Sustainability was the basis of Scania’s Euro Bus Expo 2018 display as the manufacturer released the results of a trial of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in a coach application.
The experiment with Lucketts Travel demonstrates that decarbonisation of coaches is possible with HVO. On a National Express route, seven Scanias used the biofuel; seven other identical examples used diesel. No modifications to the HVO-fuelled coaches were necessary.
Scania says that the trial proves that HVO is a viable alternative to diesel for coach use. It has also carried out verification work at Millbrook Proving Ground, where dynamometer data showed that with HVO:
- Carbon monoxide emissions are reduced by 29%
- Particulate matter (PM) drops by 43%
- NOx equivalent is cut by 12%
- The CO2 equivalent plummets to just 17% of a diesel’s.
“The big advantage of HVO is the reduction in CO2 equivalent. That is delivered without needing to change anything on the vehicle” says Sales Director New Bus and Coach Martin West.
Fuel consumption with HVO is on a par with diesel. The sustainable product attracts a small price premium, but it can be freely mixed with diesel. Supplier Green Biofuels has the capacity to deliver 1bn litres per year.
“There are further stages of our HVO trial. We are particularly interested to see what it does when put into context of the NOx and PM emissions of a Euro 5 engine,” adds Mr West. “We are also looking at engine lifetime implications; as HVO is cleaner, it may allow longer between overhaul.”
