Iveco was present at today's Eurogas Annual Conference, held in Brussels where it presented a report on the strategic role of gas in the transport sector, confirming its leadership in – and commitment to – the field of natural gas bus and commercial vehicles. The brand was the only manufacturer of commercial vehicles invited to take part in the initiative hosted by Eurogas, an association representing the European gas wholesale, retail and distribution sectors.
Speaking on behalf of the company was Pierre Lahutte, Iveco Brand President, who reiterated the importance of efficient transport as the key to growth and competitiveness in Europe. Lahutte said that the increased use of natural gas and biomethane for fuel is a smart choice in technical terms and that it is an immediately available solution to reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector.
In these respects, Iveco is thereby in line with the recent European Commission document, in which Europe has committed to decarbonise the transport sector through the use of biofuels and to put liquefied natural gas (LNG) at the heart of its sustainable transport policies.
In his speech Lahutte said: “Iveco is the European leader in natural gas vehicles with more than 25 years of experience in the sector. Thanks to its engine technology, the company’s Iveco and Iveco Bus brands boast a complete range of natural gas vehicles, having sold more than 13,000 units, including light, medium and heavy goods vehicles, as well as buses. There are several advantages of these vehicles in terms of environmental and cost sustainability: the overall saving on a vehicle's Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) could be up to 10%. With its comprehensive range of natural gas vehicles, Iveco is therefore the perfect partner, helping to preserve air quality and ensuring greater profitability for customers”.
Natural gas is significantly less expensive at the pump when compared with Diesel, resulting in fuel costs being reduced by up to 40% – the most important factor when evaluating TCO.
Methane gas and liquid methane are important because they represent a midpoint to even more sustainable solutions, including from renewable sources. The engines installed in Iveco vehicles are already compatible with biomethane. The spread of biomethane is significant because it would make it possible to reach the target of having 10% of transport fuel from renewable sources, as set out in Directive 2009/28/EC on promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources.
