Ethanol - The fuel of the future

Scania's recently launched city bus running on ethanol. 

It has not been long since Scania entered into the Indian market and it has already started creating a hype. Smart looks, good amount of safety features, loads of technology and value for money products, that is what has made Indian buyers and the Indian Government interested in Scania's. With its intercity buses already in action on Indian roads and orders for over 200 buses already been placed, it was not long before Scania ventured into the city bus market.

Scania recently launched India's first bus running on 95% ethanol. A major advantage on ethanol is that it is a liquid and is available in commercial volumes globally. It is produced from variety of raw materials such as sugar cane, beets or cellulose, and it is used both as a pure fuel and in low blends. Ethanol can reduce the emissions by as much as 75% .

Last year, Volvo too had showcased its Hybrid- Diesel Electric city bus, but the previous Indian government wasn't interested in testing buses running on alternative fuels. The present government, giving more priority to alternative fuels, has already started pilot runs of Scania's green bus in Nagpur. If these runs are successful, city buses running on ethanol will soon be started all over India, helping in reducing the pollution.

Volvo I-Shift

Volvo's I-Shift gearbox

Volvo has introduced a wonderful new transmission for its range of buses and trucks. Currently, the I shift transmission is optional for the 9400 XL range but is standard on the 9400 PX range. The cost of this new transmission is a bit more as compared to the normal 6 speed transmission, but it is very fuel efficient and the maintenance costs are also less.

Having the right ratio for the right speed at the right time is what the I-Shift transmission is all about. It is a 12-speed manual gearbox with an automated gear changing. By continuously monitoring the road gradient, vehicle speed, acceleration, torque demanded by the particular road, weight, rolling and air resistance, the I-Shift can instantly predict and select the most appropriate ratio for efficient utilization of the engine. In short, it knows when and where a shift would be beneficial.

The gear stick

Volvo I-Shift is available with a choice of several different gear-shifting programs, including a function that allows a choice  between fully-automatic gear changes and manual gear selection featuring a performance program with kickdown function that utilizes the engine's capacity to the maximum. No clutch pedal is needed as the gear changing software senses the need for gear change in order to remain optimum performance.

The gearbox is compact and lightweight. Long oil-change intervals mean low operating costs and less environmental imprint impact. If special oil is used, oil and filter changes can take place as far apart as once every 400,000 km or every three years.