LNG Truck Sets Record for Longest Journey
An Iveco Stralis NP 460hp truck from the UK has completed what is believed to be the longest ever journey by road on a single fill of LNG to demonstrate the suitability of natural gas-powered vehicles for domestic and European road transport.
Setting off from London, the Stralis NP 4×2 tractor unit was pulling a tri-axle box van trailer and running at a gross vehicle weight of 30 metric tons. After a short ferry crossing from Dover to Calais it completed the 1,728-km road journey without needing to refuel – exceeding the vehicle’s official range of 1,600 km to set a new distance record. This equates to an impressive LNG fuel cost saving of about £200 ($262) for the outward journey, or 40% cheaper than using diesel, Iveco said October 17.
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Starting off with a full tank, the lorry ran without refuelling until it reached Madrid two and a half days later. Despite the heavy traffic on the UK side of the English Channel, a strong head wind in France and the hilly Spanish section of the route, the Stralis NP recorded an impressive average fuel consumption of 22.6 kg/100 km, it said.
Compared with an equivalent Euro VI diesel, a Stralis NP running on LNG emits around 90% less NO2 emissions, 99% less particulate matter, and up to 15% less CO2 – rising to 95% less CO2 when using biomethane.
Iveco was the first commercial vehicle manufacturer to look at the potential of natural gas in 1991 – an anticipation that allowed the company to develop a full range of natural gas trucks, vans and buses. More than 25,000 Iveco gas-powered vehicles have been delivered into service, it said.