Iveco has delivered a Eurocargo Diesel-electric parallel hybrid delivery truck to Coca-Cola Enterprises at the European Business Summit in Brussels, the first such vehicle to be operational in an urban environment in Europe.

Iveco has delivered a Eurocargo Diesel-electric parallel hybrid delivery truck to Coca-Cola Enterprises at the European Business Summit in Brussels, the first such vehicle to be operational in an urban environment in Europe. The new prototype low-carbon vehicle was handed over to Hubert Patricot, President, Coca-Cola Enterprises Europe, by Franco Miniero, Iveco’s Senior Vice-President Sales & Marketing.

Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) have partnered with Iveco for this pilot project to verify the feasibility of hybrid technology for commercial trucks and will use the vehicle to deliver Coca-Cola products in Brussels until the end of July. Thanks to innovations such as this, Coca-Cola is making measurable and real progress on the journey towards sustainable growth, including seeking reductions in transport emissions.

Franco Miniero said, “Iveco, like the whole Fiat Group, makes huge investments for environmental and social sustainability and our company believes is a leader in this field, well aware of its ecological role. Innovation is the key to finding new sustainable transport solutions and for generating wealth for our stakeholders in a responsible manner. For Iveco, innovation does not mean concept or futuristic vehicles but affordable technological solutions available in the immediate future, allowing vehicle operators to optimise their environmental footprint, which is a benefit to us all. We started several years ago to introduce into the market hybrid vehicles, especially urban buses and now with our medium range product, Eurocargo, we begin field trials with a Diesel-electric hybrid power train in this product range. Our partnership with Coca-Cola Enterprises is very important to us and it is an example of advanced and affordable innovation to achieve noteworthy fuel consumption and hence CO2 emission savings, up to 30% depending on the vehicle mission.” 

Hubert Patricot added: “Coca-Cola Enterprises has long been committed to sustainability and the company has set a goal to combine growth with an absolute reduction in CO2 emissions. This pilot study with the Iveco hybrid truck will therefore guide us in developing a sustainable transport strategy across our European business. We have been driving efficiencies within Coca-Cola for decades. Now we are exploring ways of dramatically reducing our environmental impact whilst delivering exceptional levels of customer service. Projects such as this pilot put CCE at the forefront of innovation as we develop partnerships with suppliers and customers to drive sustainable growth.”

Coca-Cola Enterprises has partnered with Iveco to set up a joint pilot project to test the feasibility of hybrid technology for commercial trucks in Europe. The hybrid truck will follow an specific delivery route in Brussels for 4 months. This route is 20 kilometres long and serves different customers in the busy centre of Brussels.

The new Eurocargo Hybrid making it possible to do goods distribution and collection work in towns without sacrificing high-speed performance on motorways, with a fuel saving of up to 30% compared to conventional Diesel engined vehicles. The 16-valve, 4-cylinder Tector Euro V Diesel engine with maximum power of 160cv (118kW) works in combination with a 60cv (44kW) electric motor-generator, a 6-speed automated  gearbox and a lithium ion battery pack of rated capacity 1.9 kWh.

System operating features include starting from a standstill in electric mode only, automatic starting of Diesel engine on the basis of driver performance requirement, power assist from electric motor during acceleration and climbing, Stop & Start function and regenerative braking. The payload is only 200 kg less than conventional Diesel engined models. A further innovation in this vehicle is the automatic engagement of the engine brake during deceleration, in advance of the application of the foundation brake. The results of the test vehicle will be used in determining the long-term sustainable transport strategy of Coca-Cola Enterprises in Europe.