Which fuels will replace oil?
Of course, nobody knows the answer yet.
However, in order for the manufacturers to be able to offer vehicles that the market will want in the future, strategic decisions have to be made today.
Volvo Trucks is investing in a solution that is financially sustainable and that may form a bridge between fossil and renewable fuels - diesel engines running on methane gas.
"We have chosen a route where we combine the diesel engine's superior efficiency rating with the benefits of gas. This gives us a truck that is significantly more energy-efficient than traditional gas trucks," said Mats Franzén, Manager Engine Strategy and Planning, Volvo Trucks.
This innovative approach is bound to attract attention in the transport sector, where the gas-powered trucks currently in use have sparkplug internal combustion engines adapted for gas operation.
"There is a simple logic behind Volvo Trucks' decision to slightly modify its proven diesel engines," explained Franzén.
"A diesel engine has a 30 to 40% better efficiency rating than an ordinary spark plug engine running on petrol or an internal combustion engine.
"Whatever fuels either engine type runs on, the diesel engine is always far more energy-efficient. That's why all heavy vehicles have diesel engines."
