BMW expands HVO-trucks pilot, embraces inexperienced logistics

BMW has revealed extra particulars of its use of other fuels and electrical business autos because it goals to decarbonise its logistics by way of a number of modern trials, together with the growth of a trial to make use of vehicles powered by ’hydrotreated vegetable oil’ (HVO). 

Since December 2022, BMW logistics supplier Guggemos (GV Trucknet) has been working a fleet of 4 vehicles working on renewable HVO100 diesel between BMW’s Munich plant and and Landau an der Isar, about 120 km to the northeast. It’s a part of a one-year pilot programme to trial the brand new gas, which was just lately expanded to incorporate one other six vehicles from third social gathering logistics supplier DB Schenker. They commute between the BMW Group Provide Centre in Eching, north of Munich, to ship warehouse components 40km roundtrip to the plant within the metropolis for manufacturing.

The ‘100’ in HOV100 confirms that typical diesel autos can refill 100% with the pure renewable gas. HVO100 is comprised of varied waste merchandise, residues and renewable uncooked supplies, together with used cooking oil. BMW claims that, in contrast with fossil diesel, it produces as much as 90% fewer emissions well-to-wheel. On common, gas consumption is about 3% larger with HVO100, however BMW claims that the ten vehicles presently piloting the gas – also referred to as “Neste MY Renewable Diesel”, made by Finland’s Neste – are anticipated to emit as much as 800 tonnes much less CO₂ a 12 months than they might with typical diesel. HVO diesel is distinct from bio-diesel.

In keeping with Michael Nikolaides, head of BMW Group manufacturing community and logistics, these different fuels will play a key position in BMW’s ambitions to cut back its carbon emissions as a part of its iFactory technique, particularly as a part of a know-how impartial method. “Each gram of CO₂ we will save helps,” he mentioned. “We proceed to cut back the carbon footprint from our transport and provide chains by way of a wide range of measures.”

The BMW Group already makes use of electrical and gas-powered vehicles at varied websites. At its Hydrogen Competence Centre at its plant in Leipzig, Germany, flooring conveyors are fuelled with hydrogen for on a regular basis operations.

Nikolaides just lately instructed Automotive Logistics that working modern pilot programmes was an important half its the carmaker’s inexperienced transport technique, and he referred to as for extra logistics suppliers to share modern concepts with him and his crew. “We’ve fascinating tasks, corresponding to electrical vehicles, and I might encourage everybody, in case you have concepts, then we’d have an interest to see how we will work collectively,” he says.

At its Munich plant, BMW already makes use of electrical vehicles to ship inbound components, and plant director Peter Weber welcomed the expanded use of HVO vehicles  “The usage of HVO100 in logistics brings one other sustainable know-how to BMW Group Plant Munich. It performs a precious half in serving to the corporate obtain its sustainability targets and represents an additional element within the plant’s transformation to a BMW ifactory with a lean, inexperienced, digital method,” he mentioned. 

Nikolaides factors to benefits in HVO100 together with the truth that it requres no further gas station infrastructure, and that autos and engines require no modifications, whereas HVO can be utilized pure or combined with fossil gas.

The BMW Group’s accomplice on the present HVO100 pilot venture is the Finnish firm Neste, which produces hydrotreated vegetable oil based mostly on renewable uncooked supplies, with plant oils being transformed to hydrocarbons by way of a catalytic response with hydrogen.

By utilizing the gas in transport logistics, Nikolaides desires to additional perceive the way it works in operations and the way value environment friendly it’s, and BMW has allotted a crew to guage gas consumption with totally different hundreds, at totally different speeds, in numerous climate circumstances, and over shorter and longer distances. “We need to know which drive applied sciences and fuels work greatest through which contexts,” he mentioned.