Last Updated: April 05, 2011
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in the Big Easy uses 27 propane-powered vans and minibuses to shuttle more than 400,000 passengers annually to and from area hotels. The shuttle service first used this cleaner-burning fuel back in the '90s. The current converted fleet of propane shuttles was introduced in 2008. Company officials say they prefer propane over diesel, citing a cost savings of nearly a dollar a gallon plus lower emissions and maintenance cost.
"It's a cost-effective, more environmentally conscious way to go, and we feel that's how we want to run the operation," says Airport Shuttle general manager Don Duvernay.
The shuttle service displaced over 139,000 gallons of petroleum fuel with clean propane in 2010. Working with the Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuels Partnership, four more alternative fuel buses will be added this year, boosting the shuttle's role as a green welcoming committee for visitors to the Crescent City.
Last Updated: April 04, 2011
Boulder, Colorado, has made a city-wide commitment to alternative-fuel vehicles. Its lineup of flex-fuel police cars and light-duty pickups is a small sampling of the nearly 200 alt-fuel vehicles put into service since 2001. Along with E85, many of Boulder's maintenance trucks and street sweepers use B20 biodiesel. Propane is also part of the alt-fuel mix. Boulder also plans to convert 15 of their gas-electric hybrids to plug-in power. Charging stations will be installed around town with some of the current coming from solar energy.
Joe Castro, facilities and fleet manager of the City of Boulder Public Works, says, "We are looking at building a smarter electrical infrastructure with not only plug-in hybrids but also renewables, such as solar."
Nearly half of Boulder's fleet already is alt-fuel with a goal of 90%--a goal that will help ensure Boulder's Rocky Mountain view stays majestic.
Last Updated: March 21, 2011
The Austin, Texas, municipal fleet uses a wide array of alternative fuel vehicles including propane, biodiesel, hybrid electric, compressed natural gas, and E85. All play a part. Plus, EMS vehicles use solar panels to reduce wasteful idling. Austin's goal is a carbon-neutral city fleet by 2020. Almost 55% of their vehicles already use alt fuels with 30 new vehicles to go green next year.
"Anytime we can start using a renewable fuel source-an alternative fuel source that originates here in this country-then we're helping ourselves internationally in doing that. And we're helping the environment at the same time," says Austin Fleet Officer Gerry Calk. Austin also plans to add plug-in electric hybrids to its fleet and install EV charging stations around town to support them, making this once-oil-centric Texas capital among America's most alt-fuel-savvy cities.
Last Updated: January 19, 2011
Visitors to the City of Sevierville, Tennessee, are touring the town in eight propane-fueled hybrid electric trolley cars. The city purchased the vehicles in 2005 to help reduce air pollution. Propane produces fewer tailpipe emissions than diesel fuel, and it reduces the city's reliance on imported oil.
But these propane hybrid trolleys are only the tip of Sevierville's green initiative. They are also the proud owners of a pair of larger plug-in hybrid buses used for special events. The city has also added four dedicated propane trolleys, a CNG bi-fuel pickup, and some 30 specialized municipal vehicles including a new refuse truck that runs on renewable B20 biodiesel. Sevierville is a community leader doing its part to keep the Volunteer State ready, willing, and green.
Last Updated: December 01, 2010
In 1999, Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky made a commitment to use E85 ethanol in its small fleet of flex-fuel vehicles and installed their own refueling station. Today, more than a decade later, all of the park's 41 vehicles run on alternative fuels, including biodiesel, propane, and electricity.
The park has converted six school buses from gasoline to propane. They take nearly 175,000 visitors a year to cave entrances. Rangers use these gem all-electrics to patrol campgrounds and assists with parking.
For years, Melissa Howell from the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition has worked closely with the park to develop a strong alternative-fuel program?an effort that fits in perfectly with the National Park Service's mission to protect and preserve our country's most vital natural resources.
Last Updated: July 28, 2010
San Antonio is switching to hybrid taxis thanks to a 2007 city ordinance, filled with incentives. The program kicked off the voluntary program to replace traditional cabs with gasoline-electric hybrids. While familiar rides like the Crown Vic still ferry most passengers around the Alamo city, thanks to a commitment by several large taxi firms, more than 100 hybrids are already on the road.
And program coordinators are keeping the pedal down and hope to see more fuel-stingy taxis in the near future. Gary Gilbert says, "As technology changes in the automotive industry, our program will change with those technologies to provide a cleaner vehicle but still provide the transportation needs of our citizens."
Drivers like the fuel economy and cost savings hybrids offer, and passengers enjoy the ride--knowing they, too, are doing something good for Texas.
View the MotorWeek video of this story.
Last Updated: April 01, 2010
Some lucky students in Virginia are now enjoying a cleaner ride to school. Gloucester County Public Schools recently launched the state's first propane school bus fleet.
"Using propane-powered school buses is a step in the right direction to significantly decrease vehicle emissions and improve the air quality for our students," says Roger Kelly, director of transportation for Gloucester County Public Schools. "We are excited to be involved in this clean school bus initiative."
Cleaner air isn't the only benefit the five propane buses offer. Gloucester County Public Schools estimates they will save about $1.50 per gallon in fuel costs and more in maintenance costs due to the cleaner engine and prolonged oil change intervals.
"We are pleased and impressed with the forward thinking and actions of the Gloucester County School Board and administration," says Chelsea Jenkins, director of Virginia Clean Cities. "The propane school buses are providing opportunities for students and the community to observe and learnfirst-hand about alternative transportation technologies."
Virginia Clean Cities worked with Gloucester County Public Schools to develop the project, and was contracted by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association to assist with project management. A $221,355 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant from the Environmental Protection Agency's National Clean Diesel Program funded half of the project and Gloucester County Public Schools funded the remaining amount.
Last Updated: March 01, 2010
The MotorWeek success story of the week comes from Gloucester, Virginia, where the county school system has added five newly designed Blue Bird buses that run only on propane. With a full load of propane, driving range is comparable to a diesel-fueled bus with a 60-gallon tank. Bus drivers love how quiet the new buses run. Other benefits include lower maintenance costs.
According to school administrator Roger Kelly, "The cost per mile is significantly lower--about 10¢. The price per fuel is over $1 per gallon cheaper."
With the help of government grants, school officials hope to add five more propane buses next year. Gloucester also uses biodiesel in their remaining bus fleet--all in an effort to provide cleaner air for most-precious cargo. View the MotorWeek video of this story.
Last Updated: February 08, 2010
Toledo, Ohio, has one of the nation's largest private medical transport providers. Medcorp EMS wanted a clean-fuel fleet, but since their call center handles critical 911 services for many communities and dispatches over 1,500 ambulances daily, they could not risk compromising vehicle reliability.
Their solution was a bi-fuel conversion using propane as the primary fuel, but retaining the vehicle's existing gasoline system for emergency backup. This led not only to a greener fleet, but a new business opportunity as well.
Company spokesman, Fred Isch, explained, "We found propane to be the best fit for us. We converted a lot of our fleet to that product. It's been very successful in saving us money, improving our economic position and our environmental position. We were so happy with the product, we began to install and market it to outside companies, even competitors, anyone else who could be interested in a fleet application of propane."
Domestically-produced propane fuel is cleaner and cheaper than gasoline, and actually improved MedCorp's fleet maintenance profile. It was a win-win solution for the company and the communities they serve.
View the MotorWeek video of this story.
Last Updated: October 19, 2009
Dallas County Schools in north Texas has made alternative fuels a priority. With the fifth largest school bus fleet in the country, DCS even makes its own biodiesel. Each week 400 gallons of waste vegetable oil is put through a maze of tanks, tubes, and filters and converted to biodiesel, which is then blended into B10 and B20 to fuel over 1000 buses.
In April, DCS unveiled its Fryer Flyer, a school bus with twin fuel systems, one carrying biodiesel, the other carrying biodiesel made from processed waste vegetable oil. Propane is also being used as an alternative to traditional petroleum fuels. This new propane-powered bus is one of 600 such units, with a further 100 buses due for conversion from gasoline. All of which makes Dallas County Schools a leader in providing clean and green benefits for north Texas and beyond. View the MotorWeek video of this story.
Last Updated: June 19, 2009
L.L. Bean was the first major Maine-based company to test biodiesel in its distribution fleet, and now boasts a growing fleet of heavy-duty vehicles that operate exclusively on B20, a blend of 20% biodiesel, 80% diesel. Tractor rigs move merchandise between various warehouse and store locations while shuttle buses take customers from the retail store to various Outdoor Discovery School locations operated by the company. Fuel comes from an onsite 800-gallon, skid-mounted tank installed by Frontier Energy, Maine's only full-service supplier of B100 and blended biofuels.
L.L. Bean is committed to environmental stewardship and has made the purchase of B20-capable vehicles a key part of its purchasing policy. In the past two years, the fleet has grown from 8 to 13 tractor rigs and from 8 to 17 shuttles, and now uses approximately 20,000 gallons of B20 annually. The company reports no problems with B20, even during intense winter seasons.
The company also supports other environmental outreach programs. L.L. Bean donated $1 million in 2002 to support Acadia National Park's free, propane-powered bus system as part of its support for protecting the environment. The propane buses have been so well accepted that the company made an additional $1 million donation to finance additional vehicles. L.L.Bean's financial support for Acadia underscores the company's ongoing commitment to responsible recreation, conservation, and preservation. "We hope others will join L.L.Bean in supporting America's national parks," said company CEO Chris McCormick.
While propane was not workable for L.L.Bean's own on-road fleet due to fueling logistics, the company has found that B20 fits its needs perfectly. For additional information about L.L. Bean's use of biodiesel, contact Carolyn Beem at cbeem@llbean.com cbeem@llbean.com
Last Updated: November 13, 2007
UPS placed an order for 167 CNG delivery trucks and took delivery of 139 new propane delivery trucks for its North American delivery service. In addition, the company has launched an initiative to use biodiesel fuel in its ground support vehicles at its air hub in Louisville, Ky.UPS's worldwide AFV fleet includes 1,629 vehicles, the largest such private fleet in the transportation industry. The fleet includes CNG, LNG, propane, electric, and hybrid electric vehicles. UPS already operates 800 CNG delivery trucks in the U.S. and plans to locate the new CNG vehicles in Dallas; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Ontario, Calif.; San Ramon, Calif.; and Fresno, Calif. The propane vehicles will join the nearly 600 propane trucks already operating in Canada and Mexico. "While there's a great deal of interest in the research we're doing with new types of hybrids, 70 years of testing alternative fuel vehicles has taught us there are multiple technologies that can effectively reduce our dependence on fossil fuels as well as our carbon footprint," said Robert Hall, UPS's director of vehicle engineering. "Adding this many propane and CNG vehicles is going to have a very positive impact."The propane and CNG trucks currently in the UPS fleet were converted from gasoline and diesel vehicles in the 1980s to run on alternative fuels. The new trucks are originally manufactured for alternative fuel use. The chassis for the CNG trucks are being purchased in two sizes from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation. The trucks will feature engines from Cummins Westport that are expected to yield a 20% emissions reduction and 10% improvement in fuel economy over the cleanest diesel engines available in the market today.The new propane-powered vehicles were manufactured by Workhorse Custom Chassis and feature the latest technology in clean burning propane engines provided by Baytech Corporation. Propane vehicles emit about one-third fewer reactive organic gases than gasoline fueled vehicles. Nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide emissions also are 20% and 60% less, respectively, than conventional vehicles.The biodiesel initiative in Louisville is being funded with the support of a $515,000 federal grant that is helping to offset some of the cost of building a fuel infrastructure at the airport. The infrastructure will provide B5, a 5% biodiesel blend, to operate 366 UPS ground support vehicles starting early in 2008.
Last Updated: October 03, 2007
Porland Public Schools in Portland, Oregon, transports more than 10,000 students each year with buses traveling 3 million miles a year. During the 1980s, high gasoline prices led the district to explore alternative fuels. In 1983, as an experiment, the district converted three conventional buses to propane. Pleased with their performance, the district decided to convert the rest of its bus fleet to propane. Today, 84% of the district-owned fleet and 88% of contractor-owned buses operate on propane.
"Lower fuel costs are the key to successful operation of our propane fleet," says Phil Weber, director of student transportation for Portland Public Schools. "We buy 740,000 gallons of propane per year and that allows us to negotiate a price close to $1.20 per gallon." Ensuring a dependable supply of fuel at a competitive price is critical to the decision to use any alternative fuel. "We've found that there is a five-year payback for the capital costs of the small buses," says Weber. "The price of fuel is what makes that possible." Smaller districts and fleets that have fewer vehicles may be able to piggyback onto a large contract such as Portland's when delivery is in the same area as the larger user.
The propane-powered buses have helped the district reduce exhaust emissions and lower fuel costs. The overall performance of the propane buses is excellent, and the average life span of engines is almost twice as long as that of conventionally fueled buses. "Until recently, we have found it hard to identify conversion companies for gasoline to propane conversions. But now Bluebird has entered the market with a factory built propane-powered bus, and IMPCO has received certificatios for the 6.0 liter GM engine," Weber says.
"Fifty percent of our bus routes are for special needs children, and we use the smaller buses for those routes," Weber says. Each propane-powered small bus has a fuel economy at or just below that of an equivalent petroleum bus. All are fueled on-site from a 2,800-gallon tank truck. An onsite 1,000-gallon stationary tank is the backup fueling source.
For more information about the propane bus fleet of Portland Public Schools, contact Phil Weber at pweber@pps.k12.or.us.
Last Updated: September 21, 2007
Zion National Park in Utah, at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, the Great Basin, and the Mojave Desert, operates 30 propane (LPG) buses that provide transportation along the Zion Canyon scenic drive inside the park and along a route in the neighboring town of Springdale. The park bus route departs the Zion Canyon Visitor Center every few minutes. Approximately 81% of park visitors use the shuttle service during its operating season. According to Kirk Scott, general manager of the Zion Shuttle System, the buses are quieter and emit fewer pollutants into the environment than diesel. At an average 1,076 Btu of energy used per passenger mile, the shuttle buses are also about three times more fuel efficient than passenger cars.
The park purchases high-purity LPG at stable prices from cryogenic storage facilities at a refinery near Salt Lake City. The electronic components that control ignition in the Cummins B5.9 LPG engines seem to work best with at least 95% purity propane fuel and no propylene. Experienced professionals need to install the LPG fueling infrastructure. The park plans to continue using LPG in shuttles and to purchase more LPG buses to replace older buses and expand its fleet.
For more information, visit the Zion National Park website or contact Kirk Scott at parkstrans@infowest.com.
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.