A Scania R 500 has taken a repeat win in the prestigiousGreen Truck Awardin Germany – by returning better than four kilometres per litre fuel economy figures in a carefully-controlled road test.

The Scania returned an average fuel consumption of 24.92 litre/100km at an average speed of 79.91km/h – up against other contenders all loaded to 40-tonnes all-up and driving over the same 350km test route, at the same time.

Its closest rival used 0.4 litre/100km more than the new truck generation R 500, running an updated 13-litre engine.

Translated into a typical annual mileage for a long-distance truck of 150,000 kilometres, the fuel economy savings of the Scania R 500 would add up to 600 litres annually, Scania says.

The Green Truck Award is run by German trade magazines, Trucker and Transport Review.

Scania says it has also set a number of new fuel records in many European countries in comparison tests carried out by independent trade journalists, but its product director long haulage, Wolfgang Buschan says: "The Green Truck Award is a unique comparison test since it has this total focus on what matters most to our customers from a cost and sustainability perspective.

"The fact that we won the award again this year is extremely flattering."

Scania makes the point that low fuel consumption not only saves cost, it also corresponds with energy efficiency, reduced CO2 emissions and increased sustainability.

It adds that European hauliers appreciate the lowest fuel consumption, highest average speeds and lowered CO2 effects that help to keep costs and environmental impacts low.