Scania’s latest and cleanest ethanol buses world premier in Stockholm

Compared to a city bus run on diesel fuel, an ethanol bus reduces fossil carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90%. Stockholm Transport is continuing its pioneering work on the use of renewable fuels in public transport, which it started in the late 1980s. For the past several years, public transport buses in central Stockholm have only run on ethanol or biogas. Most of these, as well as many suburban public transport buses around the Swedish capital, are Scania ethanol buses (some 400 in all).

SL has decided to buy only buses that operate on renewable fuels from 2010 onward. The transport company Busslink has more than 15 years’ experience of ethanol buses and today has a fleet of 330 ethanol buses in operation. “The ethanol buses contribute strongly to lower emissions from public transport in Stockholm. They are also an economically viable alternative to diesel buses in terms of operating cost and reliability,” said Per Wikström Vice President and Environmental Director of Busslink in conjunction with the presentation of the keys to the first bus.

Scania has nearly 20 years’ experience of ethanol buses in practical operation. A total of 600 ethanol buses have been supplied to Swedish cities and there is heavy interest from other cities worldwide. Scania is now introducing its third generation of ethanol engines, which are also being adapted for use in distribution trucks. Compared to a conventional diesel engine, emissions of fossil carbon dioxide are reduced up to 90%, when running on ethanol produced from sugar cane, for example.

 
Today Scania’s new ethanol engines already meet the European Union’s Euro 5 emission standards − which become mandatory in 2009 − and the even tighter EEV standards without exhaust after treatment. Their technology is based on exhaust gas re-circulation (EGR). Scania was recently selected as a “preferred supplier” by the Clinton Climate Initiative, CCI (www.clintonfoundation.org). The company’s ethanol-powered buses are regarded as one of the best available solutions for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from urban traffic. In this respect, the public transport system in Stockholm is regarded as a model for the rest of the 40 cities that cooperate within the framework of CCI.

Scania operates in about 100 countries. Research and development activities are concentrated in Sweden, while production takes place in Europe and South America, with facilities for global interchange of both components and complete vehicles. Bus and coach production takes place in Sweden, Brazil and Mexico, while bodybuilding takes place in Poland and Russia. In 2006, invoiced sales totaled 70.7 billion kronor ($11.2 billion) and the net income amounted to 5.9 billion kronor. ($936 million) (businesswire.com)