Alternative Fuels
LIFE AFTER DIESEL Which fuels will dominate the truck market in the future? Richard Simpson looks into his crystal ball
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fter more than half a century in which all trucks and buses ran on the same fuel – diesel – the market is now fragmenting in the face of legislation aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of road transport. The legislators have ambitious objectives. Rules set by the European Union have given truck manufacturers specific targets for CO2 reductions across their ranges. From a 2020 baseline, the target is a 15 per cent reduction in five years and a 30 per cent baseline in 10 years, taking us to 2030. If anything, the UK is moving even
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faster. A ban on the sale of new diesel trucks under 26 tonnes GVW is planned to start in 2035, extending to all weights by 2040. This is easier said than done, of course, but practically all mainstream manufacturers now offer some alternative to diesel fuel on at least part of their truck ranges. What’s on offer? Iveco, Scania and Volvo all offer methane gas power as a replacement for diesel in the long-haul segment. While Iveco and Scania use low-compression, sparkignition engines, Volvo has adopted a
spring 2022
Right: Iveco offers methane gas power in the long-haul segment Below: DAF now has batteryelectric trucks in service in the UK
