The Fleet Business Authority
Issue link: http://heavydutytrucking.epubxp.com/i/236631
FuelSmarts Fin theL U E News CALIFORNIA INVESTING consumption, with average displacement ranging from 40% to 65%, APG sources said. The energized fuel balance is maintained with a proprietary read-only electronic controller system, ensuring the engines operate at original equipment manufacturers' specified temperaDual-fuel systems can store gas in tures and pressures. compressed or liquefied form. This is an Because cheaper natural LNG tank being installed by technicians at another WheelTime member, Smith Power gas displaces diesel fuel, the in Salt Lake City. system offers a 15% to 30% net savings in fuel costs. It's partly on natural gas, combined with a non-invasive upgrade that a heater that warms engine coolant for boasts a 400- to 800-mile range with quick starts in cold weather. no reduction in horsepower, Roger says. The Freightliner Coronado tracThe system thus offers a way for tor will allow potential customers to fleets to begin using alternative fuels betry out the concepts in real-world fore or instead of committing to more situations before they purchase, said expensive dedicated natural gas vehicles. Rick Roger, Penn's CEO. The Webasto coolant heater is "We are slated to build nearly 1,000 glider trucks this year, and fully 20% will be dual-fuel." – Ken Eggen, Ervin Equipment "We initially began this project as a way to familiarize our customers with the new dual-fuel technology from APG," he says, then added the Webasto heater. "People can be reticent to buy into a new technology until they've tried it for themselves, and with this new glider they can do just that." The Coronado daycab glider has a rebuilt Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine with EPA '98 specifications, so it has no exhaust-gas recirculation or diesel particulate filter. The APG dual-fuel system offers emissions reduction advantages as well as considerable savings from inexpensive natural gas. The dual-fuel system displaces up to 80% of the normal diesel fuel 28 HDT • JANUARY 2014 approved by California's Air Resources Board and verified by the Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay program as a fuel saver. It can eliminate cold starts and quickly warm a cab's interior without idling the engine, and gets the vehicle and its driver on the road quickly. The heater's SmarTemp Control can be programmed to heat automatically at scheduled times, and temperatures can be easily adjusted. The cost for a Penn-APG dualfuel glider with Webasto coolant heater and SmarTemp Control is comparable to that of a new tractor that runs only on relatively expensive ■ diesel fuel, Roger says. IN FUEL CELLS he California Energy Commission is seeking proposals to spend $100 million starting in 2015 to build out fueling stations and other infrastructure to support hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. The program provides funding for projects that expand hydrogen fueling infrastructure, including building fueling stations; improving alternative vehicle technologies, and retrofitting medium- and heavy-duty vehicle technologies. T EPES ADDING NATURAL GAS A fter two and a half years of researching natural gas, Greensboro, N.C.based Epes Transport launched its first tractor powered completely by compressed natural gas. Initially, Epes will run CNG tractors only in North Carolina. In February, Epes will add liquid natural gas-fueled tractors to its operating lanes in Georgia and Florida. AMPCNG TO BUILD PUBLIC-ACCESS CNG STATION A mpCNG (formally known as AMP Americas) announced that it has signed a deal with Venture Logistics to build CNG fueling infrastructure at an existing gasoline station in Lafayette, Ind. The public station will serve the Subaru of Indiana Automotive plant as the anchor tenant, and will provide as much as 2.5 million diesel gallon equivalents of CNG each year to heavy-duty truck fleets operating primarily on I-65. The ultra fast-fill CNG station will have 2 dual hose dispensers, 4 lanes, 4 hoses, and is expected to be fully operational by the end of March, 2014. www.truckinginfo.com