Emissions Analytics has successfully completed its part of a three-year, Innovate UK funded, project to help understand the benefits of low-carbon commercial vehicles.

The Evaluation of Natural Gas Trucks and Refuelling in Swindon (ENTRIS) project required Emissions Analytics to provide its expertise and laboratory-grade testing during the trial, which evaluated 55 heavy duty vehicles retrofitted with a Prins dual-fuel diesel/compressed natural gas system.

The testing was carried out in real-world, on-road conditions covering more than 11,374 miles over 246 hours. It generated more than 2.5 million data points, providing a unique insight into the reality of dual fuel and CNG conversion systems.

In addition to discovering the ramifications of dual fuel retrofits, the testing has proven that Portable Emissions Measurement Systems can be effectively used with heavy duty vehicles over long distances in order to monitor real, on-road operations.

Part funded by Innovate UK, ENTRIS was one of several projects under the Low Carbon Truck Demonstration Trial. Starting in January 2013 and finishing in March 2016.

In total the trial showed a 6% average reduction in fuel operating costs although this was sensitive to the changing relative price of diesel and gas. The analysis of the data collected also found that on average there was a 9% reduction in CO2, along with 16% reduction in NOxemissions and lower NO2. Methane slip was also identified and the government is funding further investigations into this issue.