Eighty five ethanol powered buses could soon make their way to the streets of Stockholm after Scania sold the fleet to Busslink, operator of bus services for Storstockholms Lokaltrafik, the regional transport company in the capital.
The order is Scania Sverige’s largest single bus transaction in the market since 2004 and represents a continued commitment to ethanol power. The ethanol bus includes a modified diesel engine that runs on a mixture of 95 per cent ethanol and five per cent ignition improver.
It is an adaptation of Scania’s nine-litre diesel engine and includes charge-cooling and exhaust gas recirculation. The engine delivers 270hp of power with torque of 1,200Nm. It also offers thermal efficiency up to 43 per cent, which is only narrowly behind that of diesel at 44 per cent.
What’s more is that the engine meets the enhanced environmentally friendly vehicle standard, which is stricter than Euro 5. It is believed that compared to a conventional diesel engine, these ethanol powered vehicles can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 90 per cent.
Currently, Stockholm has the world’s largest fleet of ethanol buses. Indeed 40 of the Busslink buses are specifically designed for urban traffic whereas the others will be adapted for regional services. Deliveries will begin during spring next year.
