International logistics firm Arcese has taken delivery of a 6.5-tonne Iveco Daily Natural Power chassis cab, the first gas-powered light commercial vehicle to join its UK fleet.

Its gas-powered engine enables the company to make unrestricted deliveries to its customers in central London.

Michele Nascetti, country manager at Arcese UK, said IVECO’s in-depth knowledge and expertise in gas vehicle technology was a key factor which led to the company placing the order, especially as most of its journeys end up in the city’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) – which comes into force next year.

“Our drivers travel into London every day so we needed a manufacturer which could quickly supply gas-powered vehicles that already meet current and future emission standards. IVECO is a real leader in this market and showed us why the Daily Natural Power is perfect for our operations. We’re confident this addition to our UK fleet will play a key role for the next decade.”

Arcese’s European fleet already operates gas-powered Ivecos and Nascetti says the company’s close working relationship with the manufacturer also meant it was the preferred choice to help future-proof the UK fleet well past the Government’s challenging 2020 environmental targets.

“Our group’s strategy has always been focused on reducing emissions and that’s why we keep introducing alternative-fuel vehicles. IVECO is well placed to help our UK fleet begin to transition from diesel to gas as we continue to strive for greater sustainability levels,” he added.

The Daily Natural Power features a purpose-built 3.0-litre natural gas spark ignition engine which delivers 136PS and 350Nm of torque.

Running on compressed natural gas (CNG), the engine produces 12% fewer NOx emissions, 76% less particulate matter and up to 95% less CO2 emissions (when using bio-methane).