Mack Trucks and sister company Volvo Trucks announced a collaboration with Shell to coordinate efforts and support activities that encourage the use of liquefied natural gas as a fuel for commercial vehicles.

The agreement is global and non-exclusive. It includes working together on issues such as fuel specification and emissions performance, as well as general sharing of knowledge and experience with all aspects of this growing market.

“Mack has had natural gas-powered vehicles in customer service since 2009, and we look forward to working with Shell and other fuel providers to further support the burgeoning natural gas truck market here in North America,” said Kevin Flaherty, president of Mack Trucks North American sales & marketing.

Mack says it began offering a natural gas-powered TerraPro model refuse vehicle when it became clear that natural gas was a viable heavy-duty truck fuel for closed-loop applications. The company also recently delivered its first natural gas-powered Pinnacle model, offering LNG power for on-highway applications. It announced plans to launch a natural gas-powered Granite model for the construction segment in 2013. Both will be equipped with the Cummins Westport ISX12G spark-ignited engine, which can run on LNG as well as compressed natural gas. 

“Customer interest in natural gas as a heavy-duty truck fuel will only continue to grow,” said Göran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North American sales and marketing.  “We plan to introduce our own Volvo LNG-fueled engine in 2014, and this agreement is part of our effort to collaborate with various stakeholders to ensure that the market is supported with the necessary infrastructure.”

Volvo Trucks announced the development of its proprietary 13-liter LNG engine for North America last year.  It says the engine’s advanced high-pressure diesel ignition technology will provide significant fuel efficiency gains compared with spark-ignited natural gas engines, making it a viable solution for long-haul trucking applications.

The company currently offers a natural gas-powered option for the VNM model daycab, and will offer a natural gas-powered version of the VNL model daycab beginning in 2013. Both models use spark-ignited engines.