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Green News

Written by Seth Skydel on . Posted in Smart Fleets.

CALSTART and its industry partners have helped pass legislation in California aimed at enhancing short- and long-term funding for clean trucks, buses and cars. These measures that are expected to have a nationwide impact include:
• Assembly Bill (AB) 8 that will extend and expand funding for advanced vehicle and fuel demonstrations and deployments through 2023, for a total of more than $2 billion. The funds will continue and enhance funding of the current AB 118 program demonstration and incentive projects, including the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP).
• Senate bills 95 and 359, which fill a funding gap in the HVIP voucher program for hybrid and electric trucks and buses, and rebates for clean passenger cars for 2014.
Visit www.calstart.org.

Dalum Named to EDTA Board
Joe Dalum, president and CEO of Odyne Systems, a manufacturer of hybrid systems for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, has been appointed to the board of the Electric Drive Transportation Association. EDTA works with policymakers and the public to advance electric drive transportation.

“I look forward to serving on the board of directors of the Electric Drive Transportation Association during this time of accelerated industry growth and rapid advancements in technology,” Dalum said. “Greater electrification of vehicle systems can help the country meet energy security and environmental goals, while providing operational savings and benefits.”

Dalum also currently serves as president of the Green Truck Association, an affiliate of NTEA. Prior to founding Odyne Systems in 2009, he worked for DUECO, a final-stage manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty trucks, as engineering manager, vice president and executive vice president. Visit www.electricdrive.org and www.odyne.com.

Electric PTO: The Technology and How It Performs
Presentations on electric PTO technologies from the 2013 Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference

Mark Greer, Green Fleet market manager at Altec Industries, said that development of the company’s Jobsite Energy Management System (JEMS) was based on looking at all the reasons why the truck engine runs at job sites, including the need to power the boom and provide power for tools, cab comfort and lighting. “The idea was to electrify these loads when at the job site with a system that is sized for the aerial device, accounts for work practices and considers payload requirements,” he related. Greer went on to list the benefits of ePTO technology like JEMS. Included were reduced fuel consumption, lower tailpipe emissions, less idle time at the job site, reduced operating noise, and crew safety and health.

Matt Jarmuz, director of sales at Odyne Systems, noted that trucks more than 14,000 pounds GVW can save 50 percent or more in fuel (more than 1,000 gallons annually), depending on the duty cycle, with a plug-in hybrid propulsion system. The technology, he reported, saves fuel during drive cycles and during stationary operations at work sites.

Odyne’s hybrid architecture, which incorporates Allison automatic transmissions, Johnson Controls lithium-ion batteries and Remy electric motors, is a parallel hybrid solution that can be retrofitted to existing vehicles and installed without the need to modify the OEM drivetrain.

Odyne systems are installed by the company and shipped to final stage manufacturers such as Altec, DUECO, Terex and Utilimaster. Initial market applications for the solution include aerial devices, cranes, digger derricks, and vehicles used for construction and maintenance of underground utilities.

It’s important to understand your application, Jarmuz related. Data acquisition systems can track miles driven per day, kinetic intensity of driving cycle, idle and PTO time, and available time to recharge. For example, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory provided data for a Hybrid Truck Payback Calculator that took into account fuel use and power requirements. Findings included that on average, vehicles are spending more than 90 percent of their time at zero speed, five hours per day in PTO mode and over an average daily distance of 12 miles, a majority were at speeds between 25 and 35 mph.

Plug-in hybrids, Jarmuz concluded, can decrease fuel consumption during driving and at job sites, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. They also are quieter, produce engine maintenance cost savings, provide more power for acceleration and truck-mounted equipment, require a minimal change in operator behavior and their less intrusive design can preserve the OEM chassis warranty.

Nick Cammisa, sales manager, HyPower Products at Terex, provided an overview of the company’s HyPower plug-in hybrid system. Used for boom and tool functions, he noted, the vehicle will operate with the engine off most of the day and the truck will auto-restart if the batteries require a charge. HyPower, which can be retrofitted to existing vehicles depending on body layout, also can provide cabin comfort and exportable power.

Lessons learned for users of earlier-generation HyPower systems are being addressed, Cammisa added. Included are continued exploration of alternative battery technologies and software improvements.

Nina Kisch, manager of transportation services at Pacific Gas and Electric, offered a fleet’s perspective with a presentation titled “PG&E’s ePTO Experience: The Ups and Downs of Electric Worksite Idle Management Systems.” With more than 3,300 on-road alternative-fueled and high-efficiency vehicles, including 349 ePTO units, PG&E is ranked among the top utility fleet users of alternative fuel vehicles.

PG&E’s ePTO vehicle strategy includes trouble trucks with 35-foot aerials. These vehicles have standard specifications and are being ordered with ePTO technology. The fleet also has ordered 55 material handlers with 55-foot booms with ePTO systems that it is considering making a standard specification.

PG&E is measuring hard benefits of plug-in hybrids like fuel costs. Using idle time, fuel use, three-year average fuel price projections, workdays per year, idling fuel cost per year and the price of the system to determine a payback period from fuel savings, Kisch reported, based on the amount of idle time, the payback period can be as short as a little more than two years. Another hard benefit being measured is engine wear, with an estimated reduction in idle time of five hours per day equating to an annual drop in engine wear of 69 percent.

Kisch also outlined soft benefits that can be realized from ePTO use. Those include cleaner air at job sites from reduced emissions, quieter operation, which facilitates safety by improving crew communication and makes utility vehicles less intrusive in neighborhoods, and the ability to extend workdays in cities with noise ordinances.

Challenges are being addressed at PG&E as well, including fostering greater operator acceptance through communication and training, infrastructure needs for charging the battery when trouble trucks go home with employees – addressed by a union agreement to reimburse employees for charging costs – and engineering issues to provide more charge to the battery when driving.

PG&E’s next steps are to integrate its new material handlers into the fleet and obtain performance results, install additional charge points, test an under-hood generator to provide more charge to the batteries when trucks can’t be plugged in regularly, look at transitioning to lithium-ion chemistry and lighter-weight batteries, and continually evaluate next-generation improvements with suppliers. Visit www.eufmc.com.

HYBRIDS

Odyne Systems Showcases Hybrid Power Truck System
Selected for nationwide deployment by the U.S. Department of Energy is a hybrid propulsion system from Odyne Systems. The company was chosen to participate in a $45.4 million award to develop and deploy more than 120 plug-in hybrid systems for trucks throughout North America.

The Odyne plug-in hybrid system on display at ICUEE – held in October at Louisville’s Kentucky Exposition Center – on an International chassis is designed to interface with truck-mounted equipment. According to the company, the system reduces fuel consumption by up to 50 percent, depending on application, and increases power. The Odyne solution uses a Remy electric motor in parallel with the existing drivetrain, and Johnson Controls lithium-ion battery packs, to provide launch assist and regenerative braking and to provide power at the job site.

“We are excited to be introducing several recent developments that are continually advancing hybrid and truck electrification technology,” said Joe Dalum, president of Odyne Systems. “The market is embracing our ePTO functionality and enhanced transmission interface, developed in coordination with Allison Transmission, our investment partner. We look forward to further optimization of the hybrid drivetrain and continued gains in efficiency through additional engineering collaboration with Allison.” Visit www.odyne.com and www.allisontransmission.com.

PG&E Joins with EVI to Unveil Hybrid Electric Bucket Trucks
Class 5 extended-range hybrid electric trucks, capable of providing power to homes and businesses during outages, have been introduced by Electric Vehicles International and Pacific Gas and Electric. The Range Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) utility trucks, developed by EVI in partnership with PG&E and the California Energy Commission, were designed, built and tested at EVI’s manufacturing plant in Stockton, Calif.

REEV features an all-electric range of 45 miles and fuel savings of up to 30 percent when the units are operating in hybrid mode, the manufacturer noted. PG&E accepted delivery of the first two REEV units this summer, and purchased two additional units after a successful initial demonstration of the vehicles.

PG&E plans to eventually replace all 942 of its conventional fuel Class 5 vehicles, including bucket trucks, flatbeds and other service trucks, with plug-in electric hybrid models, which would save the utility nearly $3.5 million in fuel costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 9,000 metric tons annually. In addition to the fuel savings and environmental benefits that PG&E anticipates as it deploys these trucks in increasing numbers, the trucks also offer up to 75 kW of exportable power that could be used to provide power to the grid during planned or unplanned outages.

“These trucks not only will help us reduce our fuel costs as well as our carbon footprint, but in the event of an outage, we would be able to use their exportable power capacity to supply electricity to homes and businesses,” said Dave Meisel, senior director of transportation and aviation services for PG&E. “For us, as a utility, that is a game changer for the future.” Visit www.evi-usa.com and www.pge.com.

NATURAL GAS

Chevrolet and GMC Expand Bi-Fuel Truck and Van Offerings
2014 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD and GMC Sierra 2500HD bi-fuel pickup trucks are now available in a crew cab configuration. The bi-fuel pickups run on gasoline or compressed natural gas (CNG) and seamlessly switch between the two fuels for a combined range of 650 miles. They are available in standard and long-box and two- or four-wheel-drive models.

In 2015, model year 2014 GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado trucks and Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size passenger vans will be available in dedicated CNG versions. The Express and Savana passenger vans join a dedicated CNG lineup that includes cargo versions of the vehicles.

“With these new vehicles, General Motors offers the most comprehensive lineup of manufacturer-engineered, validated and warranted CNG vehicles, helping fleet managers manage their budget and reduce their carbon footprint,” said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president, GM Fleet and Commercial Sales. “Natural gas is less costly at the pump and significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions compared to other liquid fuels.”

Using both fuels, the GM and Chevy trucks have an approximate total driving range of 650 miles. The vans are built with a gaseous fuel-ready 6.0-liter V-8 and equipped with dedicated CNG fuel systems, available in three- or four-tank models on cargo vans and exclusively with the three-tank design on the passenger van models. The new CNG passenger vans offer an approximately 200-mile driving range in three-tank versions. With the four-tank configuration, the range on the cargo vans extends to approximately 300 miles. Visit www.gmfleet.com.

American Trucking Associations Partners with NGVAmerica
The American Trucking Associations has become an event partner of NGVAmerica’s 2013 North American NGV Conference & Expo, which took place November 18-21 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Themed “Natural Gas: Transportation Fuel for a Better Bottom Line,” the event, which focused on the NGV market, included three days of sessions, a 75,000-square-foot exposition, a ride-and-drive event, preconference site tours, presentation of annual NGV Achievement Awards and related industry meetings.

As an event partner, ATA provided input to NGVAmerica concerning program content, promoting the event to its membership and participating in the program, including a keynote address by ATA president and CEO Bill Graves. “There has been a great deal of interest in how America’s trucking industry can best utilize natural gas,” Graves said. “By partnering with NGVAmerica, ATA hopes to foster continued dialogue on how this fuel can benefit fleets and the environment.” Visit www.ngvamerica.org.

Bus Fleets Get Propane Autogas Green Award
The Propane Education & Research Council has recognized five public transportation fleets for their use of domestic propane autogas. Fueling with propane autogas, according to PERC, results in an estimated 40 percent reduction in smog-producing hydrocarbon emissions in light-duty vehicles compared with gasoline, and an 80 percent reduction in heavy-duty vehicles compared with diesel.

The five fleets chosen to receive a Top User of Clean-Burning Propane Autogas award were:
• Flint MTA in Flint, Mich., which operates 72 Roush CleanTech propane autogas-fueled shuttle buses. Each bus displaces an estimated 200,000 pounds of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.
• Greater Cleveland RTA in Ohio operates 20 paratransit shuttle buses fueled by propane autogas and plans to add 40 more by 2015. The buses, which replace aging diesel vehicles, are reducing Cuyahoga County’s carbon footprint by 60 percent.
• Metro Cars in Detroit displaces more than 520,000 gallons of petroleum each year and operates more than 200 propane autogas-fueled vehicles, including 13 transit buses converted by ICOM.
• Port Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio, displaces 2.5 tons of particulate matter, 11 tons of nitrogen oxide and almost 9 tons of carbon dioxide each year fueling with propane autogas. The airport operates 19 propane autogas shuttle buses with plans to convert its remaining six diesel buses.
• Unified Government of Wyandotte County near Kansas City, Kan., operates 15 propane autogas vehicles, including 13 transit buses. The county saves approximately $100,000 in annual fuel costs and displaces more than 50,000 gallons of gasoline annually.

“Propane autogas is a proven fuel that reduces emissions and delivers fuel savings,” said Tucker Perkins, PERC chief business development officer. “Our inaugural award winners are models in the public transportation sector of how propane autogas is improving the economic and environmental well-being of citizens and communities nationwide.” Visit www.autogasusa.org.

GE’s CNG In A Box Chosen for Canadian Natural Gas Fueling Stations
To help meet the needs of fleets, Chelsea Natural Gas Limited has purchased 20 GE Oil & Gas CNG In A Box fueling systems. As part of the Canadian energy company’s efforts to develop a natural gas fueling infrastructure, the company plans to use the CNG fueling stations in a semiprivate “card lock” format for shared fueling stations. The first fueling station is scheduled to open next spring.

“In Canada, where commercial fleets are smaller, it is hard for individual fleet operators to justify the expense of building their own natural gas refueling facilities,” said Steve Carmichael, CEO of Chelsea Natural Gas. “GE’s CNG In A Box solution allows us to offer a cost-effective way for fleets to take advantage of the economic and environmental benefits that come with using natural gas as a transportation fuel.”

GE’s CNG In A Box solution is a fully integrated, modular natural gas production system for fleet and retail fueling stations. For Chelsea Natural Gas, several of the CNG In A Box units will feature a cold-weather design. The solution also has payment-enabled fueling dispensers. Visit www.ge.com.

NGVi Launches Heavy-Duty and Light-Duty NGV Maintenance and Diagnostics Training Courses
The Natural Gas Vehicle Institute is offering NGV Maintenance and Diagnostics Training: Heavy-Duty Vehicles and NGV Maintenance and Diagnostics Training: Light-Duty Vehicles courses to help prepare technicians to perform maintenance, diagnostics and repair of natural gas vehicles (NGV). Both courses include operational theory with hands-on exercises and use of digital multimeters, scan tools and other diagnostic equipment, and prepare technicians for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) H1 and F1 exams.

NGV Maintenance and Diagnostics Training: Heavy-Duty Vehicles covers all natural gas heavy-duty manufacturers’ systems, including CNG and LNG, with major emphasis on Cummins ISL G-equipped vehicles. NGV Maintenance and Diagnostics Training: Light-Duty Vehicles covers multiple natural gas light- and medium-duty manufacturers’ systems, including Altech-Eco, BAF, Honda, IMPCO, Landi Renzo, Dodge Ram and Westport LD.

NGVi plans to offer at least 12 of these courses in 2014. In-house training is available for companies that need to train 15 or more technicians.

“Both courses were designed according to the stringent requirements for ASE Continuing Automotive Service Education accreditation,” noted Annalloyd Thomason, vice president and general manager at NGVi. “Each course went through a rigorous beta test with technicians representing companies the caliber of Agility Fuel Systems, Encana, FedEx Freight, Frito-Lay/PepsiCo, Landi Renzo and Waste Management.” Visit www.ngvi.com.

FUEL CELL

FTA Announces $7.7 Million Award to CALSTART to Improve Fuel Cell Bus Technologies
In early September, the Federal Transit Administration announced awards totaling nearly $8 million to CALSTART for four separate projects that are aimed at making zero-emission, low-carbon fuel cell buses more affordable and competitive with diesel buses.

CALSTART has partnered with the FTA since the formation of the National Fuel Cell Bus Program in 2006. Over the period of the program, fuel cell lifetimes in transit operations have more than doubled while costs have declined by 50 percent.

The FTA awards to CALSTART include:
• American Fuel Cell Bus: $2,732,147 to build a next-generation fuel cell bus with the latest fuel cell technology and demonstrate in transit service in the greater Cleveland area for two years. This project builds on the success of the American Fuel Cell Bus project, funded under the National Fuel Cell Bus Program. Project partners and suppliers are Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Cleveland; ElDorado National, Riverside, Calif.; BAE Systems, Endicott, N.Y.; and Ballard Power Systems, Lowell, Mass.
• Battery-Dominant Fuel Cell Hybrid Bus: $4,251,307 to develop and demonstrate a battery-dominant fuel cell bus based on a commercial hybrid platform, and smaller, less expensive fuel cells. The bus will operate in similar service to the American Fuel Cell Bus, allowing direct comparison. Project partners and suppliers are SunLine Transit Agency, Thousand Palms, Calif.; ElDorado National, Riverside, Calif.; and BAE Systems, Endicott, N.Y.
• Fuel Cell Bus Altoona Testing: $554,316 for testing of an existing fuel cell bus, essential for commercialization of fuel cell electric buses. This project will help develop consistent procedures and guidelines for testing all fuel cell buses. The project partner is National Bus Testing Facility, Altoona, Pa.
• Best Practices in Hydrogen Fueling and Maintenance Facilities: $189,999 to develop a best practices guide for transit agencies in hydrogen fueling and maintenance facilities.
Visit www.calstart.org.

US Hybrid to Build Next-Generation Fuel Cell for Transit Buses
US Hybrid has been awarded a contract to build the next generation of fuel cells for transit buses. The project administered by CALSTART will be funded by the Federal Transit Administration.

US Hybrid is taking over contracts that had been previously awarded to UTC Corp., which sold its fuel cell technology and business in late 2012. US Hybrid, with experience in system design, integration and operation of fuel cell shuttle buses, specialty vehicles, passenger cars and supporting fuel cells with component electronics, will complete the fuel cell power plant development, fabrication and validation at a South Windsor, Conn., facility. Visit www.ushybrid.com.

GREEN EVENTS

Green Truck Summit & The Work Truck Show 2014
March 4-7, 2014
Indianapolis
www.ntea.com

Green Gas Nozzle 300px

Are We Done With Diesel?

Written by Seth Skydel on . Posted in Editor's Perspective.

Considering all the activity surrounding alternative fuel vehicles and equipment, from natural gas to hybrids to all-electric models, it’s hard not to wonder if diesel fuel might someday become a thing of the past. Those thoughts were easily erased, however, if you attended the 2013 Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Washington, D.C., where new technology diesel advancements for trucks and passenger vehicles were showcased by the Diesel Technology Forum (DTF).

The ACT Expo (www.actexpo.com), according to its organizer, is North America’s largest alternative fuel and clean vehicle technology conference and exposition and the site of many displays of electric, hybrid, hydrogen, natural gas, propane autogas and renewable fuels. The DTF (www.dieselforum.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about diesel engines, fuel and technology.

According to the DTF, all indications are that diesel fuel is here to stay. Consider, for example, that more than 95 percent of all heavy-duty trucks and a majority of medium-duty trucks are diesel-powered. Today as well, the forum points out that most diesel engines can run on biodiesel blends with little modification as well as next-generation renewable diesel fuels, which are under development by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Biomass Program and by companies in the private sector.

More than 28 percent of all trucks registered in the U.S. are now equipped with advanced new technology clean diesel engines, according to data compiled by R.L. Polk & Co. for the DTF. The Polk data includes registration information on Class 3 through 8 trucks from 2007 through 2012 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

“The fact that many trucks on U.S. roads today are equipped with new technology diesel engines with near zero emissions is significant for the environment,” said Allen Schaeffer, DTF executive director. “Emissions from today’s diesel trucks are near zero thanks to more efficient engines, more effective emissions control technology and the nationwide availability of ultralow sulfur diesel fuel.”

DTF points out that new clean diesel technology has reduced emissions from heavy-duty trucks by 99 percent for nitrogen oxides and 98 percent for particulate emissions, and that new ultralow sulfur diesel fuel has reduced sulfur emissions by 97 percent. In addition, new emissions control technology and ultralow sulfur diesel are benefiting many of the older diesel trucks built before 2007. “Through the use of retrofit upgrades, older diesel engines can improve their performance and reduce key emissions by as much as 90 percent,” Schaeffer said.

“What makes new diesel technology even more remarkable is that model year 2010 and later trucks are experiencing an average of 3 to 5 percent improvement in fuel economy,” Schaeffer continued. “Additionally, diesel also provides a unique technology platform suitable for expanded hybrid powertrains and lower-carbon renewable fuels, both of which are very viable strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the future.”

The new generation of clean diesel technology, ultralow sulfur diesel fuel, cleaner engines and advanced emissions control technology provides both environmental and economic benefits to the U.S.

To answer the question “Are we done with diesel?” with anything but a resounding “no” would be premature. Diesel remains a driving force behind the trucks that power utility fleets and continues to play a central role in the effort to reduce fuel consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years.

Seth Skydel
Editor

PGE3-Web

Green News

Written by Seth Skydel on . Posted in Smart Fleets.

Bills Aim to Equalize LNG Fuel Tax
The LNG Excise Tax Equalization Act of 2013 introduced in the U.S. Senate seeks to equitably tax liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a transportation fuel. Similar legislation has also been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Both bills seek to modify the way LNG is taxed as a transportation fuel. Currently, the federal highway excise tax on both diesel and LNG is set at 24.3 cents per gallon. However, it takes about 1.7 gallons of LNG to equal the energy content of 1 gallon of diesel, resulting in a tax rate that is 70 percent higher than diesel on an energy equivalent basis.

The proposed legislation changes the way LNG is taxed from a volume (gallon) to an energy content (diesel gallon equivalent) basis. This effort by Congress mirrors bills in six states where legislatures have adjusted the state tax on LNG so it is based on an energy equivalent basis.

CALSTART to Test Advanced Battery Technology in Commercial Trucks
Tests to integrate military starter batteries in commercial trucks could yield more efficient, cost-effective power for both military and commercial applications. For that reason, the U.S. Army has awarded CALSTART a contract to test 12-volt lithium-ion batteries in commercial trucks. The evaluations of three different lithium-ion chemistries will assess if the batteries can deliver performance and reliability in commercial trucks.

“Lithium-ion battery technologies promise to hold out better in the field,” said CALSTART president and CEO John Boesel. “In its own testing, the military has found that lithium batteries last longer, resulting in fewer replacements and less need for inventory. If these field tests prove successful, the commercial trucking industry may make the switch to lithium starter batteries.”

The three battery companies participating in the test are Navitas Systems (www.navitassys.com), EaglePicher Technologies (www.eaglepicher.com) and Saft (www.saftbatteries.com). Visit www.calstart.org.

PG&E Displays Green Fleet
Pacific Gas and Electric Co., which operates more than 3,400 electric or alternative fuel vehicles, showcased its range of Green Fleet vehicles on San Francisco’s Justin Herman Plaza during the Plug-In Electric Vehicle Collaborative Conference. On display were:
• Altec bucket truck and material handler that utilizes a plug-in battery-powered system called the Electric Worksite Idle Management System to power auxiliary features at job sites, including lights, hydraulic lifts and tools.
• VIA Motors extended-range electric pickup truck developed in partnership with the manufacturer. The pickup features an electric-only range of 40 miles and exportable power, which can be used to provide power during outages or to power tools used by crews in the field.
• Smith all-electric service truck, an all-electric-powered medium-duty flatbed truck developed in partnership with the manufacturer and American Truck & Trailer Body Co.
• Chevrolet Volt, Ford C-MAX Energi and Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric cars.

Also on display was a mobile command vehicle designed to support up to 15 people for long-term deployments during emergency situations. The vehicle is outfitted with a generator, workstations, laptops, satellite phones, radios and a radio controller that permits integrated communication with other emergency agencies.

HYBRIDS

Odyne Systems Wins Contract for Deployment of Plug-In Hybrid Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucks
A U.S. Department of Energy grant to develop and deploy plug-in hybrid systems for trucks has been awarded to Odyne Systems. The contract granted to Odyne by the Electric Power Research Institute directs funding from the Department of Energy’s Transportation Electrification Initiative, the South Coast Air Quality Management District of California, and other parties for the development and supply of advanced plug-in hybrid and smart grid/smart charging technology for trucks over 14,000 pounds GVW.

It is anticipated that more than 120 Odyne plug-in hybrid systems will be installed on vehicles for partners in the program, including investor-owned utilities and municipal electric companies. Odyne’s plug-in hybrid technology combines electric power conversion, power control and energy management systems with Allison Transmission commercial vehicle transmissions. The system features a Remy HVH250 series electric motor and Johnson Controls’ modular lithium-ion battery systems.

“This contract is very significant and will put the advantages of hybrid systems for large trucks to work in communities throughout the country,” said Joe Dalum, president of Odyne Systems.
Visit www.odyne.com, www.allisontransmission.com and www.epri.com.

PG&E, Allison Transmission and Peterbilt Motors Showcase Hybrid Material Handler
Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Allison Transmission and Peterbilt Motors premiered the first utility material-handler truck equipped with the new Allison hybrid H 3000 system for commercial trucks at the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference.

The H 3000 features parallel hybrid architecture that supplies blended power from a conventional diesel engine with an Allison automatic transmission, an electric motor with a regenerative braking kinetic energy recovery system and stored energy from batteries.

Fuel savings from the propulsion package are projected to be up to 25 percent depending on vocation and duty cycle. PG&E operates 412 material handlers, and with an anticipated fuel savings of 25 percent, the company would save 139,279 gallons per year with this technology. Visit www.allisontransmission.com and www.peterbilt.com.

Inventev Reaches National Cleantech Open Semifinals
Participating in the Cleantech Open national business competition, Inventev has been named a semifinalist from the Midwest region. The company is the developer of a plug-in hybrid electric truck propulsion system that provides power on job sites and for disaster response with mobile temporary power generation.

“We plan to integrate neighborhood generating capacity onto fleets of hybrid electric trucks, saving fuel while also having standby generating capability when needed,” said Inventev CEO Dave Stenson. “By using the same motor that will electrically drive the truck to generate utility-grade power when stationary, the Inventev system becomes very capital-efficient versus trailer-mounted generators.”

Inventev has been working with NextEnergy, a Detroit nonprofit with expertise in accelerating advanced energy-based technologies. The Cleantech Open competition will conclude regionally in October with finalists competing for national awards in November in San Jose, Calif. Visit www.inventev.com and www.cleantechopen.org.

Cowlitz PUD Gives High Marks to the Terex HyPower Hybrid System
Terex recently followed up with Cowlitz PUD to get feedback on the utility’s experience using its HyPower hybrid system, which was retrofitted onto one of the company’s existing work trucks.

“It’s quiet and we can talk to each other without yelling above the noise of the truck engine,” said Jim Cantrell, Cowlitz PUD substation wireman.

As long as the HyPower system’s rechargeable batteries are properly charged the night before, the crew can typically work a whole day on the job site without running the truck’s engine. “This is ideal for substation work where we are parked in one position all day,” Cantrell noted.

Cowlitz PUD substation wireman Todd Richardson said he’s impressed with the smooth operation of the bucket. According to Terex, the operation is not at all affected when choosing to run in regular or hybrid mode. The power is the same, the speed is the same, and when transitioning from engine on to hybrid mode while operating the boom, the transition is seamless.

“We chose the hybrid system HyPower retrofit because we had the standard manlift already, but wanted to take advantage of the benefits of a HyPower retrofit,” Cowlitz PUD said. “Benefits for us are a better work environment for employees, less need for managing the regenerative system on the truck and less carbon emissions into the atmosphere.” Visit www.terexhypower.com.

NATURAL GAS

Greenkraft Earns EPA-CARB Certification
A manufacturer and distributor of alternative fuel commercial vehicle products, Greenkraft has received U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board certification for its Ford 6.8-liter V-10 three-valve engine. The completely tested CNG fuel delivery system, according to Frank Ziegler, director of sales at Greenkraft, adds the fewest number of components to the Ford 6.8-liter three-valve engine.

Greenkraft is also offering CNG Type 4, 32.5-GGE tanks or CNG Type 4, 65-GGE packages that can be side-frame or behind-the-cabin mounted. The company is also in the process of certifying several Ford engine families and offers CNG fuel delivery systems on GM 4.8-liter and 6-liter engines. Visit www.greenkraftinc.com.

DIRECTV to Increase Propane Autogas Fleet
Plans to expand its propane autogas-fueled fleet of 77 ROUSH CleanTech Ford E-250 vans over the next year have been announced by DIRECTV, a provider of digital television entertainment services. After comparing alternative fuel options, DIRECTV chose propane autogas due to its low cost and accessibility of fuel, return on investment and domestic fuel source.

“The addition of more propane autogas-fueled vehicles to the DIRECTV fleet strengthens our commitment to reducing the company’s overall gasoline usage,” said Brandon Morris, director of fleet services for DIRECTV. “We have learned a lot from analyzing our current propane fleet, and are seeing benefits from using propane as an alternative to gasoline. Since November 2011, we have reduced gasoline consumption by 75,000 gallons and saved nearly 50 percent on a cost-per-gallon basis compared to gasoline.”

ROUSH CleanTech designs, engineers, manufactures, and installs propane autogas fuel system technology for light- and medium-duty Ford commercial vehicles, and Type A and Type C Blue Bird school buses. Visit www.roushcleantech.com.

Virginia Clean Cities Reaches 1,000 Vehicle Conversions to Propane
The largest propane deployment project in the U.S. involving a government partnership, Virginia Clean Cities has now converted 1,000 vehicles through the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program. The program is supported by funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program.

The vehicle conversions in this program take gasoline-powered vehicles and upfit them with the bi-fuel Prins VSI propane autogas system. Visit www.usepropaneautogas.com and www.vacleancities.org.

Alliance AutoGas Installs 600th Propane Refueling Station
As of June, Alliance AutoGas had installed its 600th propane autogas refueling station at a fleet facility. The company usually supplies its refueling technology at no upfront cost and then provides customers with autogas, vehicle conversions, and ongoing training and technical support. For fleets interested in new propane autogas-powered vehicles, Alliance provides vehicles from U.S. manufacturers, and is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Prins autogas systems. Visit www.allianceautogas.com.

Quantum Develops Lightweight Carbon Composite CNG Fuel Tanks
Utilizing selective fiber placement that leads to a reduction in weight, Quantum, under sponsorship by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy, has developed lightweight composite shells for natural gas storage tanks. Under a patent filing, the company has demonstrated more than a 20 percent reduction in material needed for its lightweight carbon composite compressed natural gas fuel tanks.

“This is a significant patent in that it provides a solution to reduce both weight and cost of fuel tanks, enabling more widespread commercialization of natural gas vehicles,” said Brian Olson, president and CEO of Quantum. “We are in the process of refining this technology for phased introduction into commercial products.” Visit www.qtww.com.

ELECTRIC

Energy Xtreme partners with City of Austin Public Works Department
Field data on Energy Xtreme’s Independence Package (IP) Utility Service Vehicle Series smart power management systems is revealing savings for the City of Austin. The public works department has utilized 31 IP4 models of the auxiliary power unit in its fleet for the past three years.

The Austin Public Works Department used the IP4 four hours per day to eliminate four hours of idling and realized an estimated savings of 4.8 gallons of gasoline per day, elimination of an estimated 140 idling miles per day and a reduction in costs for battery replacement.

The IP4, with a 4,000-Whr capacity, provides AC power for tools and has a built-in inverter allowing for shore power to operate a utility truck’s full electrical load – including beacon lights, camera, radio, computer and power tools – without engaging the engine. Visit www.energyxtreme.net.

Stockton to Deploy Battery-Electric Transit Buses
In a program managed by CALSTART, the California Energy Commission is providing funding for two electric buses operated by the San Joaquin Regional Transit District. Built by Proterra, the battery-electric transit buses, which have all the functionality of a conventional transit bus, will operate throughout an entire daily cycle, recharging using a fully automated rapid charging system for 10 minutes every two hours. When the bus approaches the charge station, the station recognizes the bus, guides the bus into position and charges the vehicle without driver interaction. Visit www.calstart.org.

Boulder Electric Vehicle and Coritech Services Showcase Fast-Charge Solution
A bidirectional DC fast-charging system using vehicle-to-grid technology has been demonstrated by Boulder Electric Vehicle and Coritech Services. The turnkey solution utilizes Boulder Electric Vehicle’s all-electric truck equipped with a lithium 72-kWh battery pack and a Coritech 60-kW DC fast-charger system. Boulder Electric Vehicle offers a range of electric vehicles. Coritech Services offers DC fast chargers capable of bidirectional charging and discharging. Visit www.boulderev.com.

GREEN EVENTS

HTUF 2013 National Meeting
October 7-9
Chicago
www.calstart.org

2013 North American Natural Gas Vehicle Conference & Expo
November 18-21
Atlanta
www.cleanvehicle.org


The Work Truck Show 2014
March 5-7
Green Truck Summit begins March 4
Indianapolis
www.ntea.com

Vonasek-13-Web

OPPD’s Continual Evolution

Written by Wade Vonasek on . Posted in Fleet Profiles.

Founded in 1946, Omaha Public Power District is a publicly owned, business-managed electric utility governed by an elected board of directors and headquartered in Omaha, Neb. With a fleet operations staff of more than 50, OPPD services 5,000 square miles, covering 13 counties in southeastern Nebraska and serving 352,000 customers. In fact, OPPD is the 12th-largest public power utility in the United States in number of customers served. OPPD maintains multiple facilities, including three full-service garages in the metropolitan Omaha area, one full-service garage in south rural Omaha and a light-duty garage in downtown Omaha.

Working Smarter
Mike Donahue has spent the last three years as manager of transportation and construction equipment for OPPD, and has 18 years of industry experience working with fleets. Donahue said that a recent method OPPD has adopted to keep its fleet running smoothly and cost-effectively is the addition of Energy Xtreme mobile power units to two of its trucks. The system runs all electrical accessories – including emergency lights, tools, battery chargers, computers and cab heaters – but not the hydraulics. Though early in the process, Donahue said the old trucks were averaging 12.6 miles per engine hour, and the new trucks are averaging 16.9 miles per engine hour, an improvement of approximately 33 percent.

OPPD will also be adding two Altec JEMS units in the near future. These basket trucks are equipped with an electrical package that is comparable in concept to the Energy Xtreme units, except the electric power will run the hydraulics and boom as well, and also have an HVAC solution.

Other measures have been taken to reduce idling and fuel expense times as well. OPPD has employed a single fuel card for internal and external fuel transactions, with increased security on its internal fuel transactions with the implementation of the FuelFocus package through its fleet software provider, AssetWorks. An automated pool system, KeyValet from AssetWorks, has also been implemented at two of OPPD’s main sites to handle light-duty vehicle pools.

The utility has been locking in prices for bulk fuel on an annual basis, as well as regularly analyzing its fleet size, looking for units that are underutilized or that can be pooled, shared, traded, downsized, eliminated or repurposed. This effort has resulted in significant fleet reductions of nearly 40-50 units. Additional analysis of fleet replacement vehicles also is regularly performed.

“Vehicles are replaced based on lowest life-cycle cost calculations,” Donahue said. “Example replacement cycles are 10 years for large bucket trucks and 12 years for digger derricks. We have started to transfer small aerials and fiberglass bodies to new chassis at seven years.”

Donahue said the process is primarily for troubleshooter trucks, such as an Altec AT37G mounted on a Ford F-550 or Dodge 5500 chassis. “The trucks tend to get high miles, high engine hours, but not as much boom operation, so the booms and bodies tend to be in decent condition, whereas the engines and chassis equipment are being taxed heavily after that time frame,” he said. “We save more than 50 percent of replacement cost of the boom and body by transferring. We are also cycling out of the engines in those trucks, which will benefit us as well.”

A wide assortment of factors can come into play when researching and deciding to purchase new vehicles for the fleet. Donahue said that the economy over the past few years has really sent a jolt to the work that OPPD’s internal and external customers are doing.

“When the economy was hot, OPPD was installing new home services and neighborhood backbones just as fast as possible,” he said. “Now, that work has slowed down quite a bit and the focus has spread to more maintenance on the existing system. Those factors have really affected the need for trenchers, boring equipment, easement machines and mini-excavators. Storerooms, facilities and production facilities have seen increased production from telehandlers and self-propelled aerials, so they are requesting more of those types of units. Designers are requiring taller poles and placing them farther off the roads, which drives the need for taller aerials and bigger derricks.

“In a nutshell, we continually investigate what our customer needs are when determining the best vehicles for their applications,” Donahue noted. “We stay up to date on trends in the industry, available technology, what makes sense for OPPD, alternative fuels versus standard gas or diesel engines, idle reduction technology, maintenance experience and rental options. We do the best we can to encompass all those components when making purchasing decisions. It is a constant challenge.”

OPPD has seen positive results from many of the steps it’s taken. Improved fuel management and improved fuel economy have been achieved, and fleet reductions and the purchase of replacements with smaller, more fuel-efficient engines have helped with increased pool size and better fleet utilization. These efforts will continue, according to Donahue.

Happy with Hybrids
The utility has a growing fleet of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, mainly passenger cars and SUVs. Donahue said that all of OPPD’s hybrid vehicles have performed exceptionally well and improved the mileage in their vehicle classes.

“We have hybrid Toyota Priuses, Camrys and Highlanders, Honda Insights and Civics, a Chevrolet Malibu, a Ford Fusion and an International 4300M7 with the Eaton transmission,” he said. “We also have a Chevrolet Volt which has been averaging well over 100 mpg in our application. We look forward to receiving Ford C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi plug-in extended-range hybrids in the very near future. We understand that application of these units has a significant impact on the successful implementation of these units so we consider that application when making the purchasing decision.”

In regard to hybrid vehicles, Donahue said that there are gains to be made on virtually all sides of the issue, including reduced fuel consumption, fewer emissions out of the tailpipe, less wear and tear on the engine, less maintenance and fewer repairs, an extended truck life and less engine noise.

“OPPD is evaluating the expansion of the plug-in fleet and proceeding where it is appropriate,” Donahue said. “Idle reduction is a significant opportunity. The operators are even feeding back that they enjoy less fumes and quieter work environments. I anticipate that it will ease expanded implementation on similar units in the future.”

Moving Forward
The current challenges to his fleet are not so different from when he first entered the industry 18 years ago, according to Donahue. Keeping the mechanics trained on the wide variety of vehicles and equipment they need to maintain and repair, keeping tools and diagnostic equipment up to date, finding long-term direction on fuels, and adjusting the workplace culture to improve engagement, safety and accountability all are issues he has encountered. Donahue belongs to NAFA Fleet Management Association and the Upper Midwest Utility Fleet Council, and attends fleet-related conferences like the Green Fleet Conference & Expo and ICUEE to help him pick up information to deal with fleet issues.

“Our mindset now needs to be one of continual improvement, employee development, staying on top of issues and technological developments, fuels, recognizing our customer needs and staying involved in fleet communities facing similar challenges,” Donahue said.

The future for OPPD and its fleet should see significant attention to alternative fuels and the things that come along with them. Donahue said OPPD is going through what one might call “a significant commitment point on alternative fuels.”

“With so much attention being paid to diesel and the associated emission equipment, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, natural gas, propane, other gaseous fuels, ethanol and biodiesel, it’s challenging,” Donahue said. “We look over the last 10 years and see all the emission changes that took place from 2003 to 2013, the fuel and technology development, and if we are anywhere close to that rate of change over the next 10 years, it’s hard to imagine where we will be. That’s the challenge we all should love, right? OPPD will continue to work on all these areas to manage doing the best we can for our customers, our customer owners and the environment. It should be a fun ride.”

About the Author: Wade Vonasek is a writer and editor. His work has appeared both in print and online for publications such as Mass Transit, Professional Tool & Equipment News, Fleet Maintenance and more. He resides in Bristol, Wis.

Seattle1-Web

New Model

Written by Seth Skydel on . Posted in Fleet Profiles.

Dave Seavey, fleet management director with the City of Seattle’s Department of Finance and Administrative Services, Fleet Management Division (FMD), sums up his organization this way: “The Fleet Management Division is 126 people helping 10,000 employees acquire and maintain the right vehicles and equipment to effectively do their jobs.”

“We manage the city fleet internally and lease vehicles to most departments, including police, fire and parks,” Seavey said. “We purchase equipment and custom design about 300 vehicles each year. The fleet numbers over 4,100 units, and includes everything from bicycles to cars, passenger vans, hybrid SUVs and trucks. The most expensive piece of equipment in the Seattle fleet is a fire ladder truck, which cost just over $1.2 million.”

FMD maintains and repairs Seattle’s vehicles and specialized equipment, including cars, trucks, and fire apparatus and heavy equipment. Routine maintenance and repairs are part of each lease. In addition, Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) own their vehicles, but both departments pay FMD to maintain and co-manage their fleets. Annually, Seavey related, the FMD maintenance operation performs about 10,000 preventive maintenance checks and changes almost 4,000 tires.

In 2008, FMD hired an outside consultant to assess its fleet operations. The consultant evaluated current practices, equipment and facilities, identified and proposed appropriate best practices, and developed an implementation plan. In addition, in 2005 SPU hired a consultant to review its fleet operations, and because SPU’s fleet is managed partially by FMD, the study included a review of FMD’s competitiveness and internal business processes.

Implementing Best Practices
While the overall assessment of FMD’s operations in both studies was favorable, they did find room for improvement, and since then FMD has been implementing best practices recommendations. Resulting changes in how Seattle manages its vehicle fleet netted taxpayers more than $3 million in savings during one budget cycle.

Those savings, according to Seavey, include lowering fleet fund reserves by $2 million. “By developing a new forecasting model that projects out 10 years,” he explained, “FMD is able to minimize its reserves, which frees up funds for other city uses.

“Extending vehicle life cycles saves about $350,000 per year,” Seavey continued. “We have re-evaluated the useful life of every type of vehicle in the city fleet. In some cases, we found life cycles that were too short, meaning that vehicles may have been replaced before their optimal point. By selectively extending certain life cycles, we have cut replacement costs without any impact on the cost of maintaining those vehicles. The life cycle extensions initially saved the city more than $700,000 in 2009 and 2010, and the savings continue.”

Seattle’s FMD has also been working to reduce the size of its fleet. For example, in 2010 and 2011 the fleet was downsized by 200 vehicles. “This is an ongoing effort,” Seavey reported, “and we expect it to save millions over the next five years. In just the past year, we eliminated 188 vehicles, so not only will Seattle avoid the cost of replacing those vehicles, it will also avoid the cost of maintaining them in the future.

“We routinely benchmark our operations against other government agencies and fleet costs against the private sector,” Seavey added. “Government agencies that provide the same type of services that we do make good comparisons, and fleet costs, such as labor rates and markups, are compared with local private vendors who do the same work for profit.”

Green Fleet Policies
Another initiative in the City of Seattle is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by implementing green fleet policies. “One of the best things the city can do to protect and improve air quality, and encourage smart fuel and vehicle choices in the community, is to make our own vehicle fleet a model of environmental best practices,” Seavey stated.

Among the things Seattle has done to green its fleet in the past, Seavey noted, is to convert the entire diesel fleet to ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD), and to use a B20 blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent ULSD for select fleets. In addition, FMD has retrofitted all of the city’s heavy-duty trucks with emissions control devices. Combined, the two measures have cut harmful emissions by about 50 percent per vehicle.

Other green fleet initiatives in Seattle include making more than three-fourths of light-duty vehicle purchases for hybrid or biodiesel vehicles, and at least half of all compact cars purchased by the city each year use alternative fuels or get at least 45 miles per gallon.

In addition, in 2011 the city began adding all-electric vehicles to its fleet, and it has adopted Segways for jobs like water meter reading and parking enforcement. With zero emissions, a cost of just $3 per year to recharge and in some cases replacing the use of a car, the personal mobility vehicles are paying dividends in many ways.

Upgrading Technology
FMD is also focused on using technology in its maintenance operation to improve efficiency and productivity. At the 2013 Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference, Seavey presented how “Technology in Maintenance is Essential to Reaching the Green.”

“Technology and data matter,” Seavey said. “We have been upgrading the technology in our shops. We have cleaned the facilities and identified and replaced broken tools. We have replaced lifts and we’re adopting scan tools and laptops as well as using Web-based OEM repair programs.”

Examples of technology in the Seattle FMD include software from Cummins, Bendix, Meritor WABCO, International Trucks, GM, Eaton, Detroit Diesel, AutoEnginuity, TPMS and vehicle electrical system suppliers. Management tools in place include systems from MotorVac, Zonar, Mitchell and NAPA.

FMD also converted technology to better manage its fueling systems. At a cost of $250,000, Seavey pointed out, the division now has an automated solution that streamlines fueling for drivers including capturing mileage, provides transaction data for accurate billing, and has better internal controls for reconciliation and inventory control.

“We have also embarked on a complete makeover of our fleet management information systems,” Seavey related. “With our supplier, who had a project manager on site for one year for system setup, data correction and staff training, the two-year project has included establishing a wireless network and placing computers in the bays of all five FMD shops.

Overcoming Obstacles
“We did have to overcome some obstacles,” Seavey continued, “including securing $400,000 in funding. We also had to sell the reason for change to our technicians and supervisors. These systems meant a new way of working and in some cases we had to overcome false beliefs about technology.”

The benefits, however, are obvious, Seavey noted. “We’ve improved shop operations, morale and established integrity,” he stated. “We’ve decreased downtime significantly, which has allowed us to reassign staff and increase billable hours. We’ve also produced data that helps us make better vehicle and specification decisions.

“One of the biggest challenges our industry faces is to improve our understanding of finance, including business operations, and to embrace technology, such as information management systems,” Seavey added. “Fleet managers can no longer just rely on vehicle maintenance management skills. To be competitive, we must expand in these areas.”

Seavey, who spent 21 years in the U.S. Navy as a submarine force enlisted man and officer, brings a wealth of experience to FMD. After retiring from active duty, he worked for five years as a maintenance supervisor at Intercity Transit in Olympia, Wash., then spent five more years as the City of Olympia’s fleet manager. He joined Seattle’s FMD as fleet management director five years ago.

“In the past,” Seavey said, “our customer service model meant that FMD provided service to city operations. Our new model is that fleet services and operations are 50-50 partners. With that in mind, our Fleet Management Division manages the city’s vehicle and equipment operations with one goal – to ensure timely, cost-effective, and high-quality vehicles and maintenance services.”

About the Author: Seth Skydel has more than 27 years of truck- and automotive-related publication experience. In his career, he has held editorial roles at numerous national business-to-business publications focusing on fleet and transportation management, vehicle and information technology, and industry trends and issues.

Green-Fleets-Summer2-Green-News-Web

Green News

Written by Seth Skydel on . Posted in Smart Fleets.

Purchasing fuel-efficient technology may be one of the best options utility fleets have to reduce costs. Now, significant and easily accessible funding is becoming more readily available.

In California, one program that is proving highly beneficial is the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). Similar programs may also be coming soon to other parts of the country, including New York state and the city of Chicago, among others.

Now in its third year, HVIP is administered and implemented through a partnership between the California Air Resources Board and CALSTART, the clean transportation technology and fuels consortium. To date, more than $28 million has been delivered through the program, and 1,200+ hybrid and electric vehicles have been delivered. Additional funding is available to both public and private utility and telecom companies.

HVIP is designed to offset about half of the additional cost of eligible vehicles, including hybrid, battery-electric, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses. Vouchers range from $8,000 to $55,000 per vehicle depending on the vehicle size and model and the total number of vehicles purchased. Approved voucher amounts are deducted at the time of purchase.

Vehicles that are outfitted with hybrid aerial boom lifts, such as the Altec JEMS, are eligible for funding even if the lifts are installed on a vehicle without a hybrid driveline. Other manufacturers with eligible hybrid vehicles include Freightliner, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp., Peterbilt, Kenworth, Hino, Altec, Autocar and Thomas Built. Current electric vehicle offerings include Smith Electric, Electric Vehicles International and Boulder Electric.

HVIP is also a fit for school districts and bus companies, and there are several different makes and models of buses currently eligible for the program. In the Kings Canyon Unified School District, which serves students in a 600-square-mile area in California, alternative fuel vehicles were purchased using funds from a variety of sources.

Included were five hybrid-electric school buses built by International Coach using HVIP as a main source of funding combined with funds from the California Air Resources Board (ARB)/San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Lower-Emission School Bus Program, the Federal Highway Administration Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program or Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District/U.S. EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, and Fresno County Transportation Authority Measure C funds. The school district also received funding for an ARB AB 118 Air Quality Improvement Program Hybrid/Electric School Bus Demonstration Project to allow neighboring school districts to test the advanced technology buses.

“We continue to seek grant award opportunities that improve our clean air goals and lessen our use of conventional petroleum fuels to reduce our cost of operations,” said John D. Clements, director of transportation at Kings Canyon.

Many of the hybrid models on the road today are outfitted with Eaton hybrid systems. In Kings County, shop technicians received advance hybrid propulsion training from the manufacturer supported by a grant from the California Energy Commission. Visit www.californiahvip.org and www.calstart.org.

HYBRIDS

Magic Valley Electric Cooperative Adds Terex HyPower Hybrid
Terex Utilities has delivered a new TL41P Hi-Ranger telescopic material-handling aerial device equipped with its HyPower Hybrid System to Texas-based Magic Valley Electric Cooperative. The unit is in use at work sites in the Rio Grande Valley.

According to Rick Mendez, fleet manager at MVEC, by utilizing plug-in electric hybrid technology to operate the truck’s boom functions and accessories, the Terex TL41P HyPower truck offers Magic Valley the opportunity to lower the carbon footprint of its utility fleet while also cutting fuel costs.

“The Terex HyPower system is designed for the electric utility industry,” Mendez said. “It gets exceptional fuel economy without sacrificing productivity. And, it’s durable in all weather conditions so we’re able to use it year-round, increasing the savings we can pass on to our members while improving environmental conditions, including diesel exhaust emissions and noise pollution.”

MVEC, headquartered in Mercedes, Texas, also has facilities in Edinburg, Pharr and Brownsville. Founded in 1937 to bring electricity to the rural areas of the Rio Grande Valley, today Magic Valley has 4,800 miles of energized lines to serve more than 100,000 residential and commercial members.

The Terex TL41P HyPower truck uses stored energy from the HyPower hybrid system’s rechargeable batteries to power the nonpropulsion functions of the vehicle. MVEC’s HyPower model can work for hours without crews needing to start the vehicle engine.

“The Terex TL41P HyPower truck has been a good fit for us,” said John Herrera, MVEC general manager. “We are pleased with the productivity on projects, and our crews especially like the quietness of the truck’s operation because they are able to more easily communicate with one another on the job site.”

Since putting the Terex TL41P HyPower unit into service earlier this spring, MVEC crews have used it to change out a transformer, as well as on routine troubleshooting tasks and while servicing customer power outages.

According to Herrera, MVEC is evaluating opportunities to add more Terex HyPower trucks to its fleet. He also said that because the hybrid system can be retrofitted, the cooperative is considering adding the system to existing trucks in its fleet. Visit www.terexhypower.com.

Altec Expands Green Technologies
The Altec AT40G JEMS Aerial Device featuring an aluminum body is among the latest products to join the manufacturer’s Green Fleet product line of sustainable solutions. Aluminum bodies, according to the company, are up to 40 percent lighter than steel and weigh about 15 percent less than fiberglass, resulting in fuel savings. The bodies also allow utility fleet customers the option of a decreased gross vehicle weight rating chassis.

Integral to the Altec Green Fleet product line is the Jobsite Energy Management System (JEMS) integrated plug-in hybrid-electric system that uses stored electrical energy to power aerial devices and tools, and provide cab comfort. The energy storage system, which is recharged by plugging into shore power or by the truck’s internal combustion engine, eliminates idle time, reduces fuel consumption and lessens noise. Altec JEMS was recently approved by the U.S. EPA and complies with anti-idle legislation. Visit www.altec.com.

Odyne Systems Receives Award
The California Energy Commission, the state’s energy policy and planning agency, has awarded Odyne Systems and CALSTART an award for Advanced Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Technologies Pre-Commercial Demonstrations.

Under the award, CALSTART will function as the program manager, and Odyne Systems will demonstrate the installation of diesel plug-in hybrid electric truck systems and deploy four plug-in hybrid vehicles. CEC is contributing up to $462,600 toward the projects, along with additional funding from other partners.

The Odyne hybrid power system interfaces with Allison Transmission’s fully automatic transmissions, Remy advanced electric propulsion motors, Johnson Controls lithium-ion battery technology and other components. The hybrid drive system, according to the company, reduces fleet operating and maintenance costs and, depending on duty cycle, enables trucks to obtain fuel economy improvements of up to 50 percent compared to diesel or gasoline engines. Visit www.odyne.com, www.allisontransmission.com and www.calstart.org.

Ford Expects to Double Hybrid Vehicle Production
Since their introduction last fall, Ford has seen rising demand for its C-MAX Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid vehicles among fleet customers, and now expects to double hybrid production. The sales growth, according to the OEM, is the result of savings in costs of as much as 45 percent compared to gasoline engines and typically higher resale values.

Ford now offers a number of hybrid-electric vehicles:
• C-MAX Hybrid: EPA-estimated rating of 47 mpg city, highway and combined.
• C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid: EPA-estimated city rating of 108 mpg equivalent and 21 miles of all-electric range, and an EPA-estimated gas-plus-electric range of 620 miles.
• Fusion Hybrid: EPA-estimated rating of 47 mpg city, highway and combined.
• Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid: EPA-estimated gas-plus-electric range of 620 miles, electric-only range of up to 21 miles, and EPA-estimated rating of 108 mpg equivalent city, 92 mpg equivalent highway and 100 mpg equivalent combined.

“Fleet customers are looking for fuel-efficient, durable vehicles that can withstand the daily use and duty cycles of their businesses,” said Jon Coleman, Ford commercial fleet sustainability and technology manager. “Ford’s Fusion Hybrid and C-MAX Hybrid give them the tools they need to get the job done.” Visit www.ford.com.

XL Hybrids Partners with Knapheide Manufacturing
A distribution and installation agreement between XL Hybrids, developer of a hybrid-electric powertrain for Class 1 to 3 commercial vehicles, and The Knapheide Manufacturing Co., a commercial vehicle equipment provider, will provide one-stop purchase, upfit, delivery and invoicing for fleets. Through the new partnership, Knapheide will install XL Hybrids’ technology in its existing ship-through network. Deliveries will begin in August with new 2014 model year Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans, and will cover pool vehicles and retrofits for 2010 to 2013 GM cargo vans. Visit www.xlhybrids.com and www.knapheide.com.

NATURAL GAS

Williamson County Fleet Saves on Fuel Costs with Propane Autogas
On an annual basis, by running fleet vehicles on propane autogas, Williamson County, Texas, expects to save $73,000 on fuel costs. The central Texas county began converting vehicles to propane in 2009, and now operates 36 autogas-powered units. In addition to saving fuel costs, the county was also able to take advantage of a 50-cent per gallon Alternative Fuel Motor Tax Credit, a federal incentive available through the IRS for fleets that choose propane autogas.

The 36 autogas-powered vehicles in the Williamson County fleet include eight with dedicated systems and 26 with bi-fuel systems, a popular option for converting existing vehicles to autogas.

“We are pleased to be able to convert part of our fleet to propane autogas, which is domestically produced in Texas, and is less expensive than gasoline or diesel fuels,” said Williamson County Commissioner Cynthia Long. “In addition to being more economical, autogas is cleaner burning, which makes it better for engine maintenance and emissions.”

With more than 700 fueling stations across the state, propane autogas is widely available throughout Texas. Williamson County has built six autogas fueling stations, each with a storage capacity of 2,000 pounds.

“Williamson County is just one of the many U.S. fleets making the transition to propane autogas,” said Jackie Mason, education and marketing director of the Propane Council of Texas. “Across Texas, more fleets are choosing autogas because it’s environmentally friendly, cost-effective and made in America.” Visit www.procot.org.

Alliance AutoGas Announces New Propane Autogas Vehicle Conversion Centers
Two Wisconsin companies, Dave Jones Inc. and the Fillback Family of Dealerships, have joined Alliance AutoGas to perform EPA-certified propane autogas vehicle conversions. The new conversion centers will work with Alliance fueling provider Charter Fuels. Alliance AutoGas is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Prins autogas systems, including the bi-fuel Prins Vapor Sequential Injection system, which is EPA certified for more than 200 vehicle types.

The Fillback Family of Dealerships has converted Ford Crown Victoria cruisers, Ford E-350 vans and a Chevrolet Silverado truck to propane autogas for customers. Dave Jones Inc. is a mechanical contractor that has converted seven Ford E-350s in its fleet and plans to continue adding propane autogas vehicles to its operation. Visit www.allianceautogas.com.

ROUSH CleanTech Announces Production of Ford F-650 Propane Autogas Fuel Systems
With production beginning in October, ROUSH CleanTech is now taking orders for Ford F-650 propane autogas fuel systems. Offered in two tank size configurations, the systems include an 80-gallon fuel capacity for trucks equipped with nonskirted bodies and a 45-gallon solution for skirted bodies. Both versions are a dual saddle tank design with a single refueling point.

A Tier 1 supplier, ROUSH CleanTech is the only Ford qualified vehicle modifier manufacturer offering dedicated propane autogas fuel systems. With up to a 30,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating, the propane autogas Ford F-650 delivers the same horsepower, torque and towing capacity as the OEM’s gasoline-fueled model, and has California Air Resources Board and EPA certifications.

“The new ROUSH CleanTech Ford F-650 is another example of the versatility of abundant, clean and price-competitive propane autogas,” said Roy Willis, president and CEO of the Propane Education & Research Council, which co-funded development of the fuel system.

Ford offers a full line of commercial vehicles prepped from the factory with gaseous fuel-ready engines. Visit www.roushcleantech.com.

Quantum Awarded Grant to Develop Natural Gas Truck Engine
The California Energy Commission has selected Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide to receive a natural gas fuel system and engine development grant of $1 million to develop a natural gas engine for Class 3 to 7 vehicles. Southern California Gas has also committed funding to help the project meet its technical goals.

The CEC grant will fund the development and validation of a low-cost, multiport fuel-injected natural gas fuel system and engine with advanced controls designed for Class 3 to Class 7 fleet applications. Quantum’s partners in the project include Power Solutions International, a clean-tech engine manufacturer, technology and strategy consultancy Ricardo, and the University of California, Riverside.

The project will utilize PSI’s new 8.8-liter engine and target a 20 percent improvement in fuel economy and a 16 percent improvement in power density for the natural gas version for medium-duty applications.

Two nationwide networks of truck integrators that are building the capability to convert aftermarket diesel truck fleets to run on natural gas have placed $1.4 million in orders from Quantum for its Q-Lite CNG tanks and bolt-on natural gas fuel storage systems.

Quantum has also announced an agreement with ZHRO Solutions to develop fully integrated compressed natural gas storage and fuel delivery systems for medium- and heavy-duty diesel fleets. The company will engineer and develop fuel delivery modules and integrate its Q-Lite natural gas vehicle storage systems with ZHRO’s natural gas injection/engine conversion system. Visit www.qtww.com.

GE Unveils LNG In A Box
Calling it another key step toward accelerating the use of natural gas as transportation fuel, GE Oil & Gas has introduced a small-scale, plug-and-play, redeployable liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling solution.

LNG In A Box is a modular fueling solution with a production range of 10,000 to 50,000 gallons per day. Typical LNG tanks for heavy-duty vehicles hold an average of 70 to 150 gallons, so one 10,000-gallon-a-day system would be able to fuel up to 100 trucks per day.

Each LNG In A Box unit is equipped with a gas pretreatment system, cold box assembly and boil-off gas compressor, as well as a GE turboexpander compressor, high-speed reciprocating compressor, electric motor, driver and control system.

The LNG In A Box system will be deployed initially in Europe by Gasfin and is expected to encourage transition of trucks from diesel fuel to LNG in North America in the future. LNG In A Box units will be manufactured in the U.S. and shipped to Gasfin LNG fueling sites in Europe. Visit www.ge.com.

ELECTRIC TRUCKS

E-Truck Task Force Findings Being Put in Motion
Recommendations of the E-Truck Task Force – formed as a subgroup of the Hybrid, Electric and Advanced Truck Users Forum to target specific issues in the electric truck market and speed and support effective electric truck production and use – are being acted on by CALSTART.

Infrastructure
Actions include a newly launched program targeting workplace charging for electric vehicles. CALSTART also operates an advisory work group and is about to publish a best practices guide for installing charging systems at workplaces. The group plans several regional workshops around the country on this topic.

Vehicle Cost and Battery Contribution
E-TTF has developed a program aimed at driving higher battery pack volumes around common sizes and is working with fleets and the U.S. Army to pinpoint performance standards. Also underway is a project with the Army to validate for military and commercial use a lithium-ion version of a standardized battery module.

Incentives
The task force has accelerated work on extending incentives for electric trucks, specifically using vouchers. The group has published a white paper on the value of vouchers and how to structure a voucher program. New e-truck voucher programs have launched in New York and will be launched in Chicago.

Fleet Business Case
CALSTART has held training sessions at the NAFA Institute & Expo on life-cycle cost assessment of e-trucks and the use of its eTruck Business Case Calculator. The group is also holding regional fleet workshops on the subject.

Initially, the E-TTF issued recommendations for minimizing costs, improving vehicle quality and support, and providing better performance validation data and business case information, including data on charging infrastructure requirements and costs. Some of the task force recommendations identified core issues of trucks already in the field. That effort, testing and validating of trucks in a variety of applications continues as well. CALSTART also works with electric trucks in the California Hybrid, Efficient and Advanced Truck Research Center. Visit www.calstart.org.

TransPower Receives Grant to Develop All-Electric Tractor
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has awarded TransPower a grant to develop an all-electric heavy-duty tractor. The company said Class 8 electric tractors, which are capable of hauling loads up to 80,000 pounds, have shown the ability to operate for as long as 12 hours on a single battery charge. The technology includes an onboard inverter-charger that accelerates battery charging.

TransPower also offers the ElecTruck electric drive system for short duty-cycle trucks and buses. Electric drive motors are used to propel these vehicles, with all of their energy obtained from onboard batteries. Visit www.transpowerusa.com.

Chevrolet Spark Named Most Efficient U.S. Electric Vehicle
With a combined city/highway electric range estimated at 82 miles by the EPA, a fully charged 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV has a fuel economy of 119 mpg equivalent. The Spark EV goes on sale initially this summer in California and Oregon.

The Spark EV features an oil-cooled permanent magnet motor and drive unit that will produce 130 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, and a lithium-ion battery pack capable of handling multiple DC fast charges daily.

An available option is a recently approved SAE combo charger for DC fast charging that will enable the Spark EV to recharge up to 80 percent of its capacity in approximately 20 minutes. Charging can also be completed in fewer than seven hours using a dedicated 240-volt charge. Visit www.chevrolet.com.

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Green News

Written by Seth Skydel on . Posted in Smart Fleets.

New product introductions played a significant role at The Work Truck Show 2013, produced by NTEA. This year, more than 120 products made their debut at the event, and many fell into the category of green fuel-saving technologies.

The Green Truck Summit, jointly produced by NTEA and CALSTART, was also held in conjunction with The Work Truck Show. The event included a Ride-and-Drive, and attendees were able to visit with exhibitors at the CALSTART Clean Technology and Fuels Pavilion on the show floor. In addition, there were numerous opportunities to learn more about products and programs during a general session on green fleets and in breakout sessions. Topics for the sessions were covered by industry experts and “early adopter” fleet managers who shared their insights, lessons learned and solutions for implementing green technologies.

On its first day, the Green Truck Summit attracted more than 675 attendees. Keynote presenter Lee J. Styslinger III, chairman and CEO of Altec Inc., discussed the future of the green truck industry. Styslinger also reported on Altec’s development of a next generation of hybrid-electric, all-electric and range-extended electric work trucks.

The second day of the Green Truck Summit kicked off with a keynote address by Ron Schoon, executive manager, partnership development at National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Schoon discussed NREL and Clean Cities programs and initiatives, focusing on ongoing outreach to identify the value of clean fuels and technologies in the commercial truck industry. He also shared details about an upcoming national database of duty and drive cycles that all fleets can access to evaluate technologies in real-world applications. Visit www.ntea.com.

Green Truck Association Names 2013 Board of Directors Officers
The Green Truck Association announced its new officers of the board of directors during The Work Truck Show. The affiliate division of NTEA works to improve the efficiency and productivity of work trucks through the development and deployment of strategies to reduce diesel and gasoline consumption and associated environmental impacts.

Elected to one-year terms were:
• Joe Dalum, president and chief executive officer of Odyne Systems LLC, GTA president.
• David Bryant, manager of vocational sales for Freightliner Trucks, GTA vice president.
• Bill Burns, fleet operations manager for the City of Columbus, Ohio, GTA treasurer.

Also now serving on the board for three-year terms are Shawn Brougham, director, marketing and product engineering for Altec Industries, and Rob Stevens, chief nameplate engineer, commercial truck programs for Ford Commercial Truck.

The goal of the GTA is to continue the progression of green work trucks by showcasing green trucks and technology developments, serving as the resource for legislative, regulatory and funding initiatives relevant to green truck development, supplying market data and technical resources relevant to green truck development, and sharing timely news on green truck products and initiatives. Visit www.greentruckassociation.com.

HYBRIDS

Tallahassee Adds Terex HyPower to its Fleet
Terex Utilities has supplied the City of Tallahassee, Fla., with eight new utility trucks equipped with its HyPower Hybrid technology. The sale included four Terex TL41P Hi-Ranger telescopic material-handling aerial devices and four Terex C4045 digger derricks.

According to Buddy Driggers, alternative fuels manager, City of Tallahassee, the city is using its new TL41P HyPower aerial devices as trouble trucks, tasking them to handle everyday utility jobs such as responding to small power outages and removing downed tree limbs from power lines. The Terex C4045 HyPower digger derricks are being used by the city’s line crews.

The new Terex models in the Tallahassee fleet are replacing older utility trucks. In the future and as other units come due for replacement, Driggers noted, the city will evaluate opportunities to add more Terex HyPower trucks to its fleet.

According to Terex, the HyPower Hybrid System significantly reduces fuel consumption, diesel engine exhaust emissions, operating costs and work site noise pollution. The plug-in electric hybrid technology uses stored energy from the system’s rechargeable batteries to power nonpropulsion functions of the vehicle. Operating the utility truck’s boom functions and accessories, the HyPower system can allow crews to work on job sites for hours without starting the engine.

The Terex HyPower Hybrid System can be retrofitted onto existing vehicles. Visit www.terexhypower.com.

Allison Transmission Unveils Fully Automatic Hybrid
Designed for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, the new Allison H 3000 hybrid-propulsion system is a fully automatic parallel hybrid solution based on the Allison 3000 Series transmission. The H 3000 captures wasted energy during vehicle braking and uses it to assist in propulsion and powering of auxiliary equipment. The design features a torque converter fully automatic transmission and a hybrid motor-generator, power electronics and lithium-ion cell battery packs.

Scalable to each application, the modular lithium-ion battery packs in the H 3000 enable an optimal amount of energy capacity to be tailored to a specific vehicle or duty cycle, Allison noted, allowing for greater flexibility and performance. Depending on vocation and duty cycle, according to the company, the system is designed to offer fuel savings of up to 25 percent.

Production of the H 3000 is expected to begin later this year. Visit www.allisontransmission.com.

Odyne Systems Showcases Walk-In Van Hybrid Power Application
The Odyne Systems plug-in hybrid system that the manufacturer says is capable of reducing diesel fuel consumption up to 50 percent, depending on duty cycles, was recently displayed in a new walk-in van application where it powers climate control and underground tools.

The Odyne plug-in hybrid system interfaces with Allison Transmission’s fully automatic transmissions and uses a Remy electric motor in parallel with the existing drivetrain to provide launch assist and regenerative braking. At the job site, the Odyne hybrid plug-in battery system, featuring Johnson Controls’ lithium-ion battery packs, powers typical applications with the engine off.

Odyne systems are modular and can be applied and retrofitted to a wide range of work truck chassis in various applications. The systems are sold through a distribution network including Altec, DUECO and Terex Utilities. Visit www.odyne.com.

XL Hybrids Expands Product Line
Ford E-Series vans can now be equipped with an XL Hybrids hybrid electric powertrain designed for Class 1 to 3 fleet vehicles. The XL Hybrids technology will initially be available for 2013 model year E-150 and E-250 cargo van and passenger wagon models. The company then plans to release systems for older model year vehicles. The hybrid electric powertrain will be available for retrofit on model year 2013 vans already in fleet service

XL Hybrids also recently announced an installation partnership and distribution agreement with Leggett & Platt Commercial Vehicle Products. Visit www.xlhybrids.com.

Echo Automotive Rolls Out Full-Size Chassis
A 2007 Ford E-250 van with almost 400,000 miles on it was used to demonstrate how the Echo Automotive EchoDrive bolt-on hybrid electric kit for fleet vehicles can be used on multiple model year vehicles within a fleet.

Designed to integrate with existing vehicle architecture, EchoDrive does not replace the existing drivetrain. The system includes a battery, electric motor, inverter and charger that provide additional energy. EchoDrive fits most vehicles with adapter plates and brackets and includes modular battery packs that allow fleets to customize the system. Visit www.echoautomotive.com.

Siemens Moves Hybrid System Production to Georgia
Siemens has brought production of its hybrid traction electric drive systems to its manufacturing plant in Alpharetta, Ga. The move, according to the company, was made to allow for a quicker response to the production and service needs of North American customers.

The company has begun production of inverters, inductors and voltage protection modules at the plant as well as the assembly of electric drive systems within roof rack configurations for transit buses. Visit www.usa.siemens.com/drivetechnologies.

CNG & LPG

Ford Expands CNG-/LPG-Ready Offerings
With sales of Ford vehicles capable of running on CNG or propane autogas reaching record levels, the manufacturer has expanded its line of CNG- and LPG-ready models. Ford will now offer the all-new Ford Transit range of full-size vans, wagons, cutaway and chassis cab models powered by a 3.7-liter V-6 with a CNG/LPG prep kit.

Transit joins the current compact Transit Connect van, wagon and taxi lineup; Ford Super Duty pickups; stripped chassis, E-Series vans, wagons and cutaways; and medium-duty F-450, F-550 and F-650 models being offered with engines prepped for CNG/LPG conversion. In addition, the next generation of the Transit Connect range will add a CNG-ready 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine when it goes on sale later this year.

Each Ford engine that is factory-prepped for gaseous conversion comes equipped with hardened valves and valve seats. Visit http://corporate.ford.com.

Westport Bi-Fuel System Available on Ford Chassis Cab Models
Westport Innovations has announced that its Westport WiNG Power System, a CNG bi-fuel system, is now offered on Ford F-450 and F-550 Super Duty Chassis Cab trucks.

The WiNG Power System is integrated on the 6.8-liter V-10 engine and offers a combined fuel range of approximately 650 miles (at 9 mpg) with maximum CNG capacity (42 gasoline gallon equivalent) and a standard 40-gallon gasoline tank. Once the CNG fuel is depleted, the Super Duty trucks with the Westport system run on conventional gasoline. Visit www.westport.com.

3M and Chesapeake Energy Announce CNG Tank Collaboration
3M has successfully completed the NGV2-2007 certification process for its first CNG tank. The 21.5-x-60-inch tank is designed for light- and medium-duty pickup trucks and corporate fleet vehicles.

The successful certification follows the 2012 announcement by 3M and Chesapeake Energy Corp. that the two companies would collaborate in designing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of CNG tanks for use in all sectors of the U.S. transportation market.

Chesapeake is slated to become one of the first users of the new 21.5-x-60-inch tank, which it will incorporate in its fleet vehicles. The utility is currently converting its fleet of nearly 5,000 vehicles to run on natural gas. “The fuel tank has been the most expensive single component on a CNG vehicle, causing a bottleneck for the market,” said Nathan Pumphrey, Chesapeake director – fleet operations. “We look forward to incorporating these tanks into our fleet vehicles to save money on our conversions.”

Initially, 3M tanks will be available through five approved upfitters including OEM Systems of Okarche, Okla.; Venchurs Vehicle Systems of Adrian, Mich.; Alternative Fuel Solutions of Mahaffey, Pa.; AVS of Salt Lake City; and World CNG of Kent, Wash. Visit www.3m.com/cng.

Venchurs CNG Announces Collaboration With 3M
Venchurs, a Qualified Vehicle Modifier for Ford Motor Co. with ship-through facilities in Louisville, Ky., and Adrian, Mich., is now utilizing 3M’s newly certified CNG tank.

Companies interested in adding CNG Ford F-250s or F-350s to their fleets are also invited to apply for Venchurs’ short-term loaner program, where they can put the converted trucks to the test. Visit www.venchurscng.com.

ROUSH CleanTech and Green Alternative Systems Unveil New Ford F-550
A Ford F-550 chassis cab powered by propane autogas has been unveiled by ROUSH CleanTech and Green Alternative Systems. The customizable Ford F-550 – for use in passenger vehicles as well as construction, transit and utility applications – is equipped with a 6.8-liter V-10 engine.

Green Alternative Systems, a certified Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier installer, designs mounting hardware, handles packaging strategy and integrates ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas fuel system technology into the F-550 chassis cab. Visit www.greenalternativesystems.com and www.roushcleantech.com.

DISH Rolls Out Propane-Powered Fleet
Satellite TV company DISH has unveiled the first of 200 ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas-fueled Ford E-250 cargo vans that will enter its fleet in 2013. The company estimates the new propane autogas-powered vehicles will lower carbon dioxide emissions by 12.5 million pounds over the lifetime of the fleet’s operation compared to gas-powered counterparts.

DISH’s new alternative fuel vehicles will support residential and commercial customer service in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Visit www.roushcleantech.com.

Icom Receives EPA Certifications, Announces Fleet Installation
Icom North America has received 15 new Environmental Protection Agency certifications for its patented JTG II Propane Liquid Injection bi-fuel and dedicated systems. The certifications cover approximately 100 different 2012-2013 General Motors and Ford light-duty trucks and SUV platforms with GM 4.8- and 5.3-liter engines and Ford 3.7-, 4.6- and 5.4-liter engines. Icom’s JTG II system is now available for approximately 600 vehicle platforms.

Icom has also announced an installation program for 140 propane autogas Ford F-150 pickup trucks for use by Menards home improvement stores. The vehicles will serve 36 Menards locations throughout Illinois and at Menards’ Eau Claire West store in Wisconsin. Visit www.icomnorthamerica.com.

HYDROGEN

Fuel Cell-Electric Hybrid Trucks Rolling in Houston
Funding from the Department of Energy and regional stakeholders – including the Houston-Galveston Area Council, Total Transportation Services Inc., Air Products, Vision Industries and the Environmental Defense Fund – is replacing 20 diesel-powered heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission Tyrano hydrogen fuel cell-electric trucks. The DOE granted HGAC $3.4 million in funding to launch a zero-emission engine technology demonstration project at the Port of Houston Authority where heavy-duty trucks are projected to account for almost half of all port emissions by 2015.

Expected emission reductions from the project include 39 tons of nitrogen oxides and 0.8 tons of particulate matter per year. The trucks are expected to be rolled out later this year and will be fueled with hydrogen locally sourced from natural gas feedstock. Visit www.edf.org.

A Better Idea

Written by Seth Skydel on . Posted in Editor's Perspective.

When Ron Schoon, executive manager, partnership development at National Renewable Energy Laboratory addressed attendees at the recent Green Truck Summit, his focus was on Clean Cities programs and initiatives and the ongoing activity aimed at identifying the value of clean fuels and technologies for commercial trucks. For example, he shared details on a national database of duty and drive cycles that will highlight how these technologies can be beneficial in real-world applications.

While that information will prove helpful to fleet managers considering alternative fuels, there is a missing piece of the puzzle, namely financial incentives that will help utilities and other companies cost justify these choices. Currently, while consumers can receive federal tax credits for the purchase of alternative fuel passenger cars, there are no federal incentives for the purchase of clean fuel trucks, buses or nonroad vehicles.

Incentives play a particularly important role in the early market for clean commercial vehicles because they are still produced in low volume and are more costly, noted CALSTART during a press event at The Work Truck Show 2013. But a commercial vehicle, it was noted, consumes much more fuel per day than a passenger car, so using clean technologies can cut more fuel use and reduce emissions to a larger extent on a per vehicle basis.

CALSTART’s remarks were made during the announcement that it has developed a white paper highlighting the emerging opportunity to create a regionally and state-supported national network of voucher-based incentives to speed clean commercial vehicles sales, even in the face of federal budget reductions. “Clean Tech Vouchers: An Effective Tool for All Regions” highlights the effectiveness of point-of-purchase vouchers as the best tools to spur sales of clean commercial vehicles.

Vouchers are different than standard incentives, CALSTART pointed out, in that they provide funding at the time of purchase, directly lowering the cost to the purchaser, and are simpler to request and process than grant funds or tax credits. A voucher, a point-of-sale reduction in price, the group noted, is far more helpful than a tax credit, particularly when it comes to fleet purchasing decisions.

The CALSTART paper also reports on a case study from California, the first state to test purchase vouchers for clean vehicles. It also describes how New York state, Maryland, Chicago and other regions nationwide have structured or will soon structure their own voucher programs. In addition to using state funds, some regions are also using existing federal transportation program dollars to support clean vehicle deployment.

“There is a good model now in place that regions can use,” said John Boesel, CALSTART president and CEO. “Given the lack of federal action, it is imperative that we encourage as many regions as possible to build out this clean vehicle support network for energy security, job growth and cleaner air. This report demonstrates the importance of state and regional action to spur the use of cleaner vehicles. In the absence of federal incentives for commercial vehicles, state and regional programs can keep the U.S. moving forward on clean tech and alternative fuel deployments.”

CALSTART recommends that vouchers be open to all clean fuels and technologies including natural gas, propane, hybrid, electric and other solutions. It is encouraging fleets and the industry to work with regions interested in speeding clean vehicle use to develop their own programs, and is available to help provide information on how to structure a voucher program.

By providing a financial incentive to fleets, a voucher program can give the deployment of alternative fuel technologies a much-needed boost.

Seth Skydel
Editor

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Real-World Solutions: Green Truck Summit 2013

Written by Seth Skydel on . Posted in Smart Fleets.

Registration is now open for the work truck industry’s educational forum on clean vehicle technologies – the Green Truck Summit that kicks off The Work Truck Show 2013.

Offering fleet managers practical ideas and solutions for implementing new green practices, the Green Truck Summit 2013’s slate of presenters will cover clean technology and fuel trends, deployment strategies, viable alternative fuels and funding opportunities.

On the summit’s agenda are a range of technical experts and industry leaders, including representatives from truck and engine OEMs, government agencies and fleet operations. The Green Truck Summit features 24 breakout sessions, five general sessions and two keynote addresses.

The Green Truck Summit 2013 will begin with a speech by Lee J. Styslinger III, chairman and chief executive officer of Altec Inc. Altec is developing a next generation of hybrid-electric, all-electric and range-extended electric work trucks. In 2012, the equipment and service provider opened a new green-focused assembly plant.

Dr. Michael Pacheco, associate laboratory director for deployment and market transformation at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, will address the Green Truck Summit as well, sharing insights into clean energy deployment, including programs that affect commercial vehicles and fleet operations. The focus of NREL is on achieving widespread adoption of more efficient and renewable technology, including alternative fuels and advanced vehicles.

The general session lineup at the Green Truck Summit will include the following sessions:
• Trends in Clean Technologies and Fuels
• OEM Perspectives on the Future of Clean Technologies
• Modeling the Benefits of Deploying Green Technologies
• Optimizing Engines: New Ideas to Be Clean and Efficient
• Compounding the Green: Incremental Measures for Going Green and Sustainable

Breakout sessions scheduled for the summit will cover propane, hydrogen fuel cells, natural gas, hybrid-electric systems, bi-fuel CNG and LPG systems, turbine-electric trucks, truck updates and other fuel-saving advancements. The complete Green Truck Summit schedule is available at www.ntea.com/greentrucksummit/schedule.

Presented by International Truck, the Green Truck Summit is produced jointly by NTEA, the Association for the Work Truck Industry, and CALSTART, a nonprofit organization that works nationally to foster the rapid growth of the clean transportation technology industry. The event precedes The Work Truck Show, which also includes a Green Truck Ride-and-Drive, sponsored by Hino Trucks, where attendees can experience the latest in clean vehicle technology. On the show floor, the CALSTART Clean Technologies and Fuels Pavilion features green equipment that is commercially available today.

The Green Truck Summit runs March 5-6 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Summit registration includes admission to The Work Truck Show. To register, visit www.ntea.com or call 800-441-6832.

HYBRIDS

Eaton Developing Predictive Battery Management Technology
A power control system to reduce the size of hybrid system batteries is under development by Eaton Corp. The goal of the $2.5 million project, funded jointly by Eaton and a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, is to reduce the size of the battery by 50 percent and improve the performance of the system and its charge rate while maintaining fuel economy and overall vehicle performance.

The development project will be led by Eaton’s Innovation Center team in Southfield, Mich., which will work with a team from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Eaton’s engineers and scientists will leverage the company’s expertise in intelligent power management systems and hybrid technology with NREL’s expertise in battery modeling and prognostics.

“This project is a continuation of Eaton’s keen focus on hybrid technology development and our confidence in the value of hybrids for the future,” said Tom Stover, chief technology officer for Eaton’s Vehicle Group. “Eaton is continuing to invest in developing the infrastructure that supports the future of the transportation industry, and this project is an example of how we are working to find safe, efficient and sustainable ways to improve hybrid vehicle performance.” Visit www.roadranger.com.

GE and Ford Collaboration
GE has announced it will purchase 2,000 new Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrids for its fleet. The purchase of Ford C-MAX Energi vehicles is another step in GE’s commitment to convert half of its global fleet to alternative fuel vehicles. The addition of the 2,000 plug-in hybrids brings the number of alternative fuel vehicles in GE’s fleet to more than 5,000. To date, GE employees have driven approximately 18 million miles in alternative fuel vehicles, saving about $2 million in fuel costs and reducing emissions by approximately 12 million pounds.

The Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid provides a 21-mile electric-only range and a 620-mile single-tank driving range for a city EPA rating of 108 mpg.

As part of the collaboration, Ford will jointly market GE’s WattStation charging station and CNG In A Box natural gas fueling station to its commercial vehicle customers. The OEM will also supply new alternative fuel vehicles for use at GE’s Vehicle Innovation Center.

The two companies will also work with the Georgia Institute of Technology on data collection and analysis to study employee driving and charging habits, with the goal of improving all-electric driving and charging performance. Study findings will be shared with commercial customers to provide insights and help facilitate alternative fuel vehicle deployment across the country. Visit www.ford.com.

Hybrid Bus Team Recognized for ‘Visionary Leadership’
Eaton Corp. was part of the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition team, along with the Kentucky Department of Education, that received the first-ever Visionary Leadership Award from the Southeast Diesel Collaborative. SEDC is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Clean Diesel Campaign to reduce pollution emitted from diesel engines.

The KCFC team provides hybrid-electric school buses to the state of Kentucky under a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. Eaton assembles the hybrid system, including the clutch, electric motor, battery and six-speed automated transmission. As part of Kentucky’s hybrid bus program, Eaton offers training for drivers, mechanics and first responders. It also provides a technical overview for local communities.

With 162 buses fitted with Eaton hybrid systems, Kentucky has the largest hybrid school bus fleet in the U.S. On average, the hybrid buses are 34 percent more fuel efficient than traditional diesel-powered models. In some cases fuel consumption has been cut in half, depending on driving cycles and styles. The buses, which are used in a wide range of school districts across Kentucky, are typically driven 10,000 to 15,000 miles per year and have a 14-year life. Visit www.roadranger.com.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Chicago Awards Electric Garbage Truck Contract
Chicago is set to become the first U.S. city to deploy all-electric, zero-emissions garbage trucks. The five-year contract issued by the city to Motiv Power Systems will put in service 20 Class 8 EV refuse trucks with a GVWR of 52,000 pounds and a range of 60 miles.

The city of Chicago, which operates 600 garbage trucks, chose to request bids for electric refuse trucks after evaluating hybrid and compressed natural gas options. The city found that its garbage routes did not enable those technologies to be financially viable compared to the all-electric option.

Additionally, it has been validating the Motiv electric Powertrain Control System (ePCS) since March 2012 in an all-electric bus. The pilot program, funded by a grant to Motiv from the California Energy Commission, placed the 20-passenger bus, which can cover more than 120 miles on a single charge, in service.

Motiv’s ePCS uses off-the-shelf batteries and motors, which can be mixed and matched to fit the exact size of medium- to heavy-duty electric vehicles from 15,000 to 52,000 pounds. The Chicago refuse trucks, slated to be the heaviest electric vehicles in the U.S., will have the same ePCS system as the pilot bus, but include a larger motor and 10 battery packs. Motiv will work with Detroit Chassis to install the ePCS on a standard refuse chassis and Loadmaster will provide the truck bodies. Visit www.motivps.com.

GM Sets Sights on Electrification
By 2017, General Motors plans to have up to 500,000 vehicles on the road with some form of electrification. Included is a focus on plug-in systems like those used in the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle introduced in 2010. The same technology is planned for the Cadillac ELR and the Chevrolet Spark EV, which will go on sale next year in certain U.S. markets. Additionally, the OEM is on track to sell more than 50,000 vehicles this year with electrification, including Chevrolet and Buick models with its eAssist light electrification technology.

Since 2010, Chevrolet Volt operators, including a number of fleets, have collectively driven more than 100 million all-electric miles. The average Volt travels more than 65 percent of the time in pure electric mode, only using the gasoline-powered generator for longer trips. In total, according to the manufacturer, Volts in service have saved 5 million gallons of fuel, equivalent to $21 million in overall gasoline costs based on $4 per gallon. For the first 38 miles, a Volt can operate using only a full charge of electricity stored in its 16.5-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas-powered engine/generator extends the driving range another 344 miles on a full tank.

When it arrives in California next summer, the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV will have undergone more than 200,000 hours of battery testing. The Spark EV is driven by a coaxial drive unit powered by an oil-cooled, permanent magnet motor that produces at least 100 kW (130 HP) and torque of about 400 pounds per feet. More than 75 percent of the propulsion system components are from the Volt and GM’s hybrid truck programs. The vehicle’s more than 20-kWh lithium-ion battery pack is capable of handling multiple DC Fast Charges of up to 80 percent of battery capacity in approximately 20 minutes. Charging can also be completed in fewer than seven hours using a dedicated 240-volt charge. Visit www.gm.com and www.chevrolet.com.

Protean’s In-Wheel Solution
In multiple demonstration vehicles, including a Ford F-150 pickup truck, the Protean Drive fully integrated, in-wheel motor, direct-drive solution from Protean Electric is showing fuel economy improvements up to 30 percent depending on battery size. Designed to fit within the space of a conventional 18-inch road wheel, the system’s 68-pound motors each produce 81 kW (110 HP) and 590 pounds per feet of torque and, through regenerative braking capabilities, allow up to 85 percent of available kinetic energy to be recovered. Visit www.proteanelectric.com.

Mobile Electric Power Produces Results
In Austin, Texas, Energy Xtreme’s cleantech mobile electric power idle reduction solution has been installed in 33 of the city’s public works trucks and more than 600 Austin Police Department vehicles. Additional units have been retrofitted on Austin Energy and water utility department trucks. The producer of mobile power idle reduction systems has also installed its solution in an Austin EMS ambulance.

The Energy Xtreme mobile power idle reduction system is a smart power management device that provides power, without engine engagement, to vehicles with demanding electrical needs. The system allows a vehicle’s auxiliary electrical systems to operate without having to idle the vehicle’s engine and automatically recharges while the vehicle is being driven. Visit www.energyxtreme.net.

PROPANE & NATURAL GAS

Propane-Powered Buses
CleanFUEL USA and Collins Bus Corp. have delivered 134 propane autogas school buses to First Student Inc., the largest provider of student transportation services in North America. The buses will be used by First Student to provide service to Seattle Public Schools and Portland (Oregon) Public Schools. The purchase of the buses was made possible through grants from the U.S. Department of Energy and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The Collins propane-powered NEXBUS is built on a dual rear-wheel GM chassis and utilizes a GM 6.0-liter engine. It has an estimated range in excess of 300 miles and is available in capacities up to 32 passengers. The propane autogas fuel system was developed in partnership with CleanFUEL USA and has obtained certification from both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board. Propane autogas, the third most widely used transportation fuel after gasoline and diesel, averages 40 to 50 percent fewer emissions per gallon. Visit www.cleanfuelusa.com and www.collinsbuscorp.com.

SuperShuttle Deploys 75th Alternative Fuel Vehicle
An operator of propane autogas vehicles since 2009, SuperShuttle has placed its 75th propane-powered shuttle in service in Phoenix. The alternative-fueled van is equipped with a ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas engine fuel system.

During its life cycle, each SuperShuttle propane autogas shuttle will release 175,000 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide than it would if it were operating on gasoline, the company noted. SuperShuttle franchisees operating these alternatively fueled vehicles are saving an average of $200 per week, or $10,400 per year, based on historically lower propane autogas costs and reduced maintenance. Visit www.roushcleantech.com.

Linde Demonstrates Mobile LNG Fueling
Linde North America has conducted a successful trial of its new LNG mobile fueling unit and plans to expand its use of mobile fuelers to help fleets make the transition to LNG fuel. Linde operates cryogenic plants and makes several million deliveries of cryogenic gases annually. It offers the technologies, equipment, supplies and services for LNG fueling solutions, including producing and servicing mobile and permanent refueling stations. Visit www.lindelng.com.

Alliance AutoGas Adds to Its Clean Fueling and Conversion Network
Alliance AutoGas welcomes new Canadian partner Wilsons Fuel Company Ltd. to its expanding clean vehicle fueling and conversion network. Wilsons brings the Alliance program to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador for fleets running on propane autogas. The Alliance program guides fleets through every aspect of switching to propane, including vehicle conversions, fueling, on-site fuel station installation, data integration, training and technical support. The Alliance AutoGas partner network now spans 40 states, Washington D.C. and seven Canadian provinces. Visit www.allianceautogas.com.

GAS & CLEAN DIESEL

Clean Diesel Technology Delivering for the Future
Advancements in clean diesel technology over the past decade, in conjunction with new research and development in all types of diesel engines, will play a major role in helping meet the updated Clean Air Act particulate matter (soot) standards announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“For the last decade, diesel technology has undergone a fundamental transformation to near zero emissions, based on ultralow sulfur diesel fuel, advanced clean-burning engines and new emissions control technology,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum. “These advancements have occurred across the board, from the smallest industrial engine to increasingly popular clean diesel cars, commercial trucks, and off-road machines and equipment. The results of these efforts are clear since today, according to EPA, diesel engines account for only a small portion of the national PM emissions inventory – less than 6 percent.

“These last 10 years truly are the decade of clean diesel and the results are visible today,” Schaeffer continued. “New highway diesel truck engines have near zero emissions of particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen – a remarkable 98 percent less than 1988 models. It is also noteworthy that truck and engine manufacturers are not only producing near zero-level emissions, but these vehicles are also consuming an average of 5 percent less fuel. Just how significant is this accomplishment? Consider that it now takes 60 of today’s clean diesel heavy-duty trucks to equal the particulate emissions of one 1988 truck – a 60-to-1 ratio.”

Similar reductions in emissions of particulates and oxides of nitrogen are well underway and will be completed by 2014 for the wide range of off-road engines found in everything from small construction to large off-road equipment.

“Beyond the new technology advancements in reducing particulate emissions, there are opportunities for modernizing and upgrading existing diesel engines and equipment,” Schaeffer noted. “We are continuing to work with national environmental and health organizations to increase funding for the highly successful voluntary and incentive-based Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, which is helping to modernize and upgrade older diesel engines in school and transit buses, commercial trucks and construction equipment.”

Visit www.dieselforum.org.

Mack and Volvo Receive Greenhouse Gas Certificates
The full lineup of model year 2014 trucks and tractors from Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks is now certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in accordance with 2014 fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas regulations. Visit www.macktrucks.com and www.volvotrucks.us.com.

Navistar Announces Clean Engine Technology Plan
Navistar International Corp. said it will introduce its next generation clean engine solution – In-Cylinder Technology Plus (ICT+) – to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions regulations for 2010 and position the company to meet greenhouse gas rules in advance of 2014 and 2017 requirements. The ICT+ technology combines Navistar’s advanced in-cylinder engine solution with urea-based aftertreatment. Visit www.navistar.com.

GMC and Chevrolet Bi-Fuel Pickup Production Begins
Now underway is production of the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra 2500 HD bi-fuel pickup trucks. Powered by Vortec 6.0-liter V-8 engines, the trucks run on gasoline or compressed natural gas (CNG) and seamlessly switch between the two fuels. CNG and gasoline tanks have a combined range of 650 miles. The Type-3 single-tank CNG system in the Silverado HD and Sierra 2500 HD is designed to retain more bed space. The pickups are available in standard and long-box and two- or four-wheel drive in the extended cab models.

GM and Chevrolet bi-fuel pickups are ordered from the factory, sent to tier-one supplier IMPCO for installation of the CNG bi-fuel delivery and storage system, and then delivered to the dealer or to an upfitter. The vehicles meet all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board emission certification requirements.

“At Chesapeake Energy Corp., we are converting our fleet of more than 5,000 vehicles to run on natural gas, and having options from GMC and Chevy is critical to help us reach our conversion goal,” said Nate Pumphrey, director of fleet operations. “Following our full conversion, we will save $11 million to $12 million annually on fuel costs. As a fleet manager, the stable price of natural gas is another major benefit that helps me budget more accurately, and the fuel’s reduced emissions align with Chesapeake’s commitment to environmental excellence.”

Visit www.gm.com and www.chevrolet.com.

OILS & LUBES

Phillips 66 Offers Natural Gas Engine Oils
To support customers using natural gas-powered vehicles, Phillips 66 Lubricants has introduced natural gas engine oils. The Phillips 66, Conoco and 76 Lubricants and Guardol NG and Kendall Super-D NG products are designed for use in trucks powered by compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas as well as in other natural gas-powered mobile equipment.

The new oils from Phillips 66 are formulated to meet the enhanced wear protection requirements of diesel-conversion natural gas engines. Lubricants for natural gas engines must protect against a larger range of conditions than diesel engine lubricants. To meet these special requirements for converted diesel engines, the oils offer temperature and oxidation control, balanced ash content to prevent valve stem deposits and reduce valve seat recession, and better shear stability and exhaust aftertreatment protection. The oils are approved for Cummins CES 20074 and Detroit Diesel 93K216 specifications. Visit www.phillips66lubricants.com.

RSC Bio Solutions
A manufacturer of bio-based cleaning, degreasing and lubricating products, RSC Bio Solutions is making available a line of biodegradable and nonhazardous products for fleet applications. Included is the company’s line of EnviroLogic bio-based hydraulic fluids and gear oils and SafeCare cleaners and degreasers. Visit www.rscbio.com.

Green-Fleets-Web

HTUF Report

Written by Seth Skydel on . Posted in Smart Fleets.

HTUF REPORT
Held in mid-September in Charlotte, N.C., the 11th Annual High-Efficiency Truck Users Forum served again as an educational and networking event for manufacturers, suppliers, fleets and government officials interested in learning the latest about high-efficiency truck technology.

HTUF has been very successful in helping launch the first production of hybrid trucks and is credited with reducing product development time by up to two years. When the conference was first held, no major truck manufacturer was offering electric or hybrid trucks. Today, there are more than 30 different electric, hybrid electric, hydraulic hybrid and workplace hybrid trucks available.

At this year’s conference, three federal government and private industry representatives took center stage. Heather Zichal, deputy assistant to the president for energy and climate change, discussed policy initiatives to create clean energy jobs, tackle climate change and reduce dependence on oil.

Also on the HTUF agenda was Dr. Dane Boysen, program director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, who addressed technology research and development initiatives that ARPA-e is funding and how they are accelerating advanced technology market penetration. ARPA-e has made investments in advanced batteries, electric motors and lightweight materials that could enable fleets to dramatically reduce reliance on oil over the next decade. HTUF also featured David Mohler, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Duke Energy, who covered the increasing connections between vehicles, the grid and saving energy.

“We are very pleased to have secured key leading officials from the federal government and industry at HTUF,” said John Boesel, CALSTART president and CEO. “Clean energy jobs and reducing our dependence on oil are core elements of the president’s energy policy, and the Pentagon continues to focus on energy efficiency as a critical component of the nation’s energy security.

“Beyond conventional clean diesel engines, there are now at least five different advanced propulsion systems for commercial and military trucks,” Boesel continued. “At this year’s conference, fleets learned how each of these new drivetrains can be applied and utilized. Never before have there been such opportunities to cost-effectively transition away from dependence on the highly volatile and unstable world oil market.” Visit www.htuf.org.

Odyne Systems Showcases Plug-In Hybrid Systems
Odyne Systems LLC, a manufacturer of hybrid systems for medium- and heavy-duty work trucks, displayed its hybrid propulsion system on a Ford F-750 chassis at HTUF. Odyne plug-in hybrid systems are designed to interface with a wide variety of truck-mounted equipment. Driven through the Allison 3000 RDS transmission, the system uses a Remy electric motor in parallel with the existing drivetrain to provide launch assist and regenerative braking. At the job site, the Johnson Controls’ lithium-ion battery packs power work site applications. Visit www.odyne.com.

Kenworth Delivers with T440 CNG Truck
Kenworth Truck Co. showcased a Kenworth T440 compressed natural gas (CNG) tractor during HTUF. The T440 CNG is equipped with an 8.9-liter Cummins Westport ISL G engine and a six-speed Allison 3000 HS transmission. The model is available as a straight truck or tractor in a gross vehicle weight ranging from a heavy Class 7 vehicle at 33,000 pounds to a light Class 8 at 68,000 pounds. The ISL G engine uses a maintenance-free, three-way catalyst. Rated at 320 HP and 1,000 pounds per feet of torque, the engine’s torque curve closely matches that of its diesel counterparts. Visit www.kenworth.com.

PG&E REPORTS ON ELECTRIFICATION SAVINGS
The Electrification Coalition, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit group of business leaders committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of electric vehicles on a mass scale, has issued the following report on the electrification of the Pacific Gas & Electric fleet.

In 2011, the Pacific Gas & Electric vehicle fleet racked up 114 million miles of travel, many of them logged servicing lines and other equipment that deliver power to customers. As a critical service provider, PG&E must purchase vehicles capable of supporting its mission in low-probability, high-impact situations like severe unplanned power outages. In these scenarios, vehicles must sometimes travel great distances across the company’s service territory and then operate buckets and other repair equipment once on site. In fact, even routine service calls can vary greatly by distance, necessitating flexibility and putting a premium on range and refueling.

Because its vehicles have a low level of route predictability, PG&E is pursuing an acquisition strategy that prioritizes plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and electric work-site idle management systems (EWIMS), which are plug-in vehicles whose batteries provide power for a range of job site functions, but do not move the wheels. PG&E’s fleet of PHEVs is generally spread throughout its passenger cars and pickup trucks. The passenger cars are typically pool vehicles used by employees for work-related travel. These vehicles tend to travel only short distances. The pickup trucks are primarily work trucks, but are also driven by job site supervisors and foremen. PG&E’s EWIMS are Class 6 trucks and are a mix of bucket trucks and material handlers.

In addition to extended range, PG&E’s emerging fleet of PHEV pickup trucks provides the company with an additional strategic benefit. A typical PHEV relies largely on its onboard battery for power over a given mileage range. When the battery is depleted to specific level, the vehicle then relies on an onboard gasoline-powered generator to provide power to the battery, operating essentially as a gasoline-electric hybrid. PG&E has recently begun deploying a handful of retrofitted PHEV pickup trucks manufactured by companies like Orem, Utah-based VIA Motors. These vehicles currently feature between 15 and 100 kW of exportable power, and there is potential to increase that number. When these vehicles are on a job site, their onboard generator can bypass the battery and export electricity to a different destination like power tools or even a transformer.

Work site management technology is a logical fit for the duty cycle associated with PG&E’s Class 6 bucket trucks. These vehicles, which are typically located at a job site for six to eight hours per day, often consume more diesel fuel idling than driving. This is because work site repair functions – operation of the bucket and associated equipment – normally require the truck to be running, using its engine as a generator. It’s an inefficient use of fuel, but has historically been the only option. Today’s EWIMS technology utilizes an onboard battery to power job site equipment, allowing the engine to be turned off and saving fuel. The battery can be recharged by plugging into the grid or by a secondary onboard alternator that provides electricity to the battery while the vehicle is driving. The savings associated with the technology are substantial: In 2011 alone, PG&E saved more than $700,000 on fuel across its fleet of 178 EWIMS work trucks manufactured by Birmingham, Ala.-based Altec.

Finally, as an electric utility, PG&E arguably has an elevated level of interest in understanding plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) and working to support their commercialization. By the end of 2012, the company will own a total of 400 PEVs, ranking it solidly among the top three U.S. commercial fleets in terms of PEV ownership. Perhaps more interestingly, PG&E’s current fleet of PEVs have been sourced from seven different original equipment manufacturers.

A number of factors were taken into consideration as PG&E explored the possibility of adding PEVs to its fleet. The vehicles carry a great deal of promise due to a number of economic, regulatory and environmental benefits, but there are also a number of important challenges. PG&E offered insight into its decision-making process by ranking various factors and discussing their rationale around each one in detail.

Total Cost of Ownership: A vehicle’s total cost of ownership (TCO) – its upfront capital costs combined with operating costs over a specific number of years or miles traveled – is a standard tool for comparing the economics of various technologies. However, while TCO may provide a useful starting point for comparison in the abstract, a vehicle’s purchase price is a more pressing real-world consideration for many fleet operators, PG&E included. This is particularly the case when it comes to purchasing new technologies like PEVs. Any assessment of TCO will necessarily be based on a series of assumptions about performance, some of which may ultimately be less precise for the first generation of a given technology. This type of uncertainty ultimately increases the level of risk placed on the fleet customer. Utilities like PG&E can be particularly capital constrained, in the sense that budgets are often set several years in advance through regulatory filings. Therefore, the higher capital cost of PEV purchases either has to be justified to the regulator – and ultimately the rate payer – or it has to displace other spending. If a plug-in vehicle carries a cost premium of 25 percent, it means a utility with a fixed budget can only purchase four PEVs for the same cost as five traditional vehicles, leaving one vehicle in need of replacement in the field. This attrition represents an operational risk that no utility would likely take on. Therefore, in evaluating the size and timing of its PEV purchases, PG&E is mostly focused on the impact these acquisitions will have on capital budgets. Whether a fleet manager purchases or leases a vehicle, there is a monthly payment associated with it. For PEVs, this payment is currently higher than the payment for a comparable traditional vehicle. If the net of this capital premium less operational savings (reduced fuel expenditures) results in a higher total monthly outlay, it becomes hard to justify. There is intense competition for capital within PG&E, and the higher payment associated with a PEV purchase is capital that is unavailable to be spent on other projects – or booked as profit.

Access to Competitive Financing: Increasingly, fleet customers are looking to commercial financing entities to help manage the capital cost challenge of PEVs. Of course, financing is not a magic wand that can make something inherently expensive become cheap. So what PG&E is particularly interested in is managing the cost structure of PEV purchases as opposed to managing the actual cost of the vehicles. Actual vehicle costs will decline over time due to some combination of manufacturing scale and technological improvements, but the cost structure – that is, the way customers deal with the price premium on PEVs – could potentially be addressed in the near term. One possible avenue to cost management through competitive financing is an extended term on vehicle useful life. For example, PG&E currently finances its purchases of pickup trucks in line with industry common practice, which typically assumes a six- or seven-year vehicle life. However, publicly available data confirms that the age of the average light-duty truck on the road in the United States has increased every year since 2000 and now stands at more than 10 years. By extending the vehicle useful life assumed in standard financing packages for these trucks by three years, the cost premium would be spread out over a greater term, giving fleet customers more capital flexibility and encouraging more PEV purchases. It’s a challenging proposition for an unproven technology, but it’s one way PG&E is working to manage cost.

Operational Benefits: Another option for managing costs is to make sure you are capturing all the benefits. Generally speaking, in terms of performance, utilities get graded on two things: the number of service outages and the duration of those outages. In measuring the number of outages, there is essentially no discrimination between an outage that affects 10 customers and one that affects 10,000 customers. Moreover, regulators do not discriminate between outages that are unplanned and those that are planned. While unplanned outages arising from weather and other unexpected events account for some of PG&E’s service calls, planned outages to repair lines and upgrade transformers account for a substantial portion of total outages. While VIA Motors’ PHEV pickup trucks currently allow for just 15 kW of exportable power, the company is working to increase that capacity to 50 kW. In larger applications, like a retrofitted Ford F-450 from Electric Vehicles International, PG&E believes it is already possible to get close to 100 kW. Altec’s Class 6 EWIMS truck currently features 3 kW of exportable power. Considering that the power needs of the average home in California today are roughly 5 kilowatts, the possibilities for providing backup power to homes – even whole neighborhoods – during outages could be significant. Put another way, the largest portion of neighborhood transformers in the PG&E service territory are fewer than 100 kW (125 kVA). While reliably exporting this kind of power is still a speculative prospect at this point, PG&E believes it is possible to get there in the near term. If accomplished, it’s a technological milestone that would fundamentally change the utility business, allowing companies like PG&E to virtually eliminate planned outages arising from transformer maintenance and upgrades. In a business built around service reliability, this kind of operational advantage could be a game changer for improving customer relations and strengthening utilities’ standing with regulators.

Vehicle Maintenance Savings: PG&E is realizing real savings on maintenance costs for its fleet of PEVs. Conventional wisdom suggests that the savings on maintenance compared to traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles will be greatest for battery electric vehicles (EVs). This is because the EV drivetrain has the fewest moving parts relative to internal combustion engine vehicles. PHEVs, which retain the use of an engine and fueling system, still require oil and other fuel changes as well as general engine maintenance. Nonetheless, PG&E reports that spending on these maintenance items for its fleet of Chevy Volt PHEVs is lower than spending on comparable ICE models. PG&E attributes the savings to the relatively high portion of electric miles driven by its Chevy Volts, which have an all-electric range of 30 to 40 miles. Employees’ average trip in San Francisco, where the bulk of PG&E’s Volts are located, is just 11 miles. Two notable categories of maintenance savings being captured by PG&E are reduced spending on brake pads and tires for vehicles in San Francisco. The city’s hilly terrain takes a toll on vehicle brakes, which the company estimates it replaces every six months for traditional ICE vehicles. However, initial experience suggests that the brake pads on PG&E’s fleet of Chevy Volt PHEVs will last as long as two years between replacements under the same conditions due to regenerative braking. By essentially running the vehicle’s electric motor in reverse, regenerative braking slows the Volt as soon as the driver lets off the accelerator, converting this kinetic energy into electricity that helps recharge the battery. During actual braking, the regenerative system augments the conventional braking system, a process that offsets friction that wears on the pads. At the same time, it appears that this process is also reducing wear on tires that occurs normally during harder stopping, leading to less frequent tire replacement.

Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure: By focusing on PHEVs and EWIMS work trucks, PG&E’s vehicle electrification strategy fundamentally avoids reliance on public charging infrastructure. However, charging infrastructure located at a vehicle’s overnight parking location is still of high importance for recharging the battery after a typical day’s use. In some cases, PEVs are driven home by employees. But in other cases – such as pool vehicles – a number of units are parked at a central facility. In these cases, PG&E reports that that the cost of installing charging infrastructure can be a significant challenge. In 2011, PG&E installed 35 charging stations for pool vehicles at its downtown San Francisco headquarters. The units were installed in an underground secure parking facility. The hardware cost for individual chargers was extremely manageable at approximately $800 per unit. However, construction costs for running power into the underground facility from the street above are estimated to have been roughly $350,000 – more than 90 percent of the total project cost. PG&E reports that the necessary additional wiring ran only 350 feet, placing the cost at $1,000 per foot. The lesson as always is that cracking concrete for charging infrastructure installation is likely to be expensive in most cases. This is especially true when facilities are being retrofit, particularly in high-cost urban areas. Where companies or government agencies have the opportunity to incorporate charging infrastructure into new construction, costs can be dramatically reduced and better managed.

Sam Ori, director of policy at the Electrification Coalition, recently sat down with Dave Meisel, director of transportation services at PG&E, to get a firsthand understanding of how the company’s electrification strategy is playing out in a real-world project. What follows are highlights from the discussion.

You often talk about the unexpected benefits of PEVs for your broader business. How do EWIMS fit into that?
One of the biggest things that we have seen with our EWIMS is the noise reduction. On our traditional bucket trucks, everything is PTO-driven. A mechanical shaft from the engine runs a pump and that’s what moves the bucket. So to operate the bucket, you have to have the truck running, and it makes a lot of noise. But in residential areas of San Francisco, there are noise restrictions in place that essentially make it impossible for us to do routine work using conventional trucks between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. That’s no longer an issue with an electric bucket because it’s silent. The engine is off. It’s expanded the workday by 100 percent – from 12 hours to 24 hours. In the past, if a PG&E crew was doing new construction and it got to be 7 p.m., they had to stop. It didn’t matter if there were just two hours of work to go. They had to stop, take the whole site down – which could take about an hour – go home for the night and then come back again in the morning. At that point, they had set everything back up again – which takes another hour – do two hours of work and then take it down again. With an EWIMS bucket truck, they can just work the additional two hours on the first day and be done, avoiding unnecessary time spent getting to and from the job as well as costly setup and takedown hours. The customer is happier and we’re more efficient.

How have the drivers reacted?
I’ll go back to the noise. In the utility business, you often work in pairs. One crew member is up in the bucket and the other is at the ground level. With a traditional bucket, the crew has to communicate over the noise of a running vehicle, which can really be a challenge. But in the case of an EWIMS truck, the engine is off and it’s quiet, so communication is much, much easier. Drivers absolutely love that. I would also add that, especially in our business, an enhanced level of communication actually puts our employees in a much safer situation. When a crew member in the bucket is talking to his colleague on the ground, he is trying to get a handle on critical information that has a material impact on job safety. Making it easier to communicate and have a higher level of confidence in information has been a huge hit with our employees. That enhanced feeling of safety is something that happens every time you go to work. Without question there are other benefits. The work crews certainly appreciate not having to be around the tailpipe emissions of a traditional diesel vehicle idling on a job site over a period of several hours. And the abatement of those emissions is also good for urban air quality. That’s a significant plus for us as a corporation.

The EWIMS technology is really a perfectly customized solution. How did you get there?
The drivers of these vehicles are some of our most highly skilled personnel. They are generally our first responders. What that means operationally is that they do a lot of tickets in a single day – lots of shorter stops to deal with pressing issues. They are at an individual site for an average of maybe two hours. They make a fix and move on to the next job. We wanted a system that would work off the battery and be capable of plugging in to the grid, but that couldn’t be the only way the battery recharged. So we developed the secondary alternator that recharges the battery as the vehicle moves from job to job. We also made sure that the battery was big enough to cover all of the work that would be done in a normal day without running the vehicle at any job site. To get there I would say we worked hand in hand with Altec. They have about 70 percent of the U.S. market for bucket trucks, so they understand our business and have a commitment to customer solutions. Our vehicle design and engineering team at PG&E had an idea for an electric bucket system that we felt would save us money and provide a whole range of operational efficiencies. We sketched out our idea in principle, took it to Altec and six months later the first vehicle rolled off the production line. It has worked out really well.

People often talk about the economics of these technologies in broad generalities. What can you say about your experience?
I can tell you that we are getting about a two-and-a-half-year payback on our Class 6 EWIMS trucks. We make business decisions to make money, plain and simple. So we wouldn’t be doing this if it didn’t work for the company. To me, it all goes back to lining up the right technology with the right application. People think electrification has to be about the propulsion system only. But that isn’t where we are using the most fuel in this particular application. Electrify where it makes sense to electrify. The fleet industry uses PTO shafts in a variety of applications, by the way: dump trucks, refrigerated trucks and more. They’re all shaft-driven, and today they all use a diesel engine to power that shaft. That function could be powered by a battery in all these applications.

I know you spend a lot of time thinking about ways to be creative in terms of integrating these technologies into your business model. What have you learned from your EWIMS deployment?
When we first started looking at these vehicles, we were thinking about them in terms of payback period. So we did a standard analysis comparing current technology costs and fuel consumption to the cost of the new technology and projected fuel savings. But what we have learned is that the operating savings, improved relationship with our customers, the extended work day and the safety improvements dwarf the fuel savings. What we also learned is that, frankly, there is a lot that we as an industry can’t measure when evaluating these technologies with a standard approach to ROI or payback period. So PG&E treats each application as a unique situation and evaluates it individually. Let me also say that the economic impact of these vehicles extends beyond just PG&E. We just had the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new facility here in Dixon, Calif., where Altec will be expanding its production capacity for these and other advanced vehicles. That’s 150 direct manufacturing jobs in the United States. And when you think about the multiplier for manufacturing jobs, which I think is about five times or six times, you are looking at almost 1,000 new jobs for the local community. That has an impact. Visit www.electrificationcoalition.org.

HYBRID VS. CONVENTIONAL 
“There has been no significant change in light-duty vehicles as a percentage of utility fleets,” said Tom Nimmo, a partner with the industry benchmarking firm Utilimarc. “However, we have seen changes within certain light-duty vehicle classes, including an increase in hybrids as a percentage of the fleet. Hybrid data also shows improved mpg and improved operating costs.”

Speaking at the 2012 Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference (www.eufmc.com), Nimmo covered trends, using 2009, 2010 and 2011 data, at a select group of 41 utilities that field approximately 90,000 utility-specific vehicles. In 2012, the entire Utilimarc database, comprised of state, county, city, utility and private fleets, will track more than 300,000 vehicles. Visit www.utilimarc.com.

RALEIGH POLICE DEPARTMENT SEES SIGNIFICANT FUEL SAVINGS FROM MOBILE POWER IDLE REDUCTION SYSTEMS
Earlier this year, the Raleigh (N.C.) Police Department installed mobile power idle reduction systems in 29 police vehicles. The project was funded by an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. Since being installed, the systems have saved Raleigh more than 3,000 gallons of fuel, cut emissions of 59,326 pounds of CO2 and reduced engine use by 107,032 miles. The police department now projects an annual fuel savings from the systems of $63,000.

The Energy Xtreme mobile power idle reduction system is a smart power management device that provides power, without engine engagement, to vehicles with demanding electrical needs. In Raleigh, the system allows police cruiser electrical systems, including lights, onboard cameras, computers and radios, to operate without having to idle the vehicle’s engine for at least four continuous hours. The system automatically recharges while the vehicle is being driven. Visit www.energyxtreme.net.

HYBRID NEWS

Eaton Supports California Hybrid Incentives
The California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) is getting a boost from Eaton Corporation (www.eaton.com/roadranger). Designed to assist California-based fleets with the purchase of low-emission, fuel-efficient medium- and heavy-duty hybrid vehicles, HVIP aims to help speed the introduction of hybrid trucks with financial incentives ranging from $10,000 to $45,000 for eligible vehicles.

“The Hybrid Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project offsets about half of the incremental cost of eligible hybrid vehicles,” said Gerard Devito, engineering director, Eaton hybrid power systems. “The program strongly benefits the public and commercial truck industry by helping interested fleets save money while delivering more sustainable transportation. We applaud the state of California for its pioneering work and many investments to promote and support the use of hybrid vehicles and other clean technology vehicles.”

About 87 truck and bus chassis configurations from a variety of vehicle manufacturers that are equipped with Eaton hybrid systems are eligible for the incentives. Under HVIP, incentives are preset for each qualified vehicle. Eaton hybrid power systems have collectively accumulated more than 300 million miles of service. More than 6,000 of Eaton’s hybrid systems are in use today on trucks and buses. Visit www.californiahvip.com.

ALTE LAUNCHES ELECTRIC VEHICLE FLEET PURCHASING SYSTEM
A Commitment to Action as part of the Clinton Global Initiative America designed to spur adoption of hybrid electric technology in fleets has been announced by ALTe Powertrain Technologies. The developer of a range-extended plug-in electric hybrid powertrain for light commercial fleet vehicles has pledged to develop a first-of-its-kind electric vehicle fleet purchasing system, under which fleet customers can consolidate the entire electric vehicle decision-making process in one web-based interface.

The new website, www.electrifyyourfleet.com, will connect corporate and government vehicle purchasers with electric vehicle stakeholders, including utilities, charging station providers and finance companies, and notify customers of available incentives while offering the benefits of group-rate purchases and simplifying the order-to-delivery process.

“Our commitment to the CGI community is to help solve the greatest roadblocks to commercial adoption of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles: eliminating the lack of affordability and simplifying the EV and charging station order fulfillment process,” said ALTe chief executive John Thomas. “We intend to take a crowdsourcing approach to generate a new industry buying platform that helps fleets better transition to a cleaner operation, offer financial benefits to customers and grow new jobs for the future of America.”

As an electric powertrain systems provider, ALTe will offer certified full-sized pickups and vans that have been retrofitted with electric or plug-in hybrid powertrains. Designed to replace a V-8 internal combustion engine powertrain, the system’s patented technology improves fuel economy, the company said. Visit www.altept.com.

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