Retrospect >>
Next edition >>
Press >>
Newsletter archive >>
Contact
|
• Start Future Now!
 |
TERTS 2007: A WORLD OF CLEAN, SUSTAINABLE, SILENT AND SAFE TRANSPORTATION
When the doors of The European Road Transport Show 2007 (TERTS) opened, visitors immediately got a clear impression of the enormous efforts made by the transport industry in recent years to operate as efficiently and economically friendly as possible. And the many innovations received extra attention in the TERTS Start Future Now! Theatre.
The main theme of TERTS this year was the wealth of environmental solutions provided by the transport industry. And the RAI Association was keen to show that its Start Future Now! communication campaign is much more than a smart slogan.
At TERTS, special attention was dedicated to this issue: Visitors from the world over were presented with solutions for current and future environmental problems by exhibitors, technical universities and other relevant parties. In the Start Future Now! Theatre, a fascinating 15-minute film depicts the truck sector’s current products and the developments expected over the next decade or so.
The goal of the Start Future Now! campaign is to inform the government, politicians and general public of the industry’s serious and ongoing efforts to make their products more sustainable.
CO˛ emissions
Issues discussed in the theatre included:
- alternative propulsion technologies
- technical improvements to vehicles and trailers
- silent and efficient truck components (PEAK)
- logistical innovations and the latest breakthroughs such as lights and camera systems.
All these developments have contributed to a reduction in fuel consumption by 40-ton trucks of around 30 percent as well a significant decrease in CO˛ emissions. Euro V trucks, for instance, produce 95 percent less particulate matter than Euro 1 trucks from the 1990s. And ever more sustainable and efficient engines are being developed, such as EEV and Euro VI.
Greased for life
Greased for life
The production side of the truck industry is also one of the most environmentally friendly in the world. This sustainability starts with recycling raw materials, spraying with 100 percent water-based paints and ensuring that trucks are responsibly disassembled and recycled.
Furthermore, trucks are often equipped with tyres which last twice as long and are greased for life due to automatic greasing systems. This prevents the grease - which used to be injected in dozens of greasing nipples - ending up on the road. The weight of the trucks has also decreased, allowing them to carry more cargo within the legal weight limits and pushing back the maintenance intervals to 100,000 kilometres.
Meanwhile, it is the refinements in telematics that are providing the greatest benefits. These allow transport companies to work together more efficiently and set up logistical chains that avoid empty cargo runs.
Environmental solutions by all major truck manufacturers
Every manufacturer chooses its own way to solve environmental issues such as air pollution and CO2 emissions. At TERTS this can be seen in a wide variety of:
- New engines
- Hybrid technology
- Alternative fuels
- Models which comply with Euro 5 standards
The environmental requirements implemented by, for instance, city councils or national governments, have become increasingly important to transport companies’ operational management. In Germany, road taxes will be lower for cleaner and more sustainable vehicles. Soon, only the latest models will be allowed into the cities, while older models will gain less access.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | |
|
|
Sponsored by:
|
|
Supported by:
|
|
Organised by:
|
|
Organised by:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
