Volvo tests methane-diesel trucks with Swedish customers

In February, Volvo Trucks will be starting field tests of methane-diesel engines in commercial operation together with a number of Swedish customers.

“We are doing this so as to offer the market a superior combination of environmental properties, energy efficiency, driveability and low maintenance costs,” says Gunnar Ekwall, product manager for Volvo Trucks in the Nordic region.

The first seven customers participating in the field test are Borås Energi & Miljö, Ragn-Sells Sollentuna, Schenker-TGM Göteborg, Slaka Potatis Linköping, Svebol Logistics/Lidl Tumba, Viebke Åkeri Helsingborg and XR Miljöhantering Skövde. The eighth truck in the field test programme will be placed with a selected customer in the next few days.

The trucks involved are two Volvo 7-litre models, the Volvo FL and Volvo FE.

Increasing demand for better gas powered trucks
As the network of biogas stations continues to expand, the market is showing far greater interest in better gas-powered vehicles. With the unique technology that Volvo Trucks has chosen, the diesel engine runs on a mixture of methane gas and diesel oil. As a result, the benefits of gas power are combined with a diesel engine’s estimated 35 per cent higher efficiency rating compared with an engine using spark plug ignition. The truck thus consumes far less energy than conventional gas-powered trucks.

Energy-efficiency and reliability
“In addition to lower fuel consumption, methane diesel technology also brings higher reliability and lower maintenance costs. What is more, the driver can always continue driving on diesel fuel alone, if no gas is available. This makes it a practical and realistic alternative for many customers, especially in areas where the gas distribution infrastructure is not yet fully established,” explains Gunnar Ekwall.