An Iveco Stralis NP (Natural Power) 460hp truck from the UK has completed what is believed to be the longest ever journey by road on a single fill of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to demonstrate the suitability of natural gas-powered vehicles for domestic and European road transport.
The Stralis NP set off from London and, after the short sea crossing from Dover to Calais, completed the 1,728km road journey to Madrid without needing to refuel – exceeding the vehicle’s official range of 1,600km to set a new distance record. This equates to an LNG fuel cost saving of circa €228 for the outward journey, or 40%, vs diesel.
Iveco accomplished a similar feat last year completing the 1,347 km journey from John O’Groats to Land’s End in the UK on a single fill in a 400hp Stralis NP, but this time the aim was to set the bar even higher.
Despite the heavy traffic on the UK side of the English Channel, a strong head wind in France and the hilly Spanish section of the route, the Stralis NP recorded an impressive average fuel consumption of 22.6 kg per 100 km. Prior to the trip, Iveco carefully planned the journey using MyBestRoute: a web-based application developed by Michelin for Stralis NP customers. It allows drivers and fleet managers to select the optimum route for any European journey, including plotting LNG refueling stations and estimating the total cost of the trip for both diesel and natural gas-powered trucks.
The journey demonstrated that natural gas is a viable, realistic, safe and cost-effective alternative to diesel, available from a growing network of fuel providers in the UK and across Europe.
 
Compared with an equivalent Euro VI diesel, a Stralis NP running on LNG emits around 90% less NO2 emissions, 99% less particulate matter, and up to 15% less CO2 – rising to 95% less CO2 when using biomethane.
Iveco began researching the potential of natural gas in 1991, and since then, the company has developed a full range of natural gas trucks, vans and buses. Currently, more than 25,000 Iveco gas-powered vehicles have been delivered into service.
