Successful testing of renewable diesel in our Cold War M548 troop carriers means a greener future for the historic running fleet.
Following a trial use of biofuel over the May half term and summer holidays, we are delighted to announce that our popular M548 troop carrier rides will continue to run on a more environmentally friendly diesel alternative.
This renewable diesel is chemically similar to conventional diesel, meaning it can be used without modification to the engine or fuel system, but as it is derived from biomass such as used cooking oils, fats and greases, it has a significantly lower carbon intensity.
The M548 troop carrier rides – which run throughout the day during school holidays – clock up the highest mileage of any of our historic vehicles, using about 20 litres of fuel a day.
The switch to renewable diesel will reduce the carbon emissions of this fuel by 65 – 90%.
Workshop Manager, Duncan Masters, said:
“It is important to us to do everything we can to be sustainable and reduce our impact on the environment, and it’s brilliant to see ideas like this put into action by the team.
“As well as the renewable diesel, we have been trialling the use of a sustainable petrol. So far this has been limited to the Hotchkiss Jeep, but we will be evaluating other vehicles over the winter period to investigate which may be able use this fuel next year.
“We’d like to thank our sponsor Murco, who provide the fuel for our historic running vehicles and have made this project possible.”
There’s still time to visit this summer! The tracked vehicle rides will be available until Tuesday 2 September 2025 and then will be back in Spring 2026.
