We are of course highly satisfied with these results. We are not surprised by them, but they do confirm the already high estimates we had at the beginning of the project under actual operating conditions.

—Claude Covo, project manager

The road trials were carried out on a 200 km route around Lyon representing an inter-regional transport profile. The Optifuel Lab 2’s average speed was measured at 72.6 km/h (45.1 mph) with a total load of 33 t, which corresponds to the average load observed in Europe.

The 22% saving covers all technologies used; every one of them has also been measured separately in order to very accurately measure the savings each one contributes. This is why road trials were complemented by a roller test bench program.

Road tests are essential and we have carried out several laps of our test track in the Lyon region. But the roller test bench, while faithfully reproducing road conditions, also offers the advantage of not having its results distorted by weather conditions. Furthermore, we can also repeat the test as often as we want. The two testing procedures complement each other and are both essential.

—Claude Covo

The project, developed with support from the Agency for the Environment and Energy Control (ADEME) has expanded Renault Trucks’ technical knowledge and also that of its eight partners (Plastic Omnium, Michelin, Sunpower, Renault, IFP Energies Nouvelles, CEP-Armines, the Lyon CETHIL-INSA and the Lyon Central School) with regard to future technologies.

With the results of this project, engineers can now approve certain technologies while at the same time deciding to reject or further develop others. This knowledge will then allow them to adapt the best performing technologies to production vehicles so that Renault Trucks can offer ever more fuel efficient models.

When launched on the market in 2013, the Renault Trucks T featured half of the technologies used on the first Optifuel Lab vehicle introduced four years previously.