New Volvo Trucks Can Produce 20 to 100% Less CO2 Emissions

Volvo Trucks recently launched two heavy-duty trucks that run on natural gas. Built for the European market, the Volvo FH LNG and Volvo FM LNG can cut CO2 emissions by 20 to 100 percent, the Swedish truck maker attests.

The new trucks can operate on either biogas or methane gas--two different types of liquefied natural gas (LNG)--and are compliant with Euro 6 emissions regulations. Performance-wise, the new trucks can match the performance and efficiency of today’s most powerful diesel trucks, all while having a considerably lower environmental impact.

Volvo claims that the methane gas variant can reduce CO2 emissions by 20 percent, while the biogas version can eliminate them completely, resulting in 100 percent CO2 emission reduction. This relates to tank-to-wheel usage, otherwise known as emissions from the vehicle when the engine is on, according to the company.

An alternative to diesel

"We regard LNG, as a long-term first choice alternative to diesel, both for regional and long-haul truck operations where fuel efficiency, payload, and productivity are crucial," said Lars Mårtensson, director environment and innovation at Volvo Trucks. "With a higher proportion of biogas, climate impact can be reduced far more."

"For transport operations in urban environments, where range is not as critical, electrified vehicles will play a greater role in the future. Our vision is that trucks from Volvo will eventually have zero emissions, although the way of achieving that is not by one single solution, but through several solutions in parallel," he added.

Aside from lower emissions, Volvo adds that the trucks will also consume 15 to 25 percent less fuel than modern gas-powered trucks. Meanwhile, LNG use will give the transporters the greatest possible operating range.

LNG makes sense

Volvo says that LNG makes sense for its trucks because of the fuel's excellent availability. Prices are also much lower than traditional fossil fuel, and though not yet widely accessible, all that's about to change as Europe improves its LNG infrastructure to comply with the European Commission and member states' action package to ensure Europe's long-term energy supply.

Mats Franzén, product manager for engines at Volvo Trucks, said: "Our new trucks running on liquefied natural gas or biogas produce a far smaller climate footprint than diesel trucks do. In addition, they are much more fuel-efficient than the gas-powered trucks available on the market today. This makes gas more viable as a replacement for diesel even for heavy long-haul operations."