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Volvo Trucks ditches plan for LNG engine in North America

Truck maker will continue to field test DME-powered vehicles instead.

 

Volvo Trucks has scrapped its plan to launch its own liquefied natural gas (LNG) compression ignition engine in North America and will instead focus on dimethyl ether (DME)-powered vehicles.

Volvo’s decision reflects current trends in the alternative fuel market in North America.

It adds that it will continue to offer spark-ignited natural gas engines in its VNM and VNL models.

“Development of the natural gas infrastructure to support long-haul trucking has been modest over the last year, and the needs of customers in the primary markets for natural gas vehicles – regional haul and dedicated routes – are being met with the company’s current natural gas line-up,” Volvo says.

The manufacturer is a big fan of DME, which can be produced from natural gas, saying it holds promise as a heavy-truck fuel.

Despite its interest in fuel source, Volvo is not putting a timeframe on when a DME-powered trucks will appear.



”Customer field tests of DME-powered vehicles will continue, but the company has decided not to establish a commercialisation date as it continues monitoring market and stakeholder interest in the fuel,” it says.

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