Auto Windscreens has launched a trial of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as an alternative fuel source in its fleet vehicles.

Shannon Lomas, fleet manager at Auto Windscreens

The trial reflects the rising prominence of HVO among fleets running light and heavy-duty vehicles and furthers the company’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.

Auto Windscreens said the biofuel has potential to help shape the future of sustainable transport. HVO-powered vans maintain the same fuel consumption as their diesel counterparts, but have fewer servicing requirements, display smoother engine performance and are unaffected by issues associated with diesel particulate filters.

The flexibility of these conventional vans, which are capable of running both diesel and HVO without any modification, offers an exciting avenue for greener operations.

Shannon Lomas, fleet manager at Auto Windscreens, said: “The exploration of HVO is a strategic move towards understanding feasible alternatives to a fully electric operational fleet. While electric vehicles remain on our radar, we’re broadening our horizons to ensure we’re at the forefront of sustainable innovation and that includes researching alternative fuel options.”

It’s the latest fleet to make the move to HVO. Royal Mail revealed plans in July to switch its HGVs to the renewable diesel alternative, in a bid to achieve net zero emissions by 2040. During the same month, PepsiCo announced that it is switching to HVO to power trucks transporting potatoes from British farms to Leicester, the home of its Walkers snacks brand. The initiative will replace diesel across approximately 1.6 million miles of truck journeys and will save 2,650 tonnes of GHG emissions annually.

Airport logistics specialist Amalga is currently reviewing switching its diesel fleet to HVO ahead of an eventual switch to electric.

And local authorities are making the move too; Hyndburn Council said this spring that its 54 vans, cars and lorries are to be converted from running on diesel to HVO instead.

Meanwhile, tool and equipment hire firm Speedy switched to fuelling its delivery fleet with greener HVO fuel back in 2021, saving 5,000 tonnes of CO2e per year.

Other latest industry developments have seen fuel cards specialist Radius commit to offering HVO fuel through its UK Fuels network, helping more customers to transition to a carbon-friendly solution.

The addition means Radius customers will be able to refuel their vehicle with HVO as a diesel substitute using their fuel card, at a number of sites which can be found on its e-route site locator, with 50 planned in total by the end of the year.

And LubiQ Fuels has expanded its HVO supply solutions with the launch of a service that facilitates rapid delivery of medium quantities of the fossil-free, 100% renewable diesel. It’s now offering 205 litres of white renewable diesel supplied with a filler nozzle attachment and delivered in eight UN jerrycans strapped onto a pallet.