The new Stralis NP 400 is the first natural gas truck specifically designed for long distance transport and the first to be ready for sale in Japan.
IVECO presents two vehicles of new Daily Blue Power family: the Daily Hi-Matic Natural Power and Daily Minibus Natural Power, which was crowned "International Minibus of the Year 2017".
IVECO signs agreement with Fuji Transport for the sale of the first IVECO Stralis NP 400 Liquefied Natural Gas truck (LNG), which will be used in its operations for selected customers and in a collaboration with the government's LNG Working Group.
IVECO, a global leader in on-road and off-road transport, presented the latest developments in its action plan to support the use of natural gas in the transport sector in Japan. The event, held today at the Nippon Press Centre in Tokyo, was attended by Pierre Lahutte, IVECO Brand President; Takao Kashiwagi, Professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology and Chairman of the LNG Expert Committee; Hiroaki Matsuoka, President of Fuji Transport Corporation; Mariarosa Baroni, President and CEO of NGV Italy, and Jean-Claude Girot, President of the French Natural Gas Vehicles Association (NGV France) and General Commissary of the Paris Motor Show, as well as distinguished guests from government, media and the transport sector. Today's event and IVECO's plan of action come on the back of the Memorandum of Cooperation that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan signed with the European Commission last year for the development of advanced technologies for the use of LNG powertrains in road and maritime transport.
At today's meeting, IVECO announced the public launch of the
Stralis NP 400, the first heavy-duty natural gas vehicle ready for sale on the Japanese market. It is the first natural gas specifically designed for long distance transport, and can run on Liquefied (LNG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), or a combination of the two. It is also the first natural gas truck on the market to deliver 400 hp and, in LNG-only configuration, the first natural gas truck with autonomy up to 1,500 km – perfect for long distance haulage.
Also commercially available is the new Daily Blue Power range, "International Van of the Year 2018", in its
Daily Hi-Matic Natural Power and
Daily Minibus Natural Power versions, the first CNG vehicles with an 8-speed automatic gearbox – the perfect combination of low emission fuel and driveability for urban areas with the class-exclusive Hi-Matic transmission.
In addition, IVECO announced the signing of an agreement with Fuji Transport for the sale of the first LNG truck in Japan, an IVECO Stralis NP 400 running on LNG only. Fuji Transport will use the vehicle on the Tokyo-Osaka route as well as in its operations for selected customers that include the Japan Postal Service, and will monitor and analyse the performance of the Stralis NP 400 with its telematics and GPS systems.
By demonstrating in real transport conditions the practicality and benefits of natural gas in transport, the vehicles will play a key role in the brand's plans to support the transition to this sustainable energy source in Japan. The two new ranges will make their public debut at the Japan Truck Show in Yokohama.
Pierre Lahutte, IVECO Brand President, stated:
"Less than a year ago, the Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the European Commission signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on the development of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) fuel in road and maritime freight applications. Here we are today launching our natural gas ranges and selling the first LNG truck that will operate on one of the busiest freight routes in the world, Tokyo-Osaka, with around 100,000 trucks driving it every day. The autonomy and environmental benefits of the Stralis NP 400, together with the LNG distribution plan developed by Shell along Japan's main freight routes, make it the perfect vehicle for the transition to clean and sustainable long-distance transport."
IVECO has pioneered natural gas vehicles for over 20 years, and as a result today is the absolute market and technology leader in natural gas commercial vehicles, and it is the only manufacturer to offer a full line powered by this sustainable fuel – from light commercial vehicles to heavy-duty long-haul trucks and buses. This established experience in pioneering natural gas technologies and providing an extensive natural gas offering places IVECO in an excellent position to be a key player in Japan's natural gas transport market as the ideal partner for the country's transport operators.
