Combining spark ignition natural gas-fuelled stoichiometric engine technology with supercharging and the concept of bifuel with gasoline back-up in the case of difficulty in locating a natural gas distributor, production of the new S30 (F1C) 3.0 litre 4 cylinder 16 valve Turbo Bifuel (natural gas/gasoline) engine has started. The engine, fuelled by compressed natural gas (CNG), has been optimised to obtain a level of performance on a par with certain Diesel versions (100 kW and maximum torque of 350 Nm from 1500 rpm) and also to reduce consumption and emissions, in particular of NOx and CO2. The results achieved are reflected in the Fiat Group Automobiles products (Ducato Natural Power) and IVECO (Daily Natural Power) which carried off the 2009 Green Van of the Year Award also thanks to the engine and optimised fuel economy and reduction of emissions. The Daily Natural Power is already pre-engineered to comply with EURO VI emission regulations due to come into force in Europe in 5 years time. The S30 Bifuel Turbo engine has therefore not only bridged the gap between HD CNG engines and similar Diesel HD engines (performance and reliability) but has also demonstrated, compared with an equivalent Diesel, an evident trade-off in terms of emissions, without substantial increases in cost and running costs (-30% - -40%) verified on effective routes. The application activities carried out by CRF (Orbassano and Foggia) in 2009 made it possible to start production of versions of the S30 (F1C) Bifuel Turbo engine for Ducato and Daily and have also contributed to guaranteeing that the engine is already compatible with the use of bio-natural gas and can be easily pre-engineered for natural gas/hydrogen mixes (up to 30% in volume of H2) for subsequent launching of pilot fleets, already being defined in Italy.

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