VW sells 56 garbage trucks stocked with its own garbage for use in São Paulo

Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus (VWCO) closed the first sale of trucks powered by biomethane in its history: 56 units of the Constellation 26.280 to Loga, a waste collection company that operates in the northwest region of São Paulo. The customer had been testing the model since the second half of 2025 and, according to the automaker, the good acceptance motivated the purchase.

Biomethane is nothing more than biogas — the gas released in the decomposition of organic waste and in landfills — after being purified. In practice, it becomes a kind of “renewable natural gas” capable of fueling engines. It is a curious symmetry in the business, with a collection truck running, in large part, with a fuel that can be born from the garbage itself.

Instead of diesel, the Constellation uses an Otto cycle engine — spark plug ignition, like gasoline and CNG — with automatic transmission and three-way catalytic converter to treat exhaust gases. VW says that the performance is equivalent to that of the diesel version, with good resumption and traction to face urban collection.

The advantages of biomethane

The environmental appeal is at the center of the story. According to VWCO, the model can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90% and, each year, avoids the emission equivalent to burning 35 thousand liters of diesel. Because it runs on gas, it is also quieter – an advantage for those who collect garbage at dawn in a residential area.

The biomethane Constellation has the largest gas storage capacity in the segment: 240 m³ (960 liters) in carbon steel tanks, which yield up to 300 km per refueling and reduce stops on the street. The model is part of the Compactor vocational family, with a reinforced structure for heavy use without sacrificing load capacity.

For Loga, the purchase is part of a plan to renew the fleet with clean energy. “Our biomethane Constellation demonstrates, in practice, that it is possible to combine high operational performance with a significant reduction in emissions”, summarizes Ricardo Alouche, vice president of VWCO.