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The three LNG trucks tested emit 2 to 5 times more toxic nitrogen oxides than the diesel truck with the lowest test result when driven in a combination of urban areas, regional roads and highways. When driven in towns and cities, gas trucks emit 2 to 3.5 times more NOx than diesel trucks tested with the lowest emissions. Trucks powered by biomethane (biogas) will have the same air pollutant emissions as trucks powered by fossil gas because the fuel properties are the same.
“Gas trucks are not clean and can actually be worse than diesel,” said Steve Cornelis, director of clean trucks at T&E. It is time for policymakers to take a fresh look at the evidence and put an end to gas truck subsidies, investments in LNG infrastructure, and tax breaks for what are just another polluting fossil fuel.
On-road tests also show that all three gas trucks tested produce levels of particulate emissions similar to diesel trucks.(3) Particulate matter can penetrate deep into the lungs and be absorbed into the blood, causing heart disease, strokes and lung cancer. 4) These results contrast sharply with truck makers’ advertisements that claim that with LNG trucks particulate emissions are almost completely eliminated.(5) (6)
Gas trucks are also a dead end for decarbonizing trucking: Scania and Iveco trucks with spark ignition engines recorded tailpipe greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that were only 3 to 5% lower than the diesel truck with the lowest test result. Volvo’s LNG truck with High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) reduces emissions by 14%. However, T&E calculations show that when gas extraction and transportation are taken into account, including methane leaks, spark-ignited LNG trucks are worse for the climate than diesel engines, while HPDI gas trucks offer only a small benefit.( 7)
Despite this, EU governments subsidize fossil gas used in transport through tax breaks, road toll exemptions and subsidies (see table below). Without these subsidies, there would be no market for gas in transportation.
“The gas industry is scrambling to convince policymakers that gas trucks have a climate benefit because they want to grow their markets,” Steve Cornelis concluded. “The simple fact is that it is a fossil fuel just like oil and coal, so it needs to be phased out.”
Notes to editors:
(1) https://www.cryogas.pl/pliki_do_pobrania/artykuly/Cryogas_IVECO_Report._Polish_road_tests_.pdf
(2) https://www.scania.com/group/en/its-a-liquefied-gas/
(3) Particle count emissions of the three LNG vehicles on the road were measured using PEMS equipment while the average results of the four diesel vehicles were determined through laboratory tests (body dynamometer).
(4) https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health
(5) https://www.iveco.com/en-us/press-room/kit/Pages/Iveco-s-commitment-in-the-field-of-sustainable-mobility-the-New-Daily-CNG -and-stralis-LNG.aspx
(6)
https://www.scania.com/group/en/its-a-liquefied-gas/
(7) Tank-to-wheel emissions based on test data conducted by TNO for the Dutch Government. Well-to-tank and well-to-wheel emissions are based on a T&E analysis using data input from Volvo Trucks’ environmental footprint calculator which increases emissions by 9 percentage points, as shown in the same report. Adding these primary emissions results in a greenhouse gas benefit for Volvo Truck of approximately 5%.
Read more:
Report: Do Gas Trucks Reduce Emissions? (Available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Polish)