Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - December 2018 - 36

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT

For long-haul
efficiency, Iveco
believes CNG- and
LNG-powered
trucks, such as
this Stralis NP LNG
demonstrator,
provide a
low-emissions
solution without
compromising
range or loadcarrying ability.
With the transport and logistics business looking for an alternative to diesel,
European truck manufacturer Iveco believes the future is gas-powered.
Electric drive is certainly being explored
for lighter commercial vehicles and for
trucks operating in an urban environment, but for long-haul efficiency, compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquified
natural gas (LNG) provide a low emissions solution, without compromising
range or load-carrying ability.
Of course, there is nothing new about
operating on gas. Iveco and its CNH
Industrial sister company FPT Industrial
have been working with gas engines for
more than 20 years, selling over 32,000
gas-powered vehicles.
The real breakthrough for the two
companies came in 2016, with the launch
of the Cursor 9 gas engine, which was the
first to offer a high power density, boasting 400 hp (298 kW) and 1,700 N·m
(1,254 lb·ft), that could compete with its
diesel counterparts. This was followed by
the 12.9-L Cursor 13, which in 2017 was
fitted into Iveco's Stralis 4x2 tractor unit.
The Cursor 13 gas engine meets Euro
VI emissions standards, delivering 460
hp (343 kW) with a solid 2,000 N·m
(1,475 lb·ft) across a wide 500-rpm
band. The major benefit, however, is
that the engine produces 60% less NOx
than a Euro VI diesel and 99% less particulate matter (PM).
Iveco claims that the gas engine creates 10% less CO2 when the gas is provided from fossil fuels. Using biomethane,
the gas truck produces 95% less CO2 on a
36 December 2018

well-to-wheel basis. The engine is also
considerably less noisy than a diesel, producing just 71 dB, making it the quietest
engine of that size on the market.
Iveco currently offers CNG engines in
its 3.5- to 7.2-tonne Daily vans, in its
EuroCargo trucks at 11 to 16 tonnes, and
in the Stralis 4x2 and now 6x2 tractors.
In 2019, the company will also offer the
NP engine in its X-Way range of construction rigid trucks.

Stralis natural gas setup

There are several ways to use CNG and
LNG in a truck engine. Some manufacturers have gone for a stoichiometric
combustion system with exhaust gas
recirculation (EGR), while others use a
mix of diesel, with AdBlue, plus the gas.
Iveco's solution is a spark ignition
engine using a relatively low 12:1 compression ratio and a stoichiometric ratio
logic, basically a 1:1 air-fuel mix. FPT
Industrial has produced a proprietary
knock control system, with software
that makes it possible to increase performance, while offering the widest
possible fuel compatibility. A compact,
one-box, three-way catalyst requires no
AdBlue, no maintenance, no particulate
filter and no forced regeneration.
The engine uses multi-point, highflow fuel injectors and operates with no
gas returning to the tank. This ensures
that there is no heat build-up in the
tanks, leading to a loss of gas.
In the Stralis tractor, Iveco has matched
the engine to ZF's latest 12-speed HiTronix automated transmission. This elec-

tronic clutch transmission offers a 10%
reduction in shift time compared to the
previous generation yet boasts transmission oil change intervals that have been
extended to 375,000 miles.
The engine and transmission work
together as part of Iveco's Hi-Cruise integrated drive system. This incorporates
GPS-based predictive cruise control and
gear-shifting to enhance the Eco-Roll
function, letting the truck roll downhill in
neutral when cruising. The transmission
and GPS system are networked, to provide an anticipatory driving strategy that
matches the topography with the shift
sequence where possible.
Iveco's Stralis Natural Power (NP)
460 has proven an increasingly popular
choice since its launch last year as a 4x2
tractor, with more than 1,100 orders
across Europe and almost 200 in the
UK. However, while 4x2 tractors make
up 90% of the articulated truck fleet in
Europe, the 6x2 layout equates to 91%
of UK heavy haulage tractors.
Iveco can offer a range of tank layouts
to suit varying operations. For the 4x2
tractor this includes LNG tanks capable of
providing a 995-mile (1,600-km) range.
To prove this fact, the company recently
drove an LNG truck and a diesel Stralis
from its UK base in Essex to Madrid,
Spain, on a single tank of LNG, a distance
of more than 1,050 miles (1,690 km).
In standard layouts, a 4x2 tractor running on CNG offers a range of up to 350
miles (563 km), while the new 6x2 tractor with double LNG tanks offers a
range of 460 miles (740 km).
Gas-powered trucks are also less
expensive to run, though cost savings
will depend on taxation within individual countries.
Natural gas-powered trucks are gaining
headway in the North American market,
too, where they are offered by the likes of
Daimler brand Freightliner. A report from
Frost & Sullivan in 2017 suggested that by
2025, around 10% of medium- and heavyduty trucks will be powered by natural
gas. China, Europe and North America
will account for 80% of those sales.
Dan Gilkes

TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING

IVECO

Iveco pursues natural gas in Stralis NP models

Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - December 2018

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