Iveco UK guarantees 4 per cent fuel saving with EcoStralis

UK fleet operators weighing up their next heavy truck purchase could benefit from at least a 4 per cent improvement in fuel economy with Iveco’s new ECOSTRALIS – guaranteed by the manufacturer for three years / 400,000 km.

Iveco believes ECOSTRALIS’ potential to shrink fuel bills is nearly double that figure, after independent trials conducted in a controlled environment by TÜV SÜD highlighted a 7.32 per cent improvement in fuel consumption between ECOSTRALIS and other comparable models.  However, the guarantee covers the fuel saving elements which are unique to ECOSTRALIS – the new 460 hp engine, the ECO-setting gearbox function and the revised rear axle ratio, which collectively account for around 4 per cent.  The remaining 3.3 per cent fuel saving is attributed to the vehicle’s speed limit being reduced from 90 to 85 km/h and the fitment of Michelin’s X Energy Savergreen low rolling resistance tyres.

Announcing the fuel guarantee – believed to be the first of its kind in the market – Henk van Leuven, Managing Director of Iveco UK, said: “The spiralling cost of diesel means fleets must look at all viable opportunities to increase efficiency and ensure they are squeezing every last mile out of a tank of fuel.

“We’re so confident in the performance of ECOSTRALIS we’re backing it with an industry-first 4 per cent fuel guarantee.”

The 4 per cent fuel guarantee will be measured against the combined average performance of the customer’s current heavy truck fleet.  Iveco stresses the guarantee stands against all makes of heavy truck sold in the UK.

However, the guarantee will only be available to fleets where heavy trucks spend at least 55 per cent of their working day on motorways and dual carriageways – the conditions which allow the enhanced efficiency of ECOSTRALIS to be enjoyed.  Fleets must also be using electronic fuel consumption measuring devices, or use a fuel card service which provides precise data on fuel usage.

Operators meeting these criteria will be invited to answer a series of 15 questions to enable Iveco to build a detailed picture of their fleet profile.  This will include checking that their current tractor units operate within a power band of 400 – 500 hp, as well as checking axle configurations, tonnage bandwidths and the existing average fuel consumption – to ensure it is in line with perceived expectations.

“We expect at least 30 per cent of operators will meet the pre-qualification criteria to apply, and 90 per cent of those are likely to be ‘approved’ for the guarantee,” added van Leuven.

“Our simulations show that in a typical haulage application the 4 per cent fuel guarantee will more than recoup the additional £3,000 investment required to purchase the ECOSTRALIS over a regular Stralis model.  However fleets achieving the full 7.3 per cent benefit will enjoy a significant saving to their bottom line – potentially worth in the region of £5,000 per vehicle over three years,” he explained.

Iveco’s 4 per cent fuel guarantee is not transferable with the sale of an ECOSTRALIS to another party, and operators must not alter the vehicle’s specification.  All ECOSTRALIS vehicles sold under the fuel guarantee must be supplied on a fixed cost Iveco Elements repair & maintenance agreement which ensures all maintenance is carried out by Iveco-trained technicians using genuine replacement parts.

The Cursor 10, 460 hp engine is the adopted standard for the ECOSTRALIS range, available as a 6x2 or 4x2 tractor with either the flagship Active Space Super3 or Active Time cabs.   The 460 hp engine offers a maximum torque of 2,100 Nm between 1,050 and 1,550 rev/min.  As with the entire range of Iveco trucks, ECOSTRALIS meets EEV (Enhanced Environmentally friendly Vehicles) requirements, the strictest ecological standard in Europe. 

Furthermore, all ECOSTRALIS derivatives sold in the UK benefit from an enhanced three year / 420,000 km warranty as standard.