When it comes to the environment we look at the entire vehicle, from the day it leaves the factory to the eventual recovery of its component parts, many years later. This perspective helps us create the best combination of operating economy and environmental performance over a lifetime of use.

On the power and emissions front, we’re using new technology and improving existing methods to make the diesel engine more efficient while simultaneously reducing emissions. Our enormous success with EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) is a case in point. Scania has an enviable track record of improving torque, fuel efficiency and driveability, while reducing emissions to meet ever stricter regulations. The steps from Euro 1 to Euro 4 have each been achieved with this approach, and we expect to continue this thinking into our Euro 5 solutions.

While the diesel engine powered by renewable fuels with low sulphur and aromatic content is an excellent alternative for the immediate future, Scania is already an industry leader in our ability to provide transport solutions based on ethanol, RME (Rapeseed Methyl Ester) and gas. In addition, Scania’s hybrid drive technology, which is presently under development, is expected to improve fuel efficiency by at least 25 per cent.

Of course every vehicle will ultimately be recycled one day, so we provide material labeling and disassembly guidelines to enable safer and more sustainable processing. That’s one of the reasons we have engineered our buses to be built with up to 90 per cent recoverable materials primarily consisting of high-grade aluminum and plastics.