes, understood, Your Highness. Please rest assured—we will focus on the stability issue in the cargo vehicle's design and do everything we can to prevent mid-route accidents," Benz responded promptly.
In fact, the Benz factory already paid great attention to vehicle stability.
The already released Benz One could operate steadily for over six hours under uniform driving conditions without problems.
As long as the engine was allowed to rest and cool down every six hours, the vehicle could continue operating normally.
Compared to other cars of the time, this already represented a major improvement in reliability. At the very least, the Benz One was far less likely to break down on the road.
With the cargo vehicle project confirmed, Arthur had nothing more to handle at the factory.
The top priority for Benz and Diesel now was to develop a prototype based on the blueprint and begin exploring improvements for the already released Benz One.
Although the Benz One likely had the best cost-performance ratio of any car in the world, and its performance was undoubtedly world-class, resting on its current success would eventually allow others—especially those experimenting with assembly-line manufacturing—to surpass it.
That's exactly what happened with Ford in history. Though the Model T was the world's best-selling car for over a decade and at one point held more than half the global market share, Ford failed to continuously upgrade it.
That allowed competitors to catch up, and Ford ultimately lost its chance to dominate the industry.
Although selling over 15 million Model Ts was a record that seemed unbeatable, the company experienced a downturn afterward, and none of its later models matched the Model T's success.
Arthur had specifically instructed Benz and Diesel that no matter how much success they achieved, continuous improvement and innovation were essential—and non-negotiable.
Perhaps it was because Benz and Diesel were true scientists at heart, but they agreed earnestly and acted accordingly.
That was one of the things Arthur appreciated most about them. In the realm of research, he had no concerns at all. Their dedication and seriousness matched that of the greatest scientists of their era—pure and admirable.
(End of Chapter)
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