With the demands made at Durban’s COP17 Conference for a reduction in carbon emissions, Mercedes-Benz re-emphasised its Econic 1828 NGT (natural gas technology) for city logistics applications as a suitable solution.

The Mercedes-Benz Econic, the advanced, environmentally-friendly, low-floor transport vehicle for municipal transportation with consolidation and short-radius distribution applications, continues to dominate in inner-city areas. The Mercedes-Benz Econic 1828 NGT chassis, with eco-friendly natural gas, is manufactured at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth.

“The super-quiet and environmentally-friendly natural-gas variant of the Econic is proof in motion of how protecting the environment doesn’t have to be expensive. Natural-gas engines were introduced as an option on the Econic back in 2002. To date, more than 10 000 Econic trucks have been sold and 10% of these are NGT variants, translating into approximately 1 000 units.  The vehicle is ideally suited to municipal service applications and all the stop-and-go traffic that goes with it,” says Christo Kleynhans, product manager: Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

Setting standards in technology and cleanliness

The Econic is driven by an EEV-certified in-line six-cylinder 900-series engine in the form of a mono-fuel natural gas drive. The M906 LAG engine produces 205 kW from a displacement of 6.9 litres. The emissions produced by the Econic with natural gas drive do not contain any fine dust or particles. In addition, the gas drive also boasts low noise emissions. As a result, the Econic NGT has earned the right to bear the ‘Blue Angel’ seal of approval. The Blue Angel is part of the association for the ‘Global Ecolabelling Network’, comprising 26 environmental labelling organisations worldwide.

Thanks to additional in-engine measures, the use of an Allison transmission, as well as optimised soundproofing, it has been possible to achieve a further significant reduction in noise emissions (down to 72 dBA), thus enabling the Econic to receive approval for round-the-clock operation – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks highlights the special role played by the Econic as the technology platform for the product portfolio of the Mercedes-Benz Truck division and Daimler Trucks in the field of environmentally-friendly drive technology.

Refrigerated transport even at night

In all highly-developed industrial countries, a great deal of significance is placed on climate protection and the preservation of a habitable environment. European guidelines have been implemented with these very aims in mind and include guideline EC 2001/547, which states that between 20 and 23 percent of road traffic must make use of alternative fuels by the year 2020. Noise and emission limits are becoming increasingly stricter, and cities in large, densely populated areas are only granting access to specific types of vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz Econic is one of these vehicles with its environmentally-friendly, quiet natural gas engine.

A number of European countries stipulate how loud or quiet vehicles and unloading activities are allowed to be between certain times. While diesel vehicles are able to meet the necessary requirements during the hours of 07:00 and 19:00, outside of these hours only the Econic, with its quiet gas engine, or electric vehicles – which are not yet available in the transport sector – are able to make the grade. Food logistics, for example, is a round-the-clock business. Operators employing the Mercedes-Benz Econic can move towards 24-hour, 365-day deliveries.

Positive driver feedback on safety and ergonomics

The Econic has long been the benchmark for vehicles with a low-floor cab. It features a large wraparound windshield and a co-driver’s door, which opens automatically at the push of a button. The cab has a level floor and provides plenty of headroom. The low entry is ideal for applications which involve the driver having to frequently get in and out of the vehicle. The automatic transmission, which is fitted as standard, enables the driver to concentrate fully on the traffic conditions.

“Furthermore, the driver practically sits at eye level with pedestrians and enjoys optimum visibility – features which are praised by the drivers of these unique vehicles. This is also a big advantage, as pedestrians often stand and look at the quiet trucks in amazement, given that they are so different to regular trucks,” adds Kleynhans.