Volvo Trucks has put on hold plans to launch its own compression ignition LNG engine for the North American alternative fuel market.
Field testing of Volvo’s dimethyl ether (DME)-powered vehicles will continue, and the company will continue to offer spark-ignited natural gas engines in its VNM and VNL models.
Development of the natural gas infrastructure to support long-haul trucking has been modest over the last year, and the needs of customers in the primary markets for natural gas vehicles are being met with the company’s current natural gas line-up.
Image courtesy of Volvo Trucks.
Volvo Trucks continues to believe that DME, which can be produced from natural gas, holds promise as a heavy-truck fuel. Customer field tests of DME-powered vehicles will continue, however the company has decided not to establish a commercialisation date as it continues monitoring interest in the fuel.
Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward