Calor Trials UK's First Iveco Stralis 6x2 LNG Truck

Tuesday 12th February 2019

Calor has taken delivery of the UK's first IVECO Stralis 6x2 LNG truck from Guest Truck and Van.

The tractor unit was officially handed over at Calor's main Stoney Stanton gas storage and filling depot by Shaun Taylor, Municipal, Specialist Vehicle & Emergency Sales Manager at Guest. It will be trialled as part of Calor's commitment to incorporating more eco-friendly, gas-powered technology in its portfolio of delivery vehicles.

The truck was then driven to Calor's LNG station at Donington Park, part of the company's network of six LNG refuelling stations, for its first fill.

Launched in the UK in 2018, the IVECO Stralis NP (Natural Power) LNG 460BHP 6x2 Tractor Unit has only recently gone into production, and Guest Truck and Van was the first dealer in the UK to offer the model for customers to trial. It is the only vehicle of its type to offer a 100 per cent gas-powered product in the UK, with no diesel and no AdBlue.

Commenting on the arrival of the new LNG truck, David Brown, Fleet Asset Manager from Calor said: 'We believe LNG can help hauliers improve their operational efficiency significantly, delivering a lower-cost fuel to diesel with good availability. As a result, we have many discussions with our customers about the benefits of investing in gas-powered vehicles, particularly in line with the Government's clean air strategy to reduce roadside emissions.

'With our corporate goal to improve our own environmental performance and to become fully renewable by 2040, and our commitment to support our customers in the transition to alternative fuels, we feel that it is important to practice what we preach and introduce low-carbon, low-emission technology in to our own fleet.

'We are looking forward to seeing the benefits of the new IVECO truck for ourselves and to enjoy the efficiencies it will deliver to our fleet.'

Shaun Taylor, Municipal, Specialist Vehicle & Emergency Services Sales Manager for Guest Truck and Van, added: 'We have been encouraging our customers who are thinking of switching from diesel trucks to a more sustainable and cost-effective method of operation, to trial the vehicle so they can see the benefits for themselves.

'Until this point, gas-powered truck technology had only been available for operators of 4x2 tractor units. IVECO has now introduced a real contender to change the landscape of 6x2 fleets.

'Calor has the largest LNG refuelling network in the UK so we are delighted that the company has chosen to trial the new truck. We look forward to seeing the cost and emissions savings.'

The Stralis NP features IVECO's best on-road fuel efficiency technologies and services to deliver up to 15 per cent less fuel consumption and up to nine per cent lower total cost of ownership than a diesel truck. Its solid eco-credentials mean that compared to Euro VI limits, it delivers up to a 99 per cent reduction in particulate matter and up to a 60 per cent drop in NOx. It's also quiet, operating at less than 71dB in 'Silent Mode'.

David Brown concludes: 'With many manufacturers predicting that natural gas-powered vehicles could account for 20 per cent of HGVs sold by the early 2020s, we believe the future opportunities for LNG are really exciting.

'It will help to reduce our reliance on diesel further still, lower CO₂ emissions and help meet our customers' increasingly tougher environmental demands.'