Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd (CCE) has begun trials with an Iveco Stralis Active Day 21 tonne distribution vehicle running on compressed biomethane (CBM). It marks the first CBM-powered commercial vehicle to be operated anywhere in the world by CCE, and the first such Stralis to be delivered in the UK.
The trial will be used to determine the long-term sustainable transport strategy of CCE in Great Britain, and has been supported with the installation of a roadgas LCBM refuelling station at the company’s distribution facility in Enfield, Middlesex.
Darren O’Donnell, Logistics Asset Manager at CCE, explains: “Our primary reason for selecting CBM is that it has the lowest carbon intensity of all commercially available alternative fuels, allowing us to benefit from the best possible well-to-wheel saving.
“The gas used to make the CBM comes from a landfill site in Surrey, which means it is not depleting any fossil resources. This effectively allows us to power the Stralis using the latent energy recovered from rubbish thrown away by society.”
The Stralis AD260S30Y/FS-D CNG is purpose-built on the factory-line for natural gas powered applications and is recommended for operation in the UK with CBM supplied by Gasrec. It features a six cylinder 7.8 litre Cursor 8 engine which produces up to 300 hp at 2,000 rev/min and up to 1,100 Nm of torque between 1,100 and 1,650 rev/min, driven through an Allison 3500 six-speed automated gearbox.
“There are very few gas-powered heavy trucks on the market, but the availability of a Stralis proved the perfect fit with our business as we already run 50 diesel-powered models, and have been a prominent Stralis customer since 2004,” says O’Donnell.
Archive for July, 2010
Trials for first compressed biomethane Stralis
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
Mercedes-Benz Vario still going 15 years on
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010The Mercedes-Benz Vario is undergoing a facelift and is set to receive a new drivetrain. To meet the requirements of future emissions standards, the Vario will be converted to include a new engine featuring new exhaust technology that will supplement the tried-and-trusted SCR technology and meet the Euro 6 standard. The Vario will also continue to be produced in the Ludwigsfelde plant beyond 2013. 
Thanks to its front engine, the Vario – unlike its ‘light truck’ counterparts – does not need a tilting cab, making it ideally suited to the van concept. The driver enjoys the benefit of convenient access from the cab to the rear section of the vehicle. As a result, the Vario can be used for applications such as parcel-delivery, emergency ambulance, mobile support unit, specialist shop or camper van.
The long wheelbase panel van can offer internal load space volumes of up to 17.4m², making it the largest panel van on the market.
MAN PARTS – WITH ADDED VALUE
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd. has launched its new ‘Valueline’ Parts programme – a move aimed at repositioning MAN’s parts proposition in the UK aftermarket.
The programme will add greater value on a wide range of MAN’s fastest moving parts lines. MAN inform us that feedback from the its network and customers is positive, with parts sales showing steady improvement in just the first few months since its launch.
Initially, the valueline range is a selection of over 60 of MAN’s most popular, fast-moving parts which are now being offered at a significantly reduced price. This range will expand and prices will be revised as MAN analyses the market and adjusts prices in line with, and even ahead of, market trends.
The parts that make up the ‘valueline’ range are the exact same original parts that are fitted on MAN production lines.
“This is a genuine commitment to our customers,” said Andrew Taylor, Head of UK Parts, “and not a stop-gap measure. We’re serious about our Parts business; our precision run warehouse, 17,000 parts lines, and on average 6,900 parts delivered daily across the network is testament to that. But it’s more,” he said.
New “Active Brake Assist 2″ for the Mercedes-Benz Actros
Monday, July 19th, 2010The world’s safest truck is now even safer: Mercedes-Benz is introducing second-generation Active Brake Assist for the heavy-duty Actros truck. This unique and multi-award-winning safety system now has even greater capability: whereas the first-generation system applied the brakes automatically if it detected a risk of a head-to-tail collision with a slow-moving obstacle in front of the vehicle, Active Brake Assist 2 is also activated if a stationary obstacle is detected. Active Brake Assist has already proven its worth in more than 14,000 trucks and over a total of more than three billion kilometres on Europe’s roads.
Active Brake Assist: tried and tested over a total of more than three billion kilometres
Anti-lock braking system, acceleration skid control, disc brakes all round, electronically controlled braking system, high-pressure braking system, Brake Assist, Lane Assistant, roll control, proximity control – the list of safety technologies and systems that have celebrated their world premiere in Mercedes‑Benz trucks is a long one. One development highlight is the revolutionary Active Brake Assist system, which was introduced for the Mercedes-Benz Actros heavy-duty truck in 2006 and has since proven itself time and time again out on the road.
Many truck drivers have reported situations in which the safety system has prevented accidents. The experts are agreed: Active Brake Assist has saved lives – not only those of Actros drivers and occupants but also those of the people in the vehicles in front. Many insurance companies are also convinced that this system is good for their customers and, therefore, ultimately for themselves, prompting them to offer discounts on premiums for commercial vehicles equipped with this technology.
The new Active Brake Assist 2 system sets yet another milestone. Whereas the first-generation safety system only initiated emergency braking if there was a risk of a head-to-tail collision with a vehicle in front, Active Brake Assist 2 also applies the brakes if stationary obstacles are detected, for instance a suddenly encountered traffic tailback on the motorway. Daimler Trucks has therefore taken a further step towards realising its vision of accident-free driving, as part of its “Shaping Future Transportation” global initiative.
Radar-controlled system detects stationary obstacles
The radar used by the Active Brake Assist 2 system scans an area of 1-200 m in the lane ahead of the truck whilst continuously determining the distance to a vehicle in front or a stationary obstacle as well as the difference in speed between the two vehicles. If, based on the current driving style, an accident is unavoidable, the driver initially receives visual warnings in the form of a red triangle which lights up and an audible alarm. If the situation gets any worse, the system responds by applying the brakes.
The warning concept is designed to allow drivers to diffuse critical situations themselves; that’s because braking initiated by Active Brake Assist 2 with 50% of the maximum braking power gives drivers the time that is needed to avoid an accident themselves.
Decisive advantage: effective from 0-89 km/h and robust under all weather and light conditions
Active Brake Assist 2 offers decisive advantages over other systems currently under development. The tried-and-tested radar technology operates robustly under all weather and light conditions, for instance. What’s more, Active Brake Assist is effective across a truck’s entire speed range – from 0 km/h or slow driving at brisk walking pace to motorway speeds of up to 89 km/h (when the speed limiter is activated).
Although Active Brake Assist 2 cannot always prevent accidents, the automatic application of the brakes does reduce the collision speed and, therefore, mitigates the consequences of accidents substantially.
Active Brake Assist 2 will replace the previous system at the turn of the year. As in the past, Mercedes-Benz will be doing all it can to ensure that Active Brake Assist 2 is installed in as many trucks as possible by offering packages incorporating this and other safety systems at attractive prices.