Mercedes-Benz Econic with
Natural Gas Technology now also in Asia
Sembcorp Industries is the
first waste disposal company in Singapore to start a
one-year field trial
The up-to-date waste
collection vehicle based on the Econic NGT has extremely low
exhaust and noise emissions, ensuring cleanliness and clean
air in large cities and also in small communities
Unique low-floor concept with
low-entry cab
Stuttgart/Singapore - The
Mercedes-Benz Econic with Natural Gas Technology (NGT) is now
gaining a foothold in Asia. Now that cities such as Stockholm,
Paris, Prague, Athens, Berlin or Valencia have decided in favour
of this environmentally friendly waste disposal vehicle,
Sembcorp Industries, Singapore's largest waste management
company, is starting a one-year field trial to assess market
acceptance, cost-effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
Wolfgang Huppenbauer, President
and CEO of Daimler South East Asia, during the handover of the
Econic: "We are proud of this further opportunity to contribute
to Singapore's green urban development." As recently as May,
Daimler delivered Mercedes-Benz buses with environmentally
friendly BlueTec technology to the public urban transport
services of this South-East Asian metropolis. The city of
Singapore is increasingly setting the ecological example for
Asia, and the Mercedes-Benz Econic is to make its contribution
to this.
Sembcorp Industries is one of the
largest environmental companies on the Asian continent, and not
only takes care of waste disposal in numerous cities and densely
populated areas, but is also involved in energy and water supply
in Singapore, China, Vietnam, Great Britain, the United Arab
Emirates and Oman. Sembcorp is also a market leader in marine
and offshore technology, according to Chief Operating Officer
Goh Swee Ooi during the handover of the Econic. The vehicle is a
Mercedes-Benz Econic NGT 2628 6 x 2/4 NLA, with three axles and
a gross vehicle weight of 26 tonnes, a trailing axle and a
six-speed automatic transmission which eases the workload of the
driving personnel, as does the unique cab with its panoramic
glazing and wide, automatically opening doors.
Natural gas engines to the EEV
standard
The Econic is powered either by
in-line six-cylinder diesel engines from the 900 series or by
natural gas engines, both with EEV certification. EEV (Enhanced
Environmentally-friendly Vehicle) is the currently most
stringent emission standard. The M 906 LAG natural gas engine
has a displacement of 6.9 litres and develops 205 kW (279 hp).
The diesel engines are based on innovative BlueTec diesel
technology. SCR technology and optimised combustion reduce both
exhaust emissions and fuel consumption. In addition to the OM
906 LA with an output of either 175 kW (238 hp) or 210 kW (286
hp), the Econic is available with the OM 926 LA developing 240
kW (326 hp). The diesel engines in the 900 series are also
suitable for biodiesel without any prior conversion.
The Econic has been available with
natural gas drive since 2002. Fueled with biogas from renewable
resources, the Econic is even carbon-neutral. This is the case
in Stockholm, where experience with this technology has been
gained over more than six years, and the biogas is produced from
waste water and to an extent also from household waste.
In Singapore the methane is supplied by GPlus, the natural gas
sales division of Sembcorp. The reduced exhaust and noise
emission levels have clear benefits for the local inhabitants.
In Athens, for example, the Econic helps to reduce the extreme
smog from which the city often suffers during the summer.
Econic – a success story
With sales of almost 12,000 units
in twelve years, and well over 1000 of these with natural gas
drive, the Econic now has an outstanding market position and has
long set the standard for vehicles with a low-floor cab. Owing
to increasing volume and a large customer demand for the
gas-powered Econic, the entire production was relocated to the
special vehicles product unit in Wörth am Rhein in 2009. Until
then, the vehicle had been produced at the Centre of Competence
for emission-free mobility (KEM) in Mannheim.
The Econic was originally designed as a waste disposal vehicle,
and first presented as such at the Entsorga fair in Cologne in
May 1998. At that time there was no variant with natural gas
drive. The Econic has meanwhile become a specialist for a
variety of applications, even as a semitrailer tractor for
refrigerated transport. It shows its strengths wherever goods
need to be collected and distributed in usually environmentally
sensitive areas: above all with its quiet, low-emission engines
and its ergonomic, unique low-floor frame concept.
