Pure methane to fuel new Volvo FE

Volvo Trucks is expanding its model range in Europe with a new version of the Volvo FE running on 100 per cent methane gas.

The Volvo FE CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) has been primarily developed for operations involving short driving cycles with repeated stop-starts such as refuse collection and local distribution. It is equipped with a new 9-litre Euro 6 gas-powered engine featuring spark plug (rather than compression) ignition and an automatic transmission.

Christina Eriksson, business manager for alternative drivelines at Volvo Trucks, said: “With the Volvo FE CNG we can now offer companies that drive predominantly in urban environments a truck with a far lower environmental impact. Many cities the world over are looking for alternatives to diesel-powered trucks. In the field of refuse handling, for example, renewable fuels are often a requirement for securing a contract.”

Methane gas is odourless when combusted and it contains very low levels of harmful particles. If the methane used is a biogas, created from decomposing organic materials, emissions of carbon dioxide are up to 70 per cent lower than those of a diesel truck.

Operators working in fields such as refuse collection and sewer and drain work could fuel trucks from methane digesters fed with the material that they collect.

The all-new nine-litre spark ignition Euro 6 engine produces 320 hp and 1356 Nm of torque. The use of spark plug ignition and pure methane is said by Volvo to offer superior performance over short distances and in stop-start traffic than the dual-fuel technology found on most gas trucks operating in the UK, which start running on 100 per cent diesel, then blend an increasing amount of gas into the mix as engine temperature rises.

Fitment of a six-speed fully-automatic transmission enables the truck to retain the same driveability and productivity as the conventional Volvo FE. The automatic transmission also gives faster driveline response.

Lars Mårtensson, environmental director at Volvo Trucks, said: “Methane gas is the fuel that will become a sustainable alternative to diesel in the long-term. Right now the focus is on working together with the various public authorities and private corporations to draw up the relevant rules and create the right conditions for positive development.”

Sales of the new Volvo FE CNG began in Europe in August, with series production getting under way in early 2015.

John Comer, product manager for Volvo Trucks Great Britain & Ireland, added: “The new Volvo FE CNG is primarily aimed at centrally-operated municipal and refuse operators working from transfer stations where there is a renewable source of methane available.”