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Transit Bus Fleet Experiences
City of Los Angeles Dedicates World's Largest LNG/LCNG Fuel Station
Last Updated: April 12, 2011
The City of Los Angeles operates more than 400 liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied to compressed natural gas (LCNG)powered refuse trucks out of a total fleet of 700 units and has just opened its fifth LNG refueling station. The station is thought to be the largest LNG/LCNG station in the world with a combined LNG fuel storage capacity of 60,000 gallons, six LNG fuel dispensers, 32-gallon-per-minute pumping capacity, 72,000 SCF of high-pressure storage and two dual-hose CNG dispensers.
The fueling station is located at the North Central Sanitation Yard which will provide a critical fueling location for a variety of other city natural gas vehicles including natural gas powered street sweepers, transit buses, aerial lift trucks, dump trucks, passenger vehicles, and a variety of other vehicles.
Emissions Free Circulator Transit Bus Serves Baltimore
Last Updated: June 18, 2010
In Baltimore, Maryland, the brightly colored Charm City Circulator is creating quite a green buzz around town. Baltimore is the first to use the EcoSaver IV Hybrid Electric bus by DesignLine as part of a major free-shuttle fleet. Thirty percent of the time, the 44 passenger buses run emissions free on electric power alone. Then a small, diesel-fueled turbine generator kicks in to replenish the battery pack. Transit officials are so far very pleased as the EcoSaver IV is chalking up big savings on fuel costs. Baltimore currently has 12 EcoSavers in service with a total of 21 on order. They are already being used on two of the three Charm City Circulator routes, and are proving even more popular with riders than transit officials expected, providing residents of Charm City a big, eco-friendly lift. View the MotorWeek video of this story.
Santa Fe Metro Fleet Runs on Natural Gas
Last Updated: June 08, 2010
Santa Fe Trails Transit System (SFT), the metro transportation system in New Mexico's capital city, claims the distinction of first all natural gas (CNG) transit fleet in the U.S. From the outset, Santa Fe residents wanted a transportation system that would preserve Northern New Mexico's the clean air and blue skies, so valued by tourists and residents alike. Santa Fe Trails provides fixed-route and para-transit local and regional service while building ridership and expanding routes.
"When the system first went into operation in 1992, we were a test market," said Transit Director Jon Bulthuis. "Since that time, other technologies have become available including hybrid electric. But natural gas has proven efficient for our applications. Hybrids are more expensive to purchase and maintain and the fuel savings are not enough to justify the purchase."
Today, Santa Fe Trails operates 30 CNG-powered full-size transit buses for fixed-route service and four CNG sedans for para-transit service. Plans include replacing the remaining 16 para-transit vans with natural gas vehicles. Infrastructure for natural gas is city-owned and includes 34 time-fill fueling poles. A public-access natural gas fueling station that operates 24/7 is also on the premises. "The CNG buses are reliable, have cleaner burning engines, increased oil life, and lower fuel costs than diesel," said James Dillingham, fleet and facilities manager for Santa Fe Trails.
Bulthuis said the buses operate well at this altitude and the natural gas is locally produced out of the San Juan Basin in northwest New Mexico. "That means we're using a domestic resource with lower fuel transportation costs. We believe we've made the right choice for Santa Fe, both environmentally and economically."
For more information, visit the Santa Fe Trails website.
Fisher Coachworks Developing Plug-in Hybrid Mass Transit Bus
Last Updated: June 03, 2010
Fisher Coachworks, of Oak Park, Michigan, is developing a plug-in, hybrid-electric, mass-transit bus that is both lean and mean. A prototype of the ultra-lightweight, unibody GTB-40 bus is already being tested. It has a 100-mile range on battery power alone and over 300 miles with the use of a small natural gas-powered generator that recharges the batteries. Fisher claims their bus is 30% lighter and gets two to three times the fuel economy of current hybrid buses. "In a typical diesel bus, you get about three miles per gallon in the city. With hybrids in the market today, youre getting about five miles per gallon equivalent," said Greg Fisher. "We're predicting north of 10 miles per gallon with our bus in a city application because of its light weight." Fisher is currently building a second improved prototype. Partially funded by the Department of Energy, the Fisher GTB 40 has the potential of being the fit and trim city bus of the future. View the MotorWeek video.
Los Angeles City Fleet Uses A Variety of Alternative Fuels
Last Updated: May 20, 2010
The City of Los Angeles boasts over 4,100 alternative-fuel vehicles--everything from gas-electric hybrids to natural gas trucks and buses to trendy MINI Es. The city is field-testing five MINI E plug-in electrics. City workers say they are getting about 100 miles on a full charge. Recharging takes about three hours using a dedicated charging station. For emergencies, a convenience charger plugs into a normal outlet. The city reduced petroleum fuel consumption by eight million gallons last year alone as the alt-fuel fleet continues to grow by over 20% annually. That includes 400 refuse trucks that use natural gas, and nearly half of their street sweepers also run on natural gas with plans for a 100% alt-fuel fleet. The L.A. Clean Cities coalition sees advanced-technology alt-fuel vehicles as a key way to keep the City of Angels clean, green, and beautiful. View the MotorWeek video.
Valley Metro Transit Moves With Natural Gas
Last Updated: July 02, 2009
Valley Metro Transit, the regional transit system for metropolitan Phoenix, serves 60 million passengers per year and operates one of the nation's largest fleets of natural gas transit buses. Valley Metro continues to increase its fleet of natural gas buses and now operates 649 liquefied or compressed natural gas (LNG and CNG) buses, which represent 65% of the fleet. Thirty percent of the fleet operates on ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) and 5% use unleaded gasoline, mainly in small cut-away buses for circulator and shuttle services. Valley Metro uses 10.8 million gallons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and 1.9 gallons of compressed natural gas (CNG) annually to fuel its fleet.
The buses are owned by the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Scottsdale and the Regional Public Transportation Authority (RPTA). "We continue to increase our fleet of natural gas buses and are planning to continue both the LNG and CNG fueled fleet whenever natural gas is an option," says Bob Antila, capital planner for Valley Metro/RPTA.
An increase in natural gas buses translates into a need for more fueling stations. The cities of Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, and the RPTA have joined to establish LNG/LCNG fueling sites for the region. Clean Energy, Seal Beach, CA, has a three-year contract to supply Valley Metro with LNG fuel, some of which will come from a new Spectrum/Desert Gas Services plant in Ehrenburg, AZ.
"The air quality benefits and reduced reliance on traditional fuels continue to be our focus. We see ourselves as setting an example and continuing to improve the public's perception of mass transit," says Antila. Contact Bob Antila by email at bantila@valleymetro.org for more information.
Auburn Tigers Switch to Biodiesel
Last Updated: September 21, 2007
Auburn University's orange and blue Tiger Transit buses are now green. The transit fleet of more than 40 vehicles has made the switch from regular diesel fuel to biodiesel. The switch comes at a time when ridership is at an all-time high. The one-day record was set during the first week of fall classes in 2007 with 17,000 riders.
The buses are initially using B10 biodiesel, which is a blend of 10% biodiesel and 90% petroleum diesel. But fleet managers expect to move to B20 in the near future. The biodiesel fuel is made from soybean oil produced by Alabama Biodiesel Corporation in Moundville and distributed by R.K. Allen Oil Company in Talladega.
While the cost of biodiesel is similar to regular diesel fuel, Dave George AU's director of parking and transit services, says there are many advantages to using biodiesel. Biodiesel actually helps keep the inside of the engines cleaner, and passengers and drivers appreciate the reduction in exhaust fumes. "There's almost no odor compared to the smell of regular diesel," George says. "Plus we get better fuel mileage with biodiesel."
"Auburn's leadership on alternative sources of energy starts on campus," according to AU President Jay Gogue. "Tiger Transit's switch to biodiesel illustrates our commitment to improving energy security for the United States and promoting economic growth through development and use of renewable bioenergy."
For more information about the biodiesel switch of Auburn University, contact Mike Clardy at clardch@auburn.edu.
Seattle Tacoma International Airport
Last Updated: August 22, 2007
In 2001, the Port of Seattle Aviation Division adopted a fleet vehicle purchase policy that required the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), whenever feasible and practical, to replace conventional petroleum vehicles. The Seattle Tacoma (Sea-Tac) International Airport's fleet is currently composed of 60 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, including 16 buses and 41 light-duty vehicles (LDVs)--all of which display the slogan "Doing our share for cleaner air naturally." Sea-Tac's fleet also includes seven propane LDVs, nine hybrid LDVs and 91 ground support units that operate on electricity. In 2005, the Sea-Tac Airport received the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Excellence Award in recognition of the implementation of air quality programs such as the fleet vehicle purchase policy.
The Port required airport taxi and shuttle services to switch to CNG vehicles. Shuttle Express currently has 27 CNG shuttle vans serving the airport. Shuttle Express operates more than 33% of its total trip mileage using the CNG vans. The Seattle-Tacoma International Taxi Association operates all of its 166 taxi cab fleet with CNG-fueled Ford Crown Victorias. The Port of Seattle's Air Quality website reports that the CNG fleet is expected to produce 149 fewer tons of carbon monoxide and 24 fewer tons of oxides of nitrogen each year compared to conventional vehicles.
The Port partnered with Clean Energy to install, operate, and maintain a full-service CNG fueling station at Sea-Tac, which is open to the public and operates 24 hours a day. Sea-Tac currently has plans to add an additional public CNG fueling station, as well as increase the number of CNG buses in its fleet.
For more information, contact Russ Simonson, senior environmental program manager, Port of Seattle, Aviation Division, at simonson.r@portseattle.org.
Unitrans Moves Passengers With CNG
Last Updated: August 22, 2007
Unitrans, a student-run transit system that serves the University of California at Davis and the City of Davis, currently operates 27 compressed natural gas (CNG) transit buses, five CNG shuttle buses, two electric light-duty vehicles, 11 medium- and heavy-duty CNG vehicles, and four light-duty CNG-powered vehicles. Unitrans is among the first fleets in the nation to develop a transit bus that will operate on a hydrogen/CNG mixture; the company plans to begin testing by the end of 2007. Two hundred student employees and 14 career employees run the system, which transports 20,000 passengers each weekday (more than 3 million annually). About 95% of Unitrans' mileage is driven by alternative fuel buses.
Unitrans currently has its own CNG fueling station and plans to complete a new hydrogen/CNG refueling station, as well. "CNG compressors and related equipment are best protected from the elements within an enclosed structure. Completing the planned blended hydrogen/CNG fueling station has been very difficult because local safety personnel have required a wide array of safety elements that were not anticipated during the planning phase," explains General Manager Geoff Straw. "It seems that we're establishing new protocols due to the unique nature of the project. For this reason, the hydrogen compressor had to be located outside the existing CNG compressor/equipment building, which has delayed completion of the project for the past two years."
In addition to the CNG/hydrogen start up challenges, Straw indicated that "the technological learning curve was steep for our technicians. In fact, many of my peers in the transit industry and I are having difficulty finding trained compressed-fuel technicians." Two additional factors have surfaced in the process of operating a CNG fleet. Planning has had to include the increased capital costs of operating CNG vehicles due to the 15-year life of the vehicle's CNG fueling tanks. "We have two options when the CNG tanks have reached their maximum operational life. We can replace the tanks (about $75K per vehicle) or replace the vehicle entirely, both of which require large amounts of funds. With a conventional diesel vehicle, we can replace old/dirty engines with newer/cleaner diesel engines and the bus can operate for a much longer time with little financial investment." Another important factor is the limited number of CNG engine manufacturers in the transit market. Straw indicates that "some of us who have invested in CNG infrastructure are concerned about future pricing and support."
Despite these challenges, Unitrans is committed to clean technology and has selected CNG as its fuel of choice. "The low per-mile fuel cost of natural gas is attractive. It's a proven technology and we've had 12 years of experience with it." says Straw.
Contact Unitrans at http://unitrans.ucdavis.edu/ or Geoff Straw at gdstraw@ucdavis.edu.
Garbage Fumes Fuel LNG Transit Buses
Last Updated: June 11, 2007
Prometheus Energy and Bowerman Landfill in Orange County, Calif., are turning landfill gas (LFG) into liquefied natural gas (LNG) that will soon be used power local transit buses and garbage trucks.
Completed in December 2006, the new plant--the first of its kind--is currently producing about 1,000 gallons of LNG per day and expects to increase daily production to 5,000 gallons during its first phase. At this production level, the plant will reduce carbon dioxide output by the equivalent of 10,000 tons per year.
As landfill materials decompose, methane is generated. If allowed to escape, methane is 23 times as potent a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide. Therefore, air quality regulations require landfills to flare the methane if not put to use. Flaring options include burning methane to generate electricity or purifying it to add to natural gas pipelines. However, if landfills are in areas where electricity is inexpensive or far from electric transmission lines and gas pipelines, landfill gas can economically be converted to liquid transportation fuel.
Such is the case for Bowerman Landfill, which is located just five miles from the Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA). The two organizations formed a partnership--Bowerman will produce the fuel and OCTA, which is already running its buses on LNG, will use it.
All told, OCTA now uses about 13,000 gallons of LNG per day. It will soon use all the LNG produced at the Bowerman plant. The rest of OCTA's LNG will continue to be supplied by other manufacturers.
Although Bowerman currently produces only 1,000 gallons of LNG per day, it generates enough LFG to make about 50,000 gallons of LNG per day. Prometheus is actively seeking grants to eventually increase production to 40,000 gallons per day in subsequent phases (it is already permitted to do so). The company hopes to take on other fuel customers as the project continues.
Prometheus is approved to proceed with another LFG-to-LNG project in Sacramento. In this case, the fuel produced will be used in garbage trucks hauling waste to the landfill and by other municipal and private fleets. The project is being made possible by a $549,000 Clean Cities grant. Prometheus is an active member of the Puget Sound coalition and a member of its steering committee.
For more information, contact Prometheus Energy at 206-267-0800.
