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IVECO lays out its view on the future of sustainable road transport at the International Road Transport Union (IRU) World Congress 2018
Thursday 8th November 2018
IVECO is participating in the International Road Transport Union – IRU World Congress 2018, which is being held in Muscat, Oman on the 7th and 8th of November. The event, organised by the global industry association for road transport IRU, offers a platform for global decision-makers to exchange ideas, debate solutions and define the future of the transport industry. Participants include leading manufacturers, transport associations, and international organisations and Ministries from across the world.
Pierre Lahutte, IVECO Brand President, spoke at the first plenary session, which is dedicated to road transport, mobility and trade in the 21st century under the title with the aim of answering the question: “What does the constantly evolving ‘new world’ order mean for road transport?”.
The session’s speakers were leading figures from business and governments, and also included José Manuel Durão Barroso, Chairman of Goldman Sachs International and Former President of the European Commission; Christian Labrot, IRU President; Dr Ahmed Muhammed Al Futaisi, Oman Minister of Transport and Communications; and Steffen Bilger, State Secretary, Germany Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure.
Pierre Lahutte outlined IVECO’s vision of the future of transport and its focus on sustainability to reduce the environmental impact of the industry. He highlighted the need to find an alternative to Diesel as pressure on this fossil fuel mounts and bans are introduced in a fast-growing number of cities, and stressed the importance of careful consideration in identifying the best answer for the transport sector: “It is not a matter of one solution for all: we need to consider a technological mix that meets the specificities of each mission.”
The Congress also represented an opportunity for engaging in dialogue with Transport Ministers and high-level Institutional representatives from the Region and beyond, including Europe, and introducing them to IVECO’s vision for sustainable transport, which sees natural gas as the key energy source, especially for goods transport and long-distance haulage, with electric propulsion having a role to play especially at low speed, low energy intensity stop-and-go missions and people transport in city centres. Natural gas offers the added advantage of a seamless transition to bio-methane, a renewable energy source capable of zero emissions or, with a circular economy approach, even a negative carbon footprint due to carbon sequestration.
The view of natural gas as the mature solution for sustainable transport is shared by EU Institutions and Governments, which are supporting its development with a variety of actions. These include the financial incentives for energy-efficient low CO2 trucks and exemption from motorway tolls for LNG (Liquefied natural gas) vehicles announced in Germany; the elimination of excise duty on LNG and taxation of Diesel to fund the development of the LNG infrastructure in Poland; and the decrees issued in France and Italy to promote the use of bio-methane produced from cow manure and agricultural waste to fuel transport vehicles.
As a result of IVECO’s vision for sustainable transport, today it leads the way with a complete offering of alternative traction vehicles, from electric solutions for city centre public transport and light commercial vehicles for people and goods urban transport, to CNG buses and trucks for intercity transport, all the way to LNG trucks for long-distance haulage. What’s more, this year IVECO made history at IAA 2018 with the first 100% diesel free stand in the history of the exhibition, where it showcased its full alternative traction offering.