howard tenens scania gas powered

Logistics firm Howard Tenens has put two 26-tonne rigid dedicated gas vehicles on the road, believed to be among the first to operate in the UK.

The operator ordered the vehicles in February this year.

The two CNG fuelled rigid trucks, delivered this month, will be used by Howard Tenens in the Low Emission Freight and Logistics Trial, funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) in partnership with Innovate UK.

The 18-month trial, which runs until the end of next year, will see over 300 low and zero emission vehicles being deployed on UK roads.

During the trial the two 26-tonners will be used to deliver to customers across a range of urban areas, including London, from Howard Tenens’ depot in Swindon.

Both trucks will have their performances monitored on operating cost, range, reliability and emissions over the life of the trial and will also switch to using biogas instead of CNG for part of the trial to compare performances on both fuels.

Howard Tenens has been working closely with both Scania and bodybuilder DonBur since April 2017 to ensure the trucks were built in time for the trial.

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The partnership saw Scania develop and provide the vehicle chassis’ and Don Bur provide the trailer bodies, which use Don Bur’s Teardrop design to improve aerodynamic flow and reduce fuel consumption.

Ben Morris, Howard Tenens executive director, said taking part in the trial demonstrates the firm’s aim “to be a leader in sustainable logistics and actively embrace innovation and new technologies”.

David Burke, Scania specialist sales executive, said developing dedicated gas-powered trucks is “a key part of Scania's strategy to drive the shift towards more sustainable transport solutions".

He added that the trucks are “ideally suited” to operating in urban environments, due to being quieter and cleaner than diesel trucks.

Neale Ryan, Innovate’s automotive senior programme manager, said the deployment of the first two Scania 26-tonne gas dedicated vehicles in the UK mark a significant milestone in the Low Emission Freight and Logistics Trial.

“These industry-led trials will make an important contribution in helping the freight sector in the UK make the switch to lower emission vehicles in the coming years,” he added.

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