Iveco claims natural gas is HGV fuel of the future

One of the leading manufacturers of large goods vehicles has outlined how it believes natural gas is the fuel of the future for heavy haulage.

Iveco presented its vision for the use of natural gas to senior fleet decision makers at an event last week at Uttoxeter Racecourse, in the UK. The delegates represented 80 transport and logistics companies, collectively responsible for more than 10,000 trucks.

Nick Pemberton, Director of Iveco’s Truck Business Line, set out the potential for natural gas as an alternative to diesel, citing major benefits including ultra-low emissions, quieter operation and fuel costs which are around a third lower than diesel.

“Gas offers the widest range of opportunities to replace diesel in the commercial vehicle market,” he said. “It’s no longer a fuel of tomorrow, it’s a fuel of today.”

Where gas vehicles were previously the domain of local authorities and fleets involved in urban distribution, Iveco believes that by making CNG technology viable for longer range applications the fuel will soon be a viable option for regional, national and international transport missions.

Last month, Iveco launched the New Stralis NP in mainland Europe – the world’s first gas-powered heavy truck for long-distance operations. Its new Cursor 9 Natural Power engine is the first of its kind to deliver the same power output as diesel in a commercial vehicle application, around 400bhp, and has a range of up to 1,500km (932 miles).

Martin Flach, Iveco Product Director, said, “We have broken down the boundaries that made natural gas a niche segment, and we’re seeing the booming development of natural gas refuelling stations across Europe. There isn’t a week which passes without a new refuelling site being opened.”

The company has recently signed a deal to supply 200 New Stralis NP tractor units and 50 Stralis Natural Power CNG rigid trucks to French haulier Perrenot Group. Once deliveries are complete, Perrenot will run the largest fleet of CNG trucks in Europe, marking an important chapter in the history of sustainable transport. The customer’s decision to adopt the technology was key to it securing business from a major supermarket chain – with its customer keen to significantly reduce its carbon footprint and ensure quieter store deliveries.