The major vehicle manufacturer's truck claimed a prestigious prize in a European testing competition
Major Swedish vehicle manufacturer Scania has earned a prestigious prize for the excellent fuel efficiency of its Scania 420 R truck.
Taking part in the European Truck Challenge (ETC), the 420 R was put to the test by drivers and journalists pulling a Super-based powertrain, giving them the chance to get a feel for its performance over long haul drives.
What those drivers found was that the 420 R was 4.9 per cent more fuel efficient than the runner up, earning it German magazine Truck & Trailer Welt’s coveted fuel efficiency prize.
Scania Trucks head of industry solutions Julian Modro says that Scania is extremely pleased by the truck’s performance.
“This is yet more proof of Scania’s industry-leading position as the most fuel-efficient brand,” he says.
“Tests like this by independent journalists confirm what thousands of customers experience in their daily operations: our Super trucks have a clear edge in fuel consumption over the competition and bring substantial CO2 reductions.”
The ETC comparison test was focused on long-haul tractors with up to 450 hp and torque in the range of 2,200 to 2,400 Nm.
All the major European manufacturers were invited to participate in the test, which took place on roads south of Hanover at the end of May, with Scania, DAF and Mercedes eventually putting their trucks on the starting line.
Despite having the least horsepower in the field, the Scania was sporting the highest torque with its 2,300 Nm. The average gross train weight of the truck and trailer combinations in the test was 33.6 tonnes.
Modro believes that the test was reflective of conditions that drivers of the 420 R will normally find themselves under day-to-day.
“Truck and Trailer Welt run the European Truck Challenge on public roads and use a mix of different road characteristics,” he says.
“Their test mimics what truck customers are facing on a daily basis; the only difference is that disturbances like traffic jams are cut out from the final results for the sake of comparability.
“What this level of fuel savings means for hauliers fighting increased fuel costs and rising interest rates is obvious: for a long-haul truck that is driven for 150,000 km a year, the fuel cost saving compared with the second best truck is in the 3,000 Euro bracket.”