News

The European Road Transport Show 2007 had a clear environmental theme, with alternative fuel/driveline trucks being exhibited by almost all of the major OEMs. "The biggest challenge in our industry, and one which is not going to go away, is of course the environment," said DAF’s UK CEO Stewart Hunt on the eve of the show in Amsterdam last week. "Just two years ago, very few hauliers were concerning themselves with their carbon footprints.

"It’s clear that the  environment will be central to political and public life for decades to come, and you can be certain that the restrictions and challenges facing us now are only the beginning of a long, hard and complicated road." Taking pride of place on DAF’s stand was its range of Enhanced Environmental Vehicles (EEV) – or ‘Euro 5 and a half’ as it refers to them. The trucks use the familiar SCR-equipped Euro 5 engines, but with the addition of a soot filter in the case of the CF and XF. The LF range, on the other hand, achieves EEV status without the need for the filter.

The EEV range will be sold in the UK, and according to DAF’s marketing director Tony Pain, is expected to prove particularly popular with local councils – who often have an obligation to be clean. Big household names with a reputation to uphold are likely to opt for the tractors, while construction firms bidding for contracts in low-emission zones – such as the Olympics – will purchase EEV six- and eight-leggers.  

DAF used the RAI Show to give details of a major hybrid trial it is about to embark on, which will see seven hybrid LFs enter UK fleets. Pain explains that the company is on the lookout for urban operators who are interested in taking part in the trial – but stresses that they need to be genuinely interested in determining whether or not hybrid technology has a future within their organisations, not simply in search of free publicity. "We don’t want to get involved if a company just wants to be seen to be green," he says. DAF is confident that hybrids could be in series production by the end of 2008.