Latest Vanguard engines shown to be ‘greener’

Analysis by Netherlands-based Climate Neutral Group (CNG) has shown that Vanguard’s recently introduced 200 and 400 engines have an approximately 53% reduced environmental impact during their lifetime, compared to their predecessors.

Vanguard’s new 200 6.5hp 203cc engine was compared with the 6.5HP 205cc engine it replaced, and the new 400 14hp 408cc was compared with the previous 13hp 392cc model.

The results are based on an independent lifecycle analysis measuring the environmental impact of the engines’ maintenance during their usage phase.

The reduction, measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent, is a benefit of the new engines’ extended maintenance intervals – they offer 200-hour oil maintenance intervals.

The analysis showed that, of all maintenance activities, oil usage is the largest contributor to an engine’s environmental impact, accounting for more than 80% of its Global Warming Potential.

The study showed that the 200 and 400 engines require significantly less oil over the course of their lives, resulting in a lower greenhouse gas emissions profile during the maintenance stage of their lifecycle.

Martijn in’ t Veld, Carbon Strategy Advisor of the Climate Neutral Group, said, “Reducing an organisation’s need for oil and spare parts while maintaining the optimal performance of the engines is a step in the right direction.

“While the environmental impact of one engine with extended service intervals may be small, the combined effect over an entire fleet or industry has the potential to significantly reduce the impact on our environment.”

Paul Bramhall, Director Marketing EMEA for Briggs & Stratton, said extended maintenance intervals are not only beneficial to the environment but also improve a rental company’s bottom line since increased uptime equates to a lower total cost of ownership.

Guy Cremer, Director of Fleet Operations at Boels Rental, which uses Vanguard engines in its fleet, said, “The engines allow us to cut our equipment service intervals almost by half, and reduce our oil waste and recycling, thus decreasing the environmental impact of our fleet.”

Vanguard provides a calculator on its website with which fleet owners can calculate their fleet’s environmental impact with regard to oil usage when using the new Vanguard engines.