At the Fleet Transport Awards held last October, the Iveco Daily CNG was honoured Green Commercial of the Year in the Natural Gas Powered category. Up against the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter NGT and the Volkswagen Caddy EcoFuel, the Daily CNG won the plaudits of the judges, as it was powered by Biomethane, a liquid gas sourced from landfill sites. Now with the launch of the New EcoDaily the availability of a Natural Power version continues as interest and demand for CNG – Compressed Natural Gas, grows across Europe. As per the previous model, the EcoDaily Natural Power model incorporates advanced OBD – On Board Diagnostics and a 14 litres petrol tank (which is included as an emergency reserve). “This power engine technology uses stoichiometric combustion and a three way catalyst carried over from the current Daily CNG to bring the very same low tailpipe emission that exceed the emissions targets which Euro 6 will require in years to come,” explains Martin Fleck, Product Director, Iveco Ltd.

The 3.0 litre diesel engine block is used with different cylinder heads and pistons replacing the injectors that can be run by petrol should the pressurised gas run out. Longevity of a diesel engine is assured as the storage tanks have a life of over twenty years, so too will the vehicle itself.

Estimated to cost on average of £7,000 more than the standard diesel compartment, the EcoDaily Natural Power looks no different to its brethrens with the exception of a filler cap on each side - right side for Natural Gas and the other for petrol – it takes around 5 minutes to fill up the CNG tank. Between the two an average of 600 kilometres can be chalked-up before refilling. Idling at 750 rpm (which is higher than most normally aspirated engines), the engine was not nevertheless lower. On the road, and up through the 6 speed gearbox was as per any diesel with 56 mph pointing the rev counter needle to 1750 rpm.

While the Natural Gas version offers less CO₂ emissions and better fuel economy than the other two there is a penalty – reduced payload – 250 kg in fact. Therefore this 3.5 tonne has around 1.2 tonne net capacity. Another advantage however is that the regular service procedure is quicker as there are no filters to change. Just the injections need attention. In fleet spec, the 35S14 was minus items like heated/electrically-operated mirrors, remote controls on the steering and cruise control. As one can do without the latter, the former is a must. Apart from the lack of engine noise rattle, which one becomes used to in driving diesels regularly, the Natural Power EcoDaily performed no different.

All that is called for is some form of Government financial incentive to counteract the extra purchase cost. Over time and kilometers, the investment will then become viable. Then of course, there’s the supply. A specialist company called GasRec provide the biomethane fuel at the moment for UK customers. Irish customers will have to wait until our Corrib Gas source comes on stream through our service stations.

Jarlath Sweeney - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it