Laughing gas

We put Scania’s gas powered R410 to work for a week and discover a fleet truck with green credentials that tackled everything with enthusiasm

- Dougie Rankine

At a glance

Make & Model: 2019 Scania R410 LNG

Engine: OC13 12.7-litre six-cylinder with EGR, Euro 6d

Power: 410hp @ 1900rpm

Torque: 2000Nm @ 1100-1400rpm

Gearbox: Opticruise 12-speed auto

As you may have gathered, I rather like a gas truck. Here’s the thing; alternative fuels and drivelines are coming our way whether we like it or not. Full weight diesel trucks are going nowhere for a very long time, but we are going to see the gradual introduction of hybrids, electric and then hydrogen power. Different applications will make use of different technology.

We already have gas. It’s actually been around for a long time but it’s only since 2017 and Euro 6c that truck manufacturers got their act together and starting building gas trucks fully off the production line. Forget about any conversion job or dual-fuel thing you might have encountered years ago, the new generation of gas is totally different.

There’s two types of gas, CNG which is only really useful for regional shunting and LNG, which gives us the long distance range trunking and general haulage needs. It’s LNG that has the broader potential on full-weight work, and the fuel you’d be most likely to encounter. The reason we like these gas trucks is that they behave pretty much identically to the diesels we know and love. The same 12-speed auto boxes, comparable performance and the cabs are all the same.