Lawsons adds first gas-powered heavy truck to its London delivery fleet with IVECO’s Stralis NP

Tuesday 20th March 2018

Lawsons, the largest family owned independent timber, building materials and fencing merchants in London and the South East, has taken delivery of its first natural gas-powered heavy truck – adding a 26-tonne Stralis NP running on compressed natural gas (CNG) to its 90-strong fleet.

IVECO secured the order thanks to its unrivalled experience in gas vehicle technology, which it has been pioneering for more than two decades. There will be an official vehicle handover to Lawsons today, at the LoCITY ‘Fuels in Action Roadshow’ held at Kempton Park Racecourse.

Dunstable-based dealer Northern Commercials offered a fast lead time for the factory-ordered vehicle, with the new truck offering significant sustainability advantages over diesel. It emits 50 per cent less NOx emissions, 95 per cent less particulate matter versus Euro VI limits, and 95 per cent less CO₂ when using compressed biomethane.

The Stralis NP (AD260S33) 6×2 rigid has been built for operation primarily around Greater London and is based at Lawsons’ Camden depot, conveniently located just half a mile from the nearest CNG-refuelling station. It features a body built by Colliers Truck Builders and a Hiab X-HiPro 142E-2 crane powered by an electric power take off (ePTO) for silent and efficient loading and unloading of building materials and fencing products.

David Harvey, Group Transport Manager at Lawsons, says: “We recognised there was a huge potential for trialling gas vehicle technology in our fleet and once we started speaking with IVECO, they demonstrated a real desire to make it happen. IVECO could also offer precisely the specification of truck we wanted and deliver it into service quickly.”

Powered by an ultra-clean 7.8-litre natural gas engine capable of delivering up to 330hp at 2,000 rev/min and up to 1,300 Nm of torque between 1,200 and 1,785 rev/min, the Stralis NP is perfectly matched in terms of on-road performance versus a traditional diesel 26-tonner. Plus, its natural gas engine is around 50 per cent quieter than diesel, making it perfect for deliveries in residential areas.

Built with the Stralis Hi-Street day cab, the new vehicle offers driver comfort, safety, ergonomics and infotainment, providing a working environment that helps to maximise productivity.

Lawsons will keep the new truck in service for seven years, with an IVECO Elements repair and maintenance package to ensure the vehicle remains in tip-top condition. All routine service work will be carried out by IVECO trained technicians at Acorn Trucks in Waltham Cross just 13 miles from the vehicle’s main operating base.

Harvey adds: “IVECO’s expertise in gas-powered commercial vehicles has proven invaluable throughout the whole process of specifying and putting our first CNG truck into service.

“The need to reduce emission levels, particularly in the London area, is a major issue and we wanted to become an early adopter of this new technology. We’ll be monitoring the performance of the Stralis closely, and if it performs well, we are very confident about adding more natural gas-powered vehicles when we replace older diesel trucks in the fleet.”

Established in 1921, the Lawsons Group operates from 14 Lawsons branches in and around London, two Crowthorne Fencing branches in Ascot and Bedford and Sharvatt Woolwich in Belvedere.

IVECO is the only manufacturer to offer a full range of natural gas models from light commercial vehicles to heavy-duty long-distance trucks, as well as buses. With more than 23,000 units sold, the brand is the market and technology leader in natural gas commercial vehicles.