Hertz introduces CNG vehicle rentals in US; Civics and Yukons

The Hertz Corporation is introducing compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles to its fleet in the US. Hertz will begin renting eight CNG Honda Civics and two CNG GMC Yukons at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City early next month. All vehicles will include NeverLost GPS units to assist renters in mapping local CNG refueling stations.

Oklahoma City is serving as a pilot program for Hertz’s CNG airport rentals program. In addition to having significant CNG fueling infrastructure across the state—approximately 70 existing or planned public stations—Oklahoma is also home to several of the top natural gas producers in the country, including Chesapeake Energy Corporation.

Last year, Hertz introduced the addition of CNG vehicles through Hertz On Demand at Oklahoma State University. Hertz also deploys CNG airport buses at its Los Angeles Airport location and rents CNG vehicles in both Italy and the United Kingdom.

Hertz is committed to providing our customers with a full spectrum of vehicle options to suit their rental needs including clean emission vehicles such as CNG, electric vehicles, as well as other fuel-efficient vehicles included in our Green Traveler Collection. As more low emission, fuel efficient vehicles become available for general use we will continue to expand our rental fleet, reflecting our dedication to offering sustainable travel options.

—Mark P. Frissora, Hertz Chairman and CEO

The new vehicles will be on display at the Oklahoma City Thunder’s home game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, April 11. In conjunction with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Green Week, an NBA initiative for environmental awareness, Hertz will also be raffling off 10 weekend CNG vehicle rentals to game attendees.

The expansion of energy-efficient and clean vehicles stems from the launch of Living Journey, Hertz’s global sustainability strategy announced earlier this year.

CNG is a cleaner-burning fuel, emitting up to 30% less carbon dioxide and up to 75% less carbon monoxide. The fuel also typically costs half the price of gasoline and is produced domestically.

Source: Green Car Congress

Ford to offer new diesel engine option in new Transit van; new Vehicle Emissions and Fuel Cost Calculator

Ford will bring the all-new Ford Transit commercial van to market with an option for an all-new diesel engine as well as the 3.5L EcoBoost V6. (Earlier post.) Ford says that the new Transit, which begins production in Kansas City in 2013, will achieve at least 25% better fuel economy than current E-Series vans.

Speaking to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit, Kevin Koswick, director, North American Fleet, Lease and Remarketing Operations for Ford said the company will provide customers with a range of options to reduce their operating costs through a lineup of fuel-efficient engines and alternative-fuel technologies, including EcoBoost (turbocharged, gasoline direct injection); hybrid; plug-in hybrid; battery-electric; biodiesel; and CNG/LPG.

Ford also has developed a specialized new tool to help optimize fleet purchases based on specific fuel types and operating locations. Called the Vehicle Emissions and Fuel Cost Calculator, the new tool is designed to help fleet customers understand their current carbon footprint and to model various scenarios based on the types of vehicles they choose for their fleets. The tool incorporates important information to evaluate fuel costs and emissions, providing an opportunity for fleet managers to quickly evaluate multiple options.

The Vehicle Emissions and Fuel Cost Calculator utilizes such information as vehicle type, fuel type and traffic conditions (stop-and-go city traffic or on the highway, for instance), along with the geographic region in which the car will be used to generate information about the efficiency of a fleet.

The proprietary program, which must be used in conjunction with the support of a Ford representative, will create customized scenarios for customers by using special formulas and variables to determine the environmental impact and fuel costs of specific vehicles.

For example, the tool can demonstrate how operating an electric vehicle in Portland, Ore., has different environmental ramifications from operating one in Philadelphia. This is due to hydropower being a common source of electricity in the Pacific Northwest, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, compared with the mostly coal-based electricity used in the East Central region.

Ford has gained major market share in key commercial vehicle segments as the economy rebounds from the industry lows of 2009. In vans, where Ford E-Series has been the best-seller for 32 years, market share grew from 49.8% in 2008 to 53.7% in 2011, even as new competitors entered the market.

E-Series full-size vans and cutaways are available with flex fuel or CNG/LPG gaseous engine prep package fuel systems.

Source: Green Car Congress

Odyne Offers $100,000 Plug-In Hybrid Conversion For F-750 Trucks

There is a lot of “low hanging fruit” when it comes to reducing our dependence on oil. For one, we could demand improvements in the efficiency of the most fuel-intensive heavy vehicles like the Ford F-750. Now a third-party supplier named Odyne is offering a plug-in hybrid conversion with a big price tag that could come along with big savings.

Odyne revealed its new plug-in hybrid system for F-750 cab chassis’s at the 2012 Work Truck Show, and it can cost up to $100,000 depending on options. A 14.2 kWh battery pack is standard, though it can be doubled-up, adding up to 1,650 pounds to the chassis. But the plug-in hybrid system could also save up to 1,750 gallons of diesel fuel per year. With the current average price of diesel fuel sitting around $4.09, that 1,750 gallons of diesel fuel, that’s a savings of over $7,150 per-year.

At that rate, it would take about 15 years to pay off the $100,000 28 kWh battery pack system. In addition to saving fuel, the battery pack system can also be used as a 120 or 240-volt outlet system for use at the work site. Sounds like a lot of money, but consider that these trucks can usually last for 20 years or longer (don’t believe me? Check out craigslist), and that explains why Odyne have already been delivered 15 of these plug-in hybrid F-750 trucks.

Big moves in the world of big rigs, and this low-hanging fruit could result in huge cost and oil savings. With talk of CNG being the fuel of future heavy duty vehicles, it’s only a matter of time before these alt-fuels cross paths.

Source: Gas2.0

Kia to Focus on CNG Future

If Kia’s chief powertrain engineer gets his way, the Korean automaker will continue its push to reduce harmful carbon emissions by building its future models (like the Rio-based Trackster, above) to run on compressed natural gas (CNG).

Dr. Joachim Hahn, speaking to the automotive press at the Geneva auto show last week, voiced his strong support for CNG as a means to a quick, inexpensive way for automakers to cut emissions, saying “With all the work we do on internal combustion engines and hydrogen-powered cars, making big gains in CO2 reduction is either incredibly difficult or incredible expensive. That’s why I see big potential in CNG. It can offer a 20 per cent CO2 reduction just like that – what other technology can give you that?”

Indeed, Hahn’s comments mirror the “shotgun” philosophy that Kia’s parent company, Hyundai, seems to be following, with its R&D team pushing out everything from “conventional” gas-electric hybrid Elantra sedans to hydrogen fuel-cell electrics and dual-fuel compacts in Europe capable of seamlessly switching between gasoline and Propane. All of which are “future-proofed”, of course, by Hyundai’s forward-thinking Assurance program, which guarantees a new car buyer’s resale value in the face of a wildly uncertain future of fuel …

… wildly uncertain, that is, for most of us. Dr. Hahn seems pretty sure he’s bet on the right horse with CNG. “It’s also cheaper for the consumer than petrol and easier to store than either electricity or hydrogen. What’s more, a wider spread of use of CNG would take some emphasis off oil, and open up more opportunities for worldwide suppliers – there would be no reliance on certain countries for supply.”

Here’s hoping, then, Hyundai/Kia let their guy run with it – if for no other reason than to show Honda that everything they can do, Hyundai can do.

Source: Gas2.0

Obama Wants to Add Rebates to CNG Vehicles as Well as EV's

Continuing his efforts to reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil, President Barack Obama yesterday proposed expanding tax credits now offered to buyers of plug-in cars to those who buy natural-gas vehicles as well.

Given the ugly politics around electric cars and the presidential election season, the proposals aren't given much chance of getting enacted this year, if ever.

But Obama doubled down on his calls to end tax incentives for the petroleum industry, calling oil the "fuel of the past" and urging that U.S. transportation migrate over time to a mix of fuels.

His speech continued a consistent theme of the current administration: Gas prices hurt, but oil dependency is worse.

The president made his proposals at a Daimler truck plant in North Carolina--The New York Times noted that it was his fourth trip to the contested state in six months--and called for Congress to end $4 billion of tax incentives and subsidies to the oil industry to offset the cost.

"Promising" new energy sources

“It’s time to end that taxpayer giveaway," Obama said, calling the oil industry one that's "never been more profitable" and repeating his call for the country to invest in new sources of clean energy that have "never been more promising."

Specifically, Obama called for the existing maximum tax credit of $7,500 for purchase of an electric car to be raised to $10,000.

He proposed that the credit be converted to an effective purchase rebate, which buyers receive within weeks--rather than a tax credit whose effect is seen up to 15 months later--by letting buyers transfer the credit to dealers or financial entities when they purchase.

2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD bi-fuel (natural gas & gasoline) pickup truck

Plug-ins plus natural gas

He also suggested that credit be expanded to include not only plug-in cars, but those fueled by natural gas and hydrogen as well.

And Obama proposed a new tax incentive for commercial buyers of such vehicles, cutting their taxes over five years by half the increased cost of the alternative-fuel vehicle against a comparable gasoline or diesel vehicle.

Together, those proposals would total $3.7 billion in new incentives, according to the Detroit News.

Infrastructure for up to 15 cities

Finally, the president proposed a second Department of Energy "grand challenge" of $1 billion, to fund installation of alternative-fueling infrastructure in up to 15 cities, accompanied by $650 million in R&D funding to increase the range of electric, natural-gas, and hydrogen vehicles.

Roughly one-third of those cities would install infrastructure for fueling natural-gas vehicles, with the rest continuing to add public charging stations for plug-in electric vehicles.

Barack Obama in Detroit

Addressing concerns over higher gas prices, Obama cited statistics that indicate domestic oil production has increased, more acres are being explored for drilling, and the number of permits issued for pipelines has risen during his time in office.

Beware proposals for $2 gas

The president continued on the path of what he called an "all of the above" energy strategy, but engaged in a bit of political positioning when he warned against politicians proposing "phony election-year promises" for reducing gasoline prices to $2 a gallon "that never come about."

The New York Times coverage noted that Obama did not mention his longstanding goal of having 1 million plug-in vehicles on the nation's roads by 2015.

Source: Green Car Reports

AT&T Builds Towards 15000 CNG Trucks

This past Thursday, telecom giant AT&T re-committed to its stated goal of putting 15,000 CNG-powered vehicles into operation by 2018, reaching the milestone of 5000 commercial CNG vehicles in service a few weeks ago and putting 274 CNG trucks and vans into service in Connecticut alone (the photo, above, is of Congressman John Larson and AT&T Connecticut’s president, Rodney Smith).

This is all part of AT&T’s bid to improve both its overall fleet costs and reduce the company’s carbon emissions. According to AT&T, their planned alternative-fuel vehicle initiative would save 49 million gallons of gasoline over the 10-year deployment period and reduce carbon emissions by over 200,000 metric tons, which AT&T claims is the greenhouse gas equivalent of removing over 38,000 conventionally-fueled passenger vehicles from the road for one year.

You can read AT&T official press release about hitting the 5000 vehicle mark in whole, below.

Enjoy!

AT&T Marches Toward 15,000 Cleaner-Fuel Fleet Vehicles with Milestone 5,000th Alternative-Fuel Deployment

Five thousand — and counting. That’s the newly-announced tally of alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs) placed on U.S. roads by AT&T since the company embarked on a 10- year commitment of up to $565 million to deploy approximately 15,000 alternative fuel vehicles through 2018, including one of the largest U.S. corporate commitments to compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles to date. AT&T deployed the 5,000th vehicle, a CNG van, in Palmdale, California. AT&T currently operates more than 70,300 vehicles in its corporate fleet.

“In a short period of time, with the support of community leaders all over the country, we’ve invested in the deployment of thousands of advanced technology vehicles that promote cleaner air, use less fuel and help AT&T lower its operating costs,” said Jerome Webber, vice president, AT&T Global Fleet Operations. “While some may see just another car or truck on the road, we think these vehicles represent the shared values of the communities where we live, work and play.”

In 2010, AT&T and other large U.S. fleet operators joined in the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities’ National Clean Fleets Partnership as part of a national challenge launched by President Obama to cut America’s petroleum imports by one-third by 2025. Through 2013, AT&T anticipates it will have purchased up to 8,000 CNG vehicles at an estimated cost of $350 million. Additionally, over the life of the commitment, AT&T expects to invest $215 million to replace approximately 7,100 fleet passenger cars with alternative-fuel models.

According to a 2009 Center for Automotive Research report, AT&T’s planned alternative-fuel vehicle initiative would:

- Save 49 million gallons of gasoline over the 10-year deployment period
- Reduce carbon emissions by 211,000 metric tons – the greenhouse gas equivalent of removing 38,600 passenger vehicles from the road for one year

More Sustainable Service Garages

Beyond the AFV deployments, AT&T is turning to its service garages to help minimize its environmental footprint and cut operating costs within its overall fleet. These programs include:

- Redirecting an estimated 60,000 old tires annually through a new recycling program that turns old rubber into fuel and consumer products
- Recycling all primary garage products, including 180,000 pounds of oil filters; 200,000 gallons of oil; and 23,000 gallons of antifreeze annually
- Eliminating the purchase of 9,000 pounds of lead annually that were being used to balance new fleet vehicle tires at high speeds

Source: Gas2.0

CNG-Powered Semis Hit I-94

Andersen Windows‘ delivery trucks have hit the highways, and they’re being fueled by compressed natural gas that, the company believes, will save them over $25,000 per year at today’s gas prices. Per truck. More than enough, in other words, to make back the $40000 premium on CNG trucks compared to their conventional counterparts.

At $5/gallon? There’s no question the CNG alternative is a winner.

Savings like that are one reason why commercial fleets like AT&T and states like California, Nevada, and Utah are turning their attention away from diesel and gasoline and considering compressed and liquefied natural gas which, thanks to “the shale-gas revolution”, is available for about $2 less per the equivalent gallon of conventional petroleum gasoline and diesel.

“Natural gas transportation is starting to hit a tipping point,” says Rob Brown, an analyst for Craig-Hallum Capital Group of Minneapolis. Brown sees more and more companies turning to CNG, driven partly by better CNG engine technologies designed strictly for burning natural gas, and a push among large companies to reduce harmful carbon emissions and boost their “green” image.

These CNG supporters are also working to address the fuel’s biggest perceived obstacle – a lack of infrastructure. In other words: a lace of places (especially for trucks, which need maneuvering room and rapid-fill pumps) to fill up.

Two CNG filling stations specifically designed for semi trucks will be opening in Wisconsin this week, built in cooperation with Andersen Windows so that company’s trucks will be able to refuel near its Menomonie, Wis., distribution centers. That station, a Cenex truck stop just off of I-94, works in concert with another in Green Bay will be open to the public. It’s hoped that these stations will form the basis for a natural-gas shipping corridor between the twin cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago, IL.

“You need a place to start, and Andersen Windows is creating that start,” said Craig Dickman, CEO of Breakthrough Fuel, a Green Bay-based company that helps shippers reduce their costs.

Source: Gas2.0

YoMobile CNG Hybrid Crossover - VIDEO

A look at the tech aspect of the Russian ToMobile:

Tata Motors shows CNG, diesel-electric hybrid and fuel cell concepts at Auto Expo 2012 in India, unveils 3 new production vehicles

Indigo Manza Hybrid. Click to enlarge.

Tata Motors showcased its alternate fuel technology capability at the New Delhi Auto Expo 2012 by displaying four concepts: the Tata Nano CNG; the Tata Indigo Manza diesel-electric hybrid; the Tata Starbus Fuel Cell (hydrogen); and the Tata Magic Iris CNG. The Tata Motors portfolio already includes a full electric vehicle—the Tata Indica Vista Electric Vehicle—and CNG-electric hybrid buses.

The company also unveiled three new production vehicles at the Auto Expo 2012: the Tata Safari Storme, the new generation Safari SUV; the Tata Ultra, the company’s new LCV & ICV range; and the Tata LPT 3723, India’s first 5-axle rigid truck as well. They will be commercially launched in the next financial year.

Tata Nano CNG Concept. CNG kit components have been applied to the bi-fuel CNG Tata Nano. The sequential gas injection system has been calibrated with the EMS system for smart switching between CNG and gasoline fuel systems. The car comes with software with safety strategies such as automatic cut-off CNG supply even in the case of leakages and automatic fuel quality checks. The CNG fuel system has been packaged in order to not disturb the existing luggage space.

The Tata Nano CNG comes with a touring range of more than 150 km (93 miles) in addition to the existing touring range (375 km, 233 miles) of the Nano 2012 and CO₂ emissions of 92.7 g/km.

Tata Indigo Manza Hybrid Concept. Powered by a Hybrid 1.05 liter DiCOR engine and 45 kW electric traction motor, the Indigo Manza Hybrid functions as both a series and a parallel hybrid. The vehicle is designed to deliver performance with less than 90 g CO₂/km in city traffic conditions through technologies such as high speed cranking, regenerative braking, auto start/stop, series hybrid mode and limited range pure electric operation. On the highway, the vehicle delivers best-in-class acceleration performance in the parallel hybrid mode.

Apart from regenerative braking, the Indigo Manza Hybrid Concept also recharges its Li-ion battery pack with a roof-mounted solar panel.

Tata Starbus Fuel Cell Concept. The 30-seat Tata Starbus Fuel Cell Concept was developed with support from the Government of India’s Department of Scientific and Industrial Research under the Technology Development & Demonstration Programme.

The bus features a fuel cell stack has gross peak power of 85 kW, Li-ion battery pack, and two rear motors motor with the peak power output of 186 kW with motor speed from 600 rpm to 2100 rpm and torque of 1,050 N·m (774 lb-ft) at 800 rpm. The maximum speed of the bus is 70 km/h and gradeability is 17%, which is suitable for city applications.

Magic IRIS CNG. Click to enlarge.

Tata Magic IRIS CNG. The Tata Magic IRIS CNG is a “last-mile” public transport vehicle. It comes equipped with a 611 cc, water-cooled 12.8 hp CNG engine with 37 N·m torque, mated with a 5-speed gear box.

It adheres to Tata Motor’s CNG safety standards such as Single Point Gas Injection, Swagelok Joint, Solenoid Valve on ITVR (integrated tank valve & regulator) and comes with stainless steel pipes instead of mild steel pipes, special air venting system arrangement to prevent rusting and gas leakages. The tamper proof ECU electronically limits maximum speed of vehicles as per local city requirements.

Features of the car-like Tata Magic IRIS CNG include all-steel, fully covered body with hard top, double steel sheet doors, 12” radial tires, ergonomically designed seats with seat belts, digital instrument panel, stylish dashboard mounted gear shift lever, steering wheel, big windshield, side mirrors and glass windows.

Production vehicles. The Safari Storme is powered by a 2.2L 16-valve common rail (DiCOR) engine (138 hp/103 kW power; 320 N·m/ 236 lb-ft torque) with a variable geometry turbo, mated with a 5-speed manual transmission. Electronic shift-on-the-fly (ESOF) enables shifting from 2WD to 4WD on the move.

For safety, there are 4-channel ABS with EBD, disc brakes on all wheels, a new rack-and-pinion steering system, rigid ladder frame construction with hydro-formed long members, crumple zones, side intrusion beams on all doors, collapsible steering column, dual SRS airbags, inertia switch and an auto engine immobiliser.

The Tata Ultra LCV & ICV range will comprise variants from 5 to 14 tonnes. The range will be powered by new generation 3L (138 hp/ 103 kW) and 5L (168 hp/ 125 kW) common rail (DiCOR) 16-valve engines, offering higher aggregate life, longer service intervals and low NVH.

The Tata LPT 3723 is India’s first 5-axle rigid truck. With a payload of 25 tonnes (ideal for cement and steel movement), it will reduce the cost/tonne-km. It is powered by a Cummins 6BT 5.9L engine (154 kW/ 207 hp at 2500 rpm) and mated with a 9-speed gearbox.

Tata Motors’ displays also include, in passenger vehicles, a Tata Nano concept, the Tata Pixel concept, the Tata Indica Vista Concept S2, the Tata Manza Nova concept, the Tata Aria – AT concept, the Tata Sumo Gold and the Tata Xenon concept. Other commercial vehicles displayed are the Tata Prima 7548.S - Concept, the Tata Prima 3138.K AT, the Tata Venture Ambulance, the Tata Ace Refresh and the Tata Super Ace (Left Hand Drive).

Tata Motors is India’s largest automobile company, with consolidated revenues of Rs.1,23,133 crores ($27 billion) in 2010-11. Through subsidiaries and associate companies, Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand, Spain and South Africa. Among them is Jaguar Land Rover. It also distributes Fiat cars in India, and has an industrial joint venture with Fiat in India.

With more than 6.5 million Tata vehicles plying in India, Tata Motors is the country’s market leader in commercial vehicles and among the top three in passenger vehicles. It is also the world’s fourth largest truck manufacturer and the third largest bus manufacturer. Tata cars, buses and trucks are being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia and South America.

Source: Green Car Congress

Truck Stop CNG Station May Spur on Alternative Fuel Movement

Natural gas has forever been a "nearly" fuel. While offering several advantages over gasoline or diesel, such as low cost of refueling, HOV-lane stickers in California and cleaner running, the disadvantages are even greater.

One of those has been the availability of natural gas, limiting its suitability for longer trips, where access to a natural gas pump might be scarce.

That could be about to change, according to Associated Press. Natural gas developer Clean Energy Fuels Corp. is planning to equip truck stops all over the country with natural gas pumps, increasing the total by 150. All will be located on major interstates.

While the main aim of this is to encourage heavier, thirstier vehicles to use natural gas, it will be beneficial for the passenger car market too. Currently, the natural gas vehicle market is dominated by buses, taxis and garbage haulers. Refueling is less of an issue for commercial vehicles, as they're often refueled each night at the company running them.

At the moment, only one production natural gas vehicle is on sale, the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas. We drove it recently, and found it to be very similar to the regular Civic to drive.

However, with fewer than 1,000 public natural gas fueling stations across the U.S. and a lower range on gas than on gasoline, it's a less practical choice. It also costs more than the equivalent gasoline Civic - as much as $10,000 over the basic model - giving it similar limitations to an electric car.

If the number of stations increased, the low price and low greenhouse gas emissions - a third lower than the equivalent gasoline model - could make it a more logical option, at least for owners keeping their cars for several years.

Honda is expanding sales to 37 states next year, up from only four. "We think we are expanding the car at the right time with the expansion in public infrastructure," explains Honda's Jessica Fini. Honda plans to boost sales from 1,000 cars annually to 2,000, still less than one hundredth that of regular gasoline Civics.

150 more stations still sounds like a small expansion, but it's certainly a step in the right direction and should help Honda sell a few more natural gas Civics. Whether it will stimulate greater demand and encourage other car makers to follow suit is a different matter.



Source: Green Car Reports

IMW Industries introduces mobile CNG Station for fueling small to mid-size fleets

IMW Industries, a subsidiary of Clean Energy Fuels Corp., has introduced a new self-contained, mobile compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station designed for small to mid-size vehicle fleets. Offering both time-fill and fast-fill fueling capabilities, the natural gas compression/dispensing system is mounted on a 24-foot trailer for quick deployment to fleet locations across the country to provide CNG fueling for new fleets or while a permanent station is under construction or undergoing equipment maintenance.

Enclosed in a protective trailer shell, the new IMW system can fuel CNG-powered refuse trucks, delivery trucks, service vans or other types of vehicle fleets. It features on-board fueling capability for 10 vehicles simultaneously in time-fill mode or for two vehicles in fast-fill mode. It is designed for use together with a portable generator (or site power) and an onsite utility gas supply connection.

Each package has an industrial CNG compressor, high-pressure CNG storage, multi-point CNG dispensing, gas controls and electrical controls in a unique, purpose-built transport trailer.

IMW Industries manufactures and services advanced natural gas fueling compressors and related equipment that is sold to station operators and commercial fleets, and has provided more than 1,200 installations in 24 countries. The company operates a manufacturing facility at its headquarters near Vancouver, BC, Canada, a second manufacturing facility near Shanghai, China, and a third manufacturing facility near Ferndale, Washington, USA.

Source: Green Car Congress