Scania is underlining its confidence in the reliability of its Euro-6 range by becoming the first manufacturer to offer a three year repair and maintenance package as standard on all new long haul and distribution trucks. The “bumper to bumper” package covers everything except out of hours servicing and annual tests.
Scania introduced Euro-6 vehicles in 2011, before the latest emissions standard became mandatory, and there are now 5,000 in service. “Those vehicles have proven their worth with fleets across the continent,” said Scania UK truck sales director Martin Hay. “Without that experience under our belts it would be impossible for us to offer such an extended R&M programme.”
R&M can be carried out at any of Scania’s 92 UK service points – which is the biggest dealer network in the UK, according to Scania (GB) MD Claes Jacobsson (pictured, right).
Scania had a good start to 2014, maintaining its market share at 18% in the year to May and becoming market leader in the growing 8x4 sector. Jacobsson conceded however that the UK market had got off to a slow start in 2014, though he said “demand is out there” and predicted the UK market would reach just 28,000 units this year. This compares with almost 50,000 registrations in 2013, and he added that the market was expected to “normalise” at 31,000 units a year by 2015.
The company has added a 450hp version of its 13 litre SCR-only engine, brining to 18 the number of Euro-6 engine options available from 9 to 16 litres.
The 410hp SCR-only engine has been breaking fuel efficiency records in tests on the continent, and Scania estimates that the 450hp version could offer a 1mpg saving compared with an SCR/EGR equivalent. It will use 6% AdBlue however, compared with 3% for an SCR/EGR engine.
Scania is about to introduce a full gas power Euro-6 truck to the UK in the shape of a 340hp P-series 4x2 tractor that runs on liquefied natural gas (LNG). This will be followed by a 4x2 unit running on compressed natural gas (CNG), and Argos has already ordered five of these CNG tractors.
The company is also working with Transport for London on a cycle safe cab, which will be announced on 10 July at the next meeting of the Construction Logistics and Cyclist Safety (CLOCS) working group.
Scania president and CEO Martin Lundstedt (pictured, left), in London to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Scania in the UK, said that the company had set itself the ambitious target of selling 120,000 trucks worldwide in 2020, of which 45,000 would be in Europe, though many of the expected sales increase would be in emerging markets.
Last year Scania sold 61,000 trucks worldwide, of which 6,500 were in the UK, and Hay said the UK would deliver its “fair share” of the growth expected by 2020.
In the first quarter of 2014, Scania increased revenue by 12% to SEK21.1bn (£1.9bn), with a profit margin of 10%.
