Martin Kahl speaks to Alessandro Bernardini, Head of Iveco Innovation Truck and Bus and Alternative Traction and Electrification
What are the main challenges in bringing alternative powertrains to market?
Our customers want a vehicle which exactly meets their individual needs. We need to have vehicles with completely different architectures and configurations. And therefore the alternative traction solution cannot be the same. The challenge is to further reinforce the standardisation process.
Also, in the so-called niche products, alternative traction is still a niche. It’s growing, but it’s a niche compared to the overall mass production. Iveco’s overall production is not much less than the total production volume of one of the best selling passenger cars. Yet the customer demands the same kind of performance, and does not care if we are doing 1,000 or 10,000 vehicles. So it is up to us to decide what is best to offer in terms of standardisation and customisation.
Alternative Traction and Electrification
How do you see the future of battery technology in the CV sector?
I think one of the most relevant points is the overselling of performance, as has been done in other sectors. If we look at real data, we see constant battery improvement giving us a trend, and today we have, for the first time, a system that really meets the customer’s expectation, without overselling what it can do.
Take this example: light commercial vehicles operating only in downtown areas will never need to reach 300,000km – the standard usage range for LCVs. 150,000km is more than enough for the real urban cycle. That kind of range, 150,000km, is very close to what we can achieve with our current battery technology.
From a cost point of view, if you know that the battery is doing a defined lifecycle that is meeting your expectations, you can define a cost which is today not far from a combustion engine.
How do you identify the appropriate alternative powertrain technology?
We have had first-hand experience of hybrids since the 1990s, so we have real direct experience of prototyping many kinds of technologies. We speak directly with our fleet customers, we know what they are looking for, and there is active discussion to define their needs and ensure we have the solution in our portfolio. This is basically our approach: continuous and open discussion with our customers, and reliance on the experience we have from our past and present.
Can you please outline Iveco’s offering in natural gas?
Iveco benefits from the Fiat group’s considerable experience in natural gas. In the last few years, we have been pushing into the market to extend natural gas to long haul applications. We use liquefied natural gas – this, today, is the only real alternative to diesel fuel, and it delivers a real CO2 reduction.
From a business point of view, the main drawbacks are the payload reduction and range limitation.
There are currently around 12,000 natural gas-powered Iveco vehicles in circulation. The number is huge, but what is even more relevant is the number of years they have been on the road – this is not just a new technology but something that is proven in the field daily. That comes with years of experience and continuous improvement. The major drawback for the technology is not the vehicle but the infrastructure.
In ten years’ time, how do you expect your CV portfolio to be powered?
Diesel is still going to be the backbone of our industry, using a diesel engine that is evolving and improving in terms of efficiency. Alternative fuels or alternative traction can help reduce emissions.
Ten years is a long time but not so long for a real step forward in terms of technology. We believe plug-in hybrid technology will be the only real hybrid solution, but the main powertrain will be still the diesel engine – at least for heavy duty trucks. In buses, cities and governments are asking us to deliver low emission solutions, so full electric or plug-in is going to see higher penetration. And for light commercial vehicles, in urban use, plug-in hybrid technology will be much more developed and available in the market, but will still rely on diesel plus plug-in to operate fully electric in urban areas.
Martin Kahl is the Editor of Automotive World
