One of the stars of the show was the eye-catching Renault Hybris, a hybrid-technology urban concept vehicle. Renault describes it as a "vision of urban transport for the future". Renault Trucks, which already offers vehicles that can run on bio-diesel, natural gas, diesel/electric bi-modal and wholly electric, says the parallel hybrid technology that features on this prototype vehicle, will find its way into production trucks in the medium term. While Mercedes-Benz did not have any hybrids on
its stand, it took the opportunity to announce a trial involving ten hybrid Mitsubishi Fuso Canters. The trucks, which have been on sale in Japan for 18 months, will enter European hauliers’ fleets next spring.
But while Mercedes-Benz UK boss Ian Jones describes hybrids as "the sexy story of the day", he warns that they are not going to suit the majority of operations. "Although we expect them to deliver a 20% fuel saving, you have to factor in the additional cost and weight," he says. "Although there are increasing environmental pressures, we need to remember that our customers operate in a highly competitive cost-driven environment." In his opinion, commercially viable hybrid trucks are still five years away, and "diesel remains the fuel of today, tomorrow and probably the next decade". However, he believes bio-diesel will play an increasingly important role, albeit produced in a very different manner than it is today.
Iveco, which has vast experience producing
hybrid vehicles, chose to show a hybrid Daily in FedEx livery – one of ten similar vans about to go into service with the parcels carrier in Turin, Italy. But while Ken Brewis, product manager for Iveco’s UK truck business unit, praises hybrid vans and trucks, he doesn’t think the technology will be commercially viable for another three years. "Which is a pity, because the market is already clambering for it," he says. He wishes the UK would take a leaf out of Italy’s and Spain’s books, and embrace CNG. "If you go to the Continent, you will see thousands of vans, trucks and buses running on CNG, but the UK just can’t get its act together. We need an infrastructure."
