Skip to main content

New UK study trials effectiveness of low-emission HGVs

Cenex, the UK’s Centre of Excellence for low carbon technologies is to partner with logistics provider Kuehne + Nagel to trial the effectiveness of low-emissions heavy-goods vehicles (HGVs) operating as parts of large fleets with demanding-duty cycles. Funded in part by Innovate UK’s Low-Emission Freight and Logistics Project, the Reduced-Emission Logistics (RED-E-LOG) trial will see one of the UK’s largest fleet operators trial the effectiveness of dedicated (spark-ignited) gas and dual-fuel direct injecti
July 25, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Cenex, the UK’s Centre of Excellence for low carbon technologies is to partner with logistics provider Kuehne + Nagel to trial the effectiveness of low-emissions heavy-goods vehicles (HGVs) operating as parts of large fleets with demanding-duty cycles.


Funded in part by Innovate UK’s Low-Emission Freight and Logistics Project, the Reduced-Emission Logistics (RED-E-LOG) trial will see one of the UK’s largest fleet operators trial the effectiveness of dedicated (spark-ignited) gas and dual-fuel direct injection methane-diesel trucks in completing demanding-duty cycles for consumer brands such as Whitbread, owner of Costa Coffee, Premier Inn and Virgin.

Kuehne + Nagel will trial 29 dedicated gas and direct-injection, dual-fuel methane/diesel trucks, which will refuel with liquid biomethane from a depot-based liquefied biomethane (LBM) station. Liquefied biomethane is a sustainable and renewable fuel derived from waste.

The project aims to reduce total cost of ownership and deliver emissions savings. Producing less CO2, NOX and particulate matter (PM), gas-powered trucks are particularly attractive to fleets operating in urban areas, as seven UK cities will introduce air-quality zones by 2020.
 
The project aims to prove the reliability, emission savings, cost savings, and practical use of low-emissions HGVs in the UK’s most demanding logistics operations. Currently, the logistics industry accounts for 17 per cent of all UK road-transport emissions. Working in partnership, Kuehne + Nagel will manage the trial, Microlise will manage fleet telematics to capture detailed vehicle data and Emissions Analytics will provide independent emissions testing to quantify the emissions performances of the new vehicle technologies. Cenex will share trial findings with UK logistics operators, and use them to encourage investment in low carbon solutions for demanding-duty cycles.

Related Content

  • October 26, 2017
    USDoT looks at the costs and potential benefits of connected vehicles
    David Crawford looks at latest lessons learned from the trials of connected vehicles in the US. The progress of connected vehicle (CV) technologies takes centre stage among the hot topics highlighted in the September 2017 edition – the first since 2014 – of the ‘ITS Benefits, Costs and Lessons Learned’ survey from the US ITS Joint Program Office (JPO). The organisation is an arm of the US Department of Transportation (USDoT).
  • August 8, 2018
    Microlise integrates multi-camera solution for telematics offering
    UK technology provider Microlise says its new Microlise Camera Solution helps fleet operators reduce insurance costs, encourage good driving behaviour and improve safety. Integrated into the company’s telematics offering, the multi-way camera product records up to four high-definition video streams simultaneously and can be configured with over-the-air software updates. A digital video recorder inside the vehicle records footage from the cameras, which is linked to a
  • April 20, 2016
    Countering falling fuel tax revenue with mileage fees
    Eric G. O’Rear and Wallace E. Tyner look at the benefits of mileage charges and how these might be implemented. Since the early 1900s, taxes on petrol (gasoline) and diesel fuels have been used to finance the construction and maintenance of roadway infrastructure and, in some countries other government spending too. Now, a combination of improved fuel economy, the advent of hybrid and alternative fuelled vehicles and a reluctance in some countries (especially the US) to increase fuel taxes has led to a d
  • September 28, 2015
    USDOT announces additional funding for low and no-emission vehicles
    The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced the availability of US$22.5 million through the latest round of the low or no emission vehicle deployment program (LoNo) that will help deploy the next generation of energy-efficient vehicles nationwide. The funds are intended to encourage adoption of green technologies in transit buses, such as hydrogen fuel cells and electric and hybrid engines. The program focuses on commercialising the cleanest and most energy-ef