Scania has been awarded the ‘Energy and Environmental Prize for 2012’ from the German motorist organisation Automobil Kraftfahrer-Schutz (KS), for their intelligent cruise control system, Scania Active Prediction. The system can deliver a fuel saving of up to 3% when driving on undulating stretches of road by using GPS to determine the vehicle’s position and to predict the topography of the road ahead.
At first look a reduction of 3% might not seem a lot, and for a car this might be true, but if you instead apply the percentages on a 40-tonne truck combination (tractor unit and semitrailer) running 180,000 km/year, a fuel saving of 3 percent would reduce fuel consumption by about 1,700 litres (almost 450 gallons) per year. This would be equivalent to an annual reduction in fuel costs of almost €2,300 (about $2,800), and even more important a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of over 4 tonnes.
The Scania Active Prediction system works by adjusting the cruising speed before entering an ascent or descent, helping the driver make the most of every drop of fuel. Using map data stored in the Scania Communicator, together with GPS positioning, the system interacts with the engine management system to control the speed of the vehicle. The system is intuitive and adapts driving style to the topography, in the same way as a skilled and experienced truck driver would. The system can also help an experienced driver to save fuel when driving on new routes, in the dark or under rough weather conditions.
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