The Dutch manufacturer describes HVO as “currently the most sustainable fuel on the market for diesel trucks”.
DAF says the fuel offers a reduction of up to 90% in CO₂ emissions (‘Well-to-wheel’) compared with regular diesel. The company also claims that “unlike previous generations of biofuels, HVO has no impact on food production”.
Commenting, Patrick Dean, chief engineer at DAF Trucks and member of the Board of Management, said:
“DAF is at the forefront of our society’s ambition to reduce CO₂ emissions. In 2018 we were the first to launch a fully electric truck and last year we presented a completely new generation of electric trucks with ‘zero-emission’ ranges of up to 500 kilometres. We are also getting ready for the new generations of fuels. HVO is enabling us to make a giant leap in the reduction of CO₂ emissions, already today, with the current trucks on the market and more importantly ‘well-to-wheel’.”
Dean added:
“When it comes to CO₂ certification of trucks, it would be a huge step forward if European legislation would value the contribution of clean fuels to reduce CO₂ emissions, as we cannot afford to leave opportunities unused to achieve sustainable road transport. This should expand focus on the total chain – from energy source up to what’s coming out of the exhaust – instead of focusing on ‘tank-to-wheel’ only.”
It must be said that one of the main advantages of HVO is the fact it is generally compatible with diesel lorries, thus allowing fleets to decarbonise sufficiently and with scale. Therefore, one would expect new DAF vehicles to be compatible with the fuel.
The statement from DAF nonetheless emphasises how hauliers are being tempted by HVO, and how this may influence purchasing decisions.