'A step towards a safer future'

Introduction

Suckling Transport has now completed Stage 1 and Stage 2 of its award-winning Eco Guardian Project. Whilst the original project primarily tackled air pollution and significantly reduced emission levels of all the main air pollutants, Stage 2 will concentrate on the fuel economy issues raised in Stage 1. 

In the original project, Millbrook Proving Ground, using the carbon balance method as specified in European directive 93/116EC, found a 10.4% improvement in fuel consumption by the Eco Guardian vehicle over the control vehicle. The objective for Eco Guardian ­ Stage II was to establish how that significant improvement in fuel consumption was achieved. For this particular trial, Shell assisted Suckling Transport in measuring the trial results. SGS have a wealth of experience in managing field trials and are currently running fuel and lubricant trials involving hundreds of vehicles all around the world.  

Through the use of the VeMIS vehicle management system in Stage I, any variation in driver technique was eliminated and Stage 2, using the same controls, proved that the reduction in fuel consumption could only have been attributed to two items:

1. The use of synthetic lubricants
2. The use of energy efficient tyres 

In view of this, Stage II of the Eco Guardian project was limited to the suppliers of those components, who were Shell and Michelin. The project is also supported by DAF Trucks who have supplied the vehicles. Suckling Transport and Harris DAF completed the five Eco Guardian Partners for Stage II.

In October 2002 Suckling Transport took delivery of 11 new DAF FTG 85.430CF tractor units, 9 of which, they used for the project, with the remaining two being used as substitutes in the event of an accident.

The Project compared the benefits of:

Synthetic/Semi-synthetic/mineral lubricants

Shell's fully synthetic Rimula Ultra was compared with its semi-synthetic alternative Rimula Super FE and their mineral counterpart Rimula Super. Over the last two years Shell have demonstrated the fuel saving benefits of its range of synthetic engine and gear oils, through a series of customer and laboratory trials. Now firmly established at the top tier of the pan-European Rimula range, Ultra 5w30 combines the longest oil-drain intervals, with improved fuel efficiency. Its low viscosity means less friction and more power to the wheels, and the trial expects to validate evidence from the original project that the whole driveline works more efficiently when this range of synthetic lubricants are matched with their synthetic gear and axle oil equivalent Spirax.

Energy efficient tyres

Michelin's new Energy 2 tyres were matched against their best premium alternative. The trial is expected to verify the significant fuel savings ­ of up to 6% compared to standard A range tyres - which seemed evident in the original Eco Guardian project. Suckling Transport has continued monitoring the improved mileage performance of the Energy 2 tyre through the remainder of its life. The tyres will be regrooved and remixed for maximum use and Michelin will then recycle the casings for use as surfacing material for playgrounds. The specification of the vehicles varied to enable comparative trials against the control vehicles. Two vehicles ­ the Eco Guardian vehicles ­ operated on Michelin's new Energy 2 tyres and will use Shell Rimula Ultra engine oil and Spirax fully synthetic gear and axle oils.

Vehicle specifications (click for specs)

The project involved the following Comparative trials: 

Lubricants:

Vehicles 1 and 5 (fully synthetic lubricants) with
vehicles 2 and 7 (semi synthetics lubricants), and
vehicles 3 and 9 (mineral lubricants).
Also 4 (fully synthetic), 6 (semi) and 9 (mineral) were also be compared. 

Tyres:

Vehicles 1 and 5 with control vehicle 4.
Vehicles 2 and 7 with control vehicle 6.
Vehicles 3 and 9 with control vehicles 8.

Background ­ Eco Guardian Stage I

The objective of the original Eco Guardian Project, which ended in May 1999, was to conduct a comparative trial between two initially identical vehicles, one of which was enhanced to a greater degree of environmental acceptability. Emission tests conducted at Millbrook Proving Ground in November 1998 and May 1999 concluded that the project had been a remarkable success, and several organisations have endorsed this assessment. Suckling Transport received the Environmental Best Practice Award at the IFW Freighting Industry Awards last year, when the judges considered the Eco Guardian Project 'showed real commitment and set a benchmark for an industry sector where environmental best practice is still at a developing stage'.  

The original project primarily tackled air pollution and significantly reduced emission levels of all the main air pollutants - Hydrocarbons, Carbon Monoxide, Oxides of Nitrogen, Particulate Matter, and Carbon Dioxide ­ mainly through the fitment of an Eminox Continuously Regenerating Trap. In addition to the significant reduction in air pollution, the tests at Millbrook showed a 20% reduction in rolling resistance and an 11% coefficient of aerodynamic drag over the control vehicle.  

At the end of the project, Suckling Transport completed a cost comparison exercise to determine the additional costs associated with the new environmentally friendly vehicle. This concluded that, due to reduced road fund licence costs obtained through the Reduced Pollution Certificate process, and a significant improvement in fuel consumption, the Eco Guardian vehicle was actually 2.2% cheaper to operate than the control vehicle.  

The significant improvement in fuel consumption found by Millbook amounted to 10.4% when both vehicles were powered by ultra low sulphur diesel. In the first set of tests, when the control vehicle operated on standard diesel and the Eco Guardian vehicle on ULSD, the difference was less significant. The carbon balance method, as specified in European directive 93/116EC, was used to calculate fuel consumption. Millbrook commented: "We measured the dynamometer loads which showed the benefits of the lubricants and the tyres etc. When we ran the first set of tests this benefit seemed to be masked (partly due to the fuel specification). Now with the same fuel we can see the benefits of the other measures applied".  

Eco Guardian - Stage II

The objective for Eco Guardian ­ Stage II was to establish how the significant improvement in fuel consumption was achieved. In this respect, Stage II is a substantially different project to Stage I. The objective of the original project was clearly to reduce pollution and to identify what the cost of this process was. Stage II was primarily a fuel economy exercise.