Dedicated gas trucks are powered solely by CNG, which have the benefit of lower carbon dioxide emissions compared to diesel vehicles. Howard Tenens is a participant of the Dedicated to Gas Project which is part of the Low Emission Freight and Logistics Trial, funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) in partnership with Innovate UK. These vehicles will be the first dedicated gas trucks to be deployed under the trial.
The vehicles will be based at Swindon, but deliver to a range of customers in urban areas including London. The vehicles will be monitored over the 18 months of the trial which will help answer important questions about operating cost, range, reliability and emissions.Part way through the trial the vehicles will switch to biogas instead of CNG, delivering a 75% reduction in carbon emissions.
Ben Morris, executive director at Howard Tenens, commented: “Howard Tenens’ aim is to be a leader in sustainable logistics and actively embrace innovation and new technologies. This project clearly demonstrates our commitment to this aim and that we are constantly striving to find new ways to reduce our carbon footprint and that of our customers.”
Howard Tenens has worked closely on the project in partnership with Scania and Don Bur since April 2017 to ensure the vehicles were built in the quickest possible time.Scania have developed and provided the vehicle chassis’, with Don Bur providing the trailer bodies using its teardrop design to improve aerodynamic flow and reduce fuel consumption.
David Burke, specialist sales executive, comments: “By delivering a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, dedicated gas-fuelled operation forms a key part of Scania's strategy to drive the shift towards more sustainable transport solutions. In addition to being exceptionally clean, gas vehicles are considerably quieter than their diesel counterparts and are therefore ideally suited to operating in urban environments.”
Adds Richard Philpotts, Howard Tenens fleet and compliance manager: “Howard Tenens chose Scania in part for their dealer locations, the specialist training provided at each location for CNG maintenance and the commitment made by Scania, which is evident in the experience we have received throughout the project from the specification to build to the delivery of the vehicles.”