truck talk: spotlight on hvo
2021 was not only a spectacular truck racing season, it also marked an important milestone for the championship, as it switched to a 100% sustainable fuel, becoming the first-ever FIA-regulated championship to do so.
HVO stands for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil and is a premium fossil-free diesel product made of 100% renewable raw materials. It reduces the CO2 emissions by a minimum of 65% and up to 90% over the entire life cycle of the product.
The biodiesel has proven itself under the most extreme racing conditions, without impacting the performance on track. “As a driver on the circuit you don’t really feel much difference, it feels exactly the same,” said reigning FIA ETRC champion Norbert Kiss.
“If you didn’t know what’s in the tank you couldn’t tell it apart.”
In the ETRC Truck Talk, in cooperation with the International Truck of the Year Jury (ITOY), Pascal Girard, Head of Technical Matters for the FIA Circuit Championships talked to Fabien Calvet about the HVO biofuel, how it's produced, its environmental benefits and how it hasn't affected the action on track.
The transition to a fuel fully originated from renewable sources in the FIA ETRC was a first important step into a new era and proof that it is possible to take actions for lower GHG emissions with commercial vehicles on the road, which is demonstrated on the track.
The change reflects FIA ETRC’s strive to become a leading platform for sustainable technologies in the road haulage industry and at the same time making truck racing a relevant research and development platform for manufacturers.
The Interview in French is available with the following subtitles:
Original interview in French
FIA ETRC and ITOY Partnership
In 2021 the FIA European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC) and the International Truck of the Year Jury (ITOY), a non-profit organisation registered in Austria, announced a unique media partnership to develop and highlight specific common interests.
Amongst other projects, ITOY members are directly involved in a talk show format called TruckTalk, which covers race and industry-related topics, such as new technologies, sustainability, safety and the truck driver shortage.
About International Truck of the Year
The International Truck of the Year (ITOY) award was initially launched in 1977 by the British journalist and editor of Truck magazine Pat Kennett. Today, the 24 jury members represent leading commercial vehicle magazines throughout Europe. Moreover, in the last few years, ITOY has extended its sphere of influence by appointing associate members in the growing truck markets of China, India, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Iran, and New Zealand. Altogether, the combined truck-operator readership of the 24 ITOY full jury members' magazines, as well as those of its eight associate members exceeds one million.
Watch ITOY Chairman Gianenrico Griffini talk about the media partnership:
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