“Electric powertrains will eventually replace most of the other alternatives in the shift to a fossil-free transport system. But until we have sustainable battery solutions, the ecosystem of mobility will still depend a lot on internal combustion engines powered by renewable fuels” says Alexander Vlaskamp, Senior Vice President and Head of Scania Trucks on the eve of IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 in Hanover, Germany.
force behind the company’s engine and commercial vehicle powertrain options.
According to Alexander Vlaskamp, it is “way too early” to discard internal combustion engines (ICEs) as these still offer the best combination of emission reduction and total operating economy compared with other alternatives in most applications.
Notwithstanding the company’s own electric powertrain developments and ambitions, in August 2016, Scania introduced its new truck generation and already there are 23 different Euro 6 engine options available, which can be divided into four different families.
ED95 and gas strong contenders
The latest addition to Scania’s engine range is the 13-litre, 410 hp, 2,150 Nm engine for bioethanol, ED95, that was first presented in May this year. Its characteristics – along with Scania’s high-torque-at-low-revs philosophy and the same performance figures as its diesel counterpart – makes it ideal for use in many different applications including regional distribution and construction.
Supply and demand always have to be taken into account, and we see that the greatest interest for bioethanol at present is in markets such as Sweden, Norway, Finland, and France where bioethanol is available to some extent. Bioethanol offers CO2 reductions of up to 90 percent and has a lot of qualities. One of bioethanol’s valuable properties is that it can be produced fairly easily locally in huge quantities in many countries from different raw materials said Vlaskamp.
Scania also has a prominent line-up with gas engines in combination with A-order, straight from factory tank installations for both compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) or, where available, biomethane in either storage format.
Scania’s 13-litre gas engine was introduced in 2017 and has become something of a benchmark with its power output of 410 hp and 2 000 Nm, available between 1 000 and 1 400 rpm. It is complemented by a 9-litre, five-cylinder engine which is available with two power outputs: 280 or 340 hp.
All three versions operate according to the OTTO principle with spark plug ignition and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and a three-way catalytic converter for the after-treatment of emissions. With LNG tanks, distances of up to 1 600 km or even more can be reached in a rigid-bodied vehicle.
Different gas solutions are definitely the most attractive alternative fuels right now if you take the whole of Europe into account. In many countries and regions, we see a steady expansion of the necessary infrastructure, which of course also drives increased interest among hauliers. When substantial CO2 reductions can be combined with an improved total operating economy, the necessary shift towards sustainable transport solutions obviously gets a push, said Alexander Vlaskamp.
Most Scania engines and configurations can be paired with different gearbox alternatives, with Scania Opticruise solutions for the powertrain as the absolute number-one choice.
