Report reveals UK gas truck progress
The first year of a government-run alternatively-fuelled truck trial has seen participants travel 620,000 miles a month on gas, used cooking oil and dual (gas/diesel) fuels according to a new Cenex report to DfT.
In the first half of the two-year Low Carbon Truck and Refueling Infrastructure Demonstration Trial, 175 alternatively-fuelled vehicles have been brought into service. 345 vehicles are planned for delivery in total. Four new refuelling stations have begun operation since December last year, with 14 more to come on line.
Fleets running vehicles powered by cooking oil saw tank-to wheel CO2 emissions drop 84 per cent, while dual-fuelled gas vehicle fleets recorded a nine per cent decrease.
Since the beginning of the trial, the average amount of the diesel replaced by alternative fuels in a dual-fuelled truck has increased to 87 per cent for cooking oil and 46 per cent for gas-powered vehicles. This has been attributed to improvements made in fuel availability and infrastructure.
The Freight Transport Association, which is taking part in the trial, believes the outcomes so far are crucial and encouraging.
Rachael Dillon, climate change policy manager for the FTA, said: “The Low Carbon Truck Trial is putting more gas powered HGVs on the road and will also provide much needed provision of public refuelling infrastructure.
“The report provides crucial early feedback from the Low Carbon Truck Trial and identifies the operational challenges of running gas HGVs. We hope that the trial can kick start the market and look forward to seeing further results.”
Co-funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), the aim of the trial is to help operators learn more about alternative fuels and industry develop new technologies and infrastructure.
A group of 13 project consortiums were awarded funding totaling more than £23 million to take part in the trial. Consortium companies include John Lewis, the Stobart Group, Tesco, Brit European and DHL, which converted a number of different trucks to trial the viability of alternative fuels (Transport Operator 37).
