Scania Argentina completed the test of one of its CNG buses in the city of Mar del Plata, together with the company Peralta Ramos and the Municipality of General Pueyrredón. Peralta Ramos, concessionaire of part of the local urban transport lines, traveled for a month with the K280 bus of Scania’s Green Efficiency Line. After a month of testing, the results were extremely satisfactory for all parties.
“The test evidenced the improvements in the general performance of the bus, due to the less noise it generates on public roads, the accessibility for passengers and the less environmental pollution,” said Dante Galván, Undersecretary of Urban Mobility of Mar del Plata, and Matías Cosso, General Director of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Municipality.
Regarding the reduction of operating costs of these vehicles, Diego Basílico, representative of Peralta Ramos, added: “The CNG-powered bus allowed an average saving of 45% compared to a diesel bus, with a range of 300 kilometers that allowed us to cover the daily route between Constitución and El Faro.”
In its objective of leading the change towards a more sustainable transport system, Scania continues to develop its Green Efficiency line, since CNG buses allow to reduce CO2 emissions, NOx pollutants and particulate matter responsible for respiratory diseases; have a positive economic impact on companies, as natural gas is cheaper than diesel; and allow import substitution, since CNG is a locally-produced fuel that can replace imported diesel.
Moreover, Nicolás Seeling, Regional Head of Sales of Scania Argentina, commented that at the country level this experience occurred along with two important milestones: the approval of Enargas (National Gas Regulatory Entity) to install high-flow dispensers helping a lot because it reduces refueling time; and the work of YPF, which is developing service stations for heavy vehicles nationwide, both for trucks and buses.
The bus drivers and the Peralta Ramos work team maintained permanent contact with Scania, to provide training to the drivers and advice about the bus, as well as after-sales and maintenance service.
Source: Scania Argentina
