Fiat Ducato Natural Power with natural gas drive as a milestone – six millionth van rolls off the production line at the SEVEL plant

– Production plant in Val di Sangro helps Fiat Professional to offer a wide range of vehicles with particularly low-emission CNG engines.
– With more than 754.000 natural gas-powered cars and vans sold, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has been the market leader in this sector for 20 years.
– The best-selling Fiat Ducato has been manufactured in Val di Sangro, Europe’s largest van factory, since 1981.

The SEVEL van plant has reached a new milestone. The six millionth vehicle, a Fiat Ducato Natural Power with a medium wheelbase, high roof and natural gas drive, has now rolled off the production line at the "Società Europea Veicoli Leggeri" (European Society for Light Commercial Vehicles) in the Italian Val di Sangro (near Pescara). The three-liter four-cylinder engine of the large-capacity van has an output of 100 kW (136 hp) and produces a maximum torque of 350 Newton meters.

The fact that the anniversary van is a Fiat Ducato Natural Power is a symbol of the importance that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) attaches to the technology of bivalent engines that can run on either natural gas or petrol. With more than 20 cars and vans sold across Europe over the past 754.000 years, the company is the market leader in the segment. The current range of vans in the Natural Power family includes the Fiorino, Doblò Cargo, Ducato and (not in Germany) Panda Van models.

The Fiat Ducato Natural Power is available as a van in three wheelbases and three roof heights, as well as in the particularly robust Maxi version. The chassis is also available in three wheelbases and the Maxi variant. The Euro 6 engine, which runs on natural gas - known internationally as CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) - produces 100 kW (136 hp) at 3.500 rpm, and the maximum torque of 350 Newton meters is available at just 1.500 rpm. The performance corresponds to the model variants with turbodiesel engines. The powerful engine enables a top speed of 159 km/h.

The Fiat Ducato Natural Power engine has a whole range of components that have been specially developed for natural gas operation. It is designed to work with CNG under normal circumstances. Only when the gas supply is running low does the electronics automatically switch to petrol operation. Five gas bottles with a capacity of 220 litres or 36 kilograms of natural gas are mounted under the vehicle floor. This means that the cargo space volume remains unrestricted compared to the conventionally powered versions of the Fiat Ducato.

Natural gas is one of the more sustainable alternatives to fuel for motor vehicles, and is already readily available. One advantage of natural gas is that it burns with almost no fine dust residues - very suitable for use in cities. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are up to 23 percent lower. Nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine dust and the particularly reactive hydrocarbons are even almost completely avoided. Vehicles powered by natural gas are therefore generally permitted in environmental zones. There are also no technical concerns about the use of underground garages and car ferries.

The Natural Power versions of the Fiat Ducato, Fiat Doblò Cargo and Fiat Fiorino demonstrate that Fiat Professional attaches great importance to sustainability. They are also an expression of the strategy of not only constantly improving the performance of the engines through innovative technology, but also using resources efficiently at the same time. Fiat Professional's natural gas vehicles also have the advantage for the customer that the factory equipment fully complies with the generally applicable regulations for accident safety and emissions and guarantees a high level of driving comfort.

The Fiat Ducato – 37 successful years

The success story of the Fiat Ducato began 37 years ago, and the revolution in the van market that began in 1981 is still underway. The current, sixth model generation of the Fiat Ducato impresses with the highest payload in the van segment up to 3,5 tonnes permissible total weight. The advantages of the Fiat Ducato also include the powerful and efficient engines, the extensive equipment with safety and assistance systems and the numerous body variants available, which enable solutions for every transport task. The low operating costs and prices for spare parts ensure that the Fiat Ducato has particularly low total costs of ownership compared to other vehicles in the segment.

Due to the large number of versions for the body, engine and mechanics, a total of around 10.000 different variants of the Fiat Ducato can be configured. The Fiat Ducato is suitable for transporting goods and people and as a base vehicle for special bodies. There are four lengths and three roof heights to choose from for complete vehicles, as well as six wheelbases for chassis with and without a cabin. Depending on the variant, the Fiat Ducato panel van offers eight to 17 cubic meters of cargo space, setting standards in the segment.

SEVEL – the factory that sets records

The Fiat Ducato has been built at the SEVEL plant in Atessa in the Val di Sangro at the foot of the Abruzzo mountains since 1981. At that time, just over 600 employees produced 70 vehicles a day there. Today, daily production is 1.200 units. SEVEL is the largest production facility of its kind in Europe, and one of the most complex in terms of specialization in production, quality and work processes. Around 6.400 employees are currently employed at the plant itself; together with suppliers in the area, SEVEL provides around 12.500 jobs. The average age of the employees is 45, and more than 21 percent of them are women. SEVEL has been awarded the silver medal in the "World Class Manufacturing" quality assurance process, which more than 160 FCA plants worldwide are subject to.

The SEVEL plant operates its own academy to train its employees. Employees are trained here, work processes are simulated and management skills are trained. Employees are also trained in the academy in the areas of future technologies, quality management, ergonomics and networking of production processes.

Press contact:
Sascha Wolfinger
Phone: +49 69 66988-357
Email: sascha.wolfinger@fcagroup.com

Photo: FCA Group