ShowTimes Magazine September 2005 at APTA Expo 2005

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September 26, 2005 Buy Fuel? Want to Pay Less? Where They Are Booth numbers for the natural gas supply and natural gas equipment companies here at APTA Expo 2005. Page 3 Clean Energy Deals Natural gas fueling leader Clean Energy Fuels comes to APTA with new plans for long-term gas supply contracts—featuring guaranteed multi-year pricing. Page 4 Lincoln’s Again Lincoln CNG tankmaker is free of its GD fetters and with European capital behind it stands ready to be more responsive to the needs of bus builders—and operators. Page 6 Let Trillium USA Do It CNG specialist makes the case that transit agencies are better off seeking expert help to handle their fueling needs. Page 9 A New Deere Engine John Deere is launching a 9.0-liter natural gas-fueled engine to help it build on the fast start in transit buses it’s made with its 8.1- liter 6081. Page 13 A combination of factors—and new government incen- tives—may well make natural gas the best bet for transit agencies seeking the most cost-effective clean air alter- native for the post-Katrina era. Chief among the many contributory reasons is the fact that diesel engines are getting more expensive as new emissions controls are added, and that diesel fuel is getting more expensive as the price of oil inexorably rises and sulfur is removed. Manufacturers of natural gas engines are offering prod- ucts that can meet NOx requirements for 2010 in 2007. The stoichiometric natural gas engines are expected to be nearly as efficient as diesels fitted with the controls to meet those tighter rules. • Cummins Westport, Inc. is unveiling the 8.9 liter, stoichiometric, L Gas Plus-based and NOx 2010- compliant ISL G here today. CWI on Page 5 • Emission Solutions, Inc. is offering the Phoenix 7.6L, a natural gas-fueled version of the DT 466. Full CNG and LNG installations are planned. ESI on Page 7 • A study by the Tiax consultancy has found that, assuming the price of oil to be just $31 per barrel (a fond memory scant months after the study’s release), natural gas buses will be cheaper to run than diesels on a life-cycle basis. Tiax on Page 10 ShowTimes presents a special report from Europe on natural gas transit bus action. Europe on Page 11 • Fab Industries has the knowhow and a new location to ease the installation of gaseous fuel systems—and Fab now handles engines too. Fab on Page 13 Texas Welcome from Boone Pickens — Page 3 Welcome to Expo 2005 What’s the Local Dallas Area Rapid Transit Doing? DART’s next bus buy may or may not be natural gas, but the agency will almost certainly go for gas again when emissions regulations tighten. Long-term contracts may make the clean fuel more attractive too. Page 12 One of DART’s 183 liquefied natural gas-fueled buses and a truckload of fuel from agency’s new supplier, Clean Energy

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ShowTimes magazine Natural Gas Vehicle Report at the American Passenger Transit Association's Expo 2005

Transcript of ShowTimes Magazine September 2005 at APTA Expo 2005

Page 1: ShowTimes Magazine September 2005 at APTA Expo 2005

September 26, 2005

Buy Fuel? Want to Pay Less?

Where They Are Booth numbers for the natural gas supplyand natural gas equipment companies hereat APTA Expo 2005. Page 3

Clean Energy Deals Natural gas fueling leader Clean EnergyFuels comes to APTA with new plans forlong-term gas supply contracts—featuringguaranteed multi-year pricing. Page 4

Lincoln’s Again LincolnCNG tankmaker is free of its GD fettersand with European capital behind it standsready to be more responsive to the needs ofbus builders—and operators. Page 6

Let Trillium USA Do ItCNG specialist makes the case that transitagencies are better off seeking expert helpto handle their fueling needs. Page 9

A New Deere EngineJohn Deere is launching a 9.0-liter naturalgas-fueled engine to help it build on the faststart in transit buses it’s made with its 8.1-liter 6081. Page 13

A combination of factors—and new government incen-tives—may well make natural gas the best bet for transitagencies seeking the most cost-effective clean air alter-native for the post-Katrina era.

Chief among the many contributory reasons is thefact that diesel engines are getting more expensive asnew emissions controls are added, and that diesel fuel isgetting more expensive as the price of oil inexorablyrises and sulfur is removed.

Manufacturers of natural gas engines are offering prod-ucts that can meet NOx requirements for 2010 in 2007.

The stoichiometric natural gas engines are expected tobe nearly as efficient asdiesels fitted with thecontrols to meet thosetighter rules.

• Cummins Westport, Inc. is unveiling the 8.9 liter, stoichiometric, L Gas Plus-based and NOx 2010-compliant ISL G here today. CWI on Page 5

• Emission Solutions, Inc. is offering the Phoenix 7.6L,a natural gas-fueled version of the DT 466. Full CNGand LNG installations are planned. ESI on Page 7

• A study by the Tiax consultancy has found that,assuming the price of oil to be just $31 per barrel (a fond memory scant months after the study’srelease), natural gas buses will be cheaper to run thandiesels on a life-cycle basis. Tiax on Page 10

• ShowTimes presents a special report from Europe onnatural gas transit bus action. Europe on Page 11

• Fab Industries has the knowhow and a new location toease the installation of gaseous fuel systems—and Fabnow handles engines too. Fab on Page 13

Texas Welcome from Boone Pickens — Page 3

Welcome to Expo 2005

What’s the Local Dallas Area Rapid Transit Doing?DART’s next bus buy may or may not be natural gas, but the agency will almost certainly go for gas again whenemissions regulations tighten. Long-term contracts may make the clean fuel more attractive too. Page 12

One of DART’s 183 liquefied natural gas-fueled buses and a truckload of fuel from agency’s new supplier, Clean Energy

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Natural Gas Transit Report • Convention & Tradeshow News September 26, 2005 3

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PublisherKirk Fetzer

[email protected] at APTA

EditorRich Piellisch

[email protected] at APTA

Contributing EditorJamie Knapp

PhotographerMel Lindstrom

Distribution ManagerJeri Fetzer

Printed by:Digital Graphics, Inc.

ShowTimes is published byConvention & Tradeshow News.

Advertising: 415-979-1414 Editorial: 415-896-5988www.CTNPublishing.com

ShowTimes produces live, daily news publicationsfor events in the alternative fuels industry including:

Clean CIties Conference & Expo,Electric Drive Transportation Association Expo,

and National Hydrogen Association Expo.

© Copyright 2005 by Convention & Tradeshow News.All rights reserved. Material in this publication maynot be reproduced in any form without permission.

Reprints available upon request.

Where They Are...Applied LNG TechnologiesBooth 4293

ANGI InternationalBooth 5510

Clean Energy Booth 5706

Cummins WestportBooth 3773

Deere Power SystemsBooth 1047

Dynetek IndustriesBooth 5002

Fab IndustriesBooth 1157

Lincoln CompositesBooth 2034

NexGen Fueling/Chart Booth 4420

Structural Composites Ind.Booth 1759

Trillium USABooth 3979

Westport InnovationsBooth 3773

Welcome to Dallas.Your timing is perfect.

Oil and gas prices are rising, andthose who believe the price perbarrel of oil will ever fall back intothe $30 and $40 ranges are increas-ingly in the minority. Demandcontinues to outpace supply.Consider these facts:• In the Arab embargo back in the70s, we were importing 25% of ouroil. In the first Gulf War, we wereimporting 42% of our oil. Todaywe’re importing 57%. By 2010,we’ll be over 60%. • Demand is growing globally. TakeChina. Ten years ago China used 3.4million barrels per day. Today theyare using 6.5 million barrels per day,and they are projected to use 11 mil-lion per day a decade from now. • We are consuming more than 30billion barrels of oil a year world-wide. The last time we found asmuch oil in a year as we consumed

was the mid ’80s.• The Alaska pipe-line used to be full,running at 2 millionbarrels per day. Itnow carr ies lessthan half that.

The easy oil hasbeen found. We’vepeaked as far as pro-duction goes, or it’sright around thecorner. What does this mean fortransit operators? Continued up-ward pressure on pricing. Couplethat with increasing demands forcleaner fuels and you are talkingabout the need for real leadershipand an expanded role for alterna-tives. Maintaining the status quo isno longer an option.

The best fuel is natural gas.Engine technology has improveddramatically. At least two majormanufactures here are offering 2007

natural gas enginesthat meet 2010 cleanair standards with-greater fuel efficiencyand reliability.

Transit agenciesthat have made theswitch to natural gasin recent years areimproving air qualityand realizing sub-stantial fuels savings

through long-term contracts thatlock in prices at reduced levels.

I encourage you to seek out thoseon the front lines of the natural gasfueling movement. Talk to tran-sit managers from Los Angeles,Sacramento, San Diego or Phoenix.They will tell you what a differencenatural gas is making in their opera-tions. It will be a conversation worthhaving. Have a great convention.Boone Pickens is Chairman Emeritus of Clean Energy Fuels (Booth 5706).

Welcome to APTA 2005 Dallas,But Be Warned: ‘Easy Oil’ Is Over

Texas’ own Boone Pickens

We’ve undertaken this specialNatural Gas Transit Repor t atAPTA’s Expo 2005 because thenatural gas bus story is a storyworth telling.

Why tell it here? Because thisis the Big One, the once-every-three-years national public transitshow, and it comes at a criticalenergy supply juncture.

Everyone here is aware of thespiraling cost of fuel.

A dozen natural gas and compo-nent firms, the companies thatsupply the gas itself and whosupply the fueling equipment and

tanks and tubes and other hard-ware to make natural gas busespossible, even gas engine manu-facturers, might otherwise be lostin a crowd of 800-plus exhibitors.

The natural gas bus story isgetting lost too in the face ofheightened attention to hybridsand a backlash against fossil fuels.

The fact is that fossil fuels aregoing to be with us a long time.Natural gas, essentially methane,is four-fifths hydrogen. It’s a funda-mentally cleaner fuel than diesel,and very arguably more domestic.

Got asthma? Kids got asthma?Grandkids? Air pollution prob-lems are far from solved.

And does anyone reallydoubt the reality of globalwarming?

For operators with moremundane concerns, the effi-ciency of natural gas enginesis improving while the effi-ciency of diesels is deteriorat-

ing. That’s because new add-onswill be necessary to bring dieselengine emissions down to man-dated 2010 levels—down to thelevels of natural gas engines dis-p layed here this week andavailable early next year.

Diesel engines will be moreexpensive and the ultra low sulfurfuel they require will be moreexpensive too.

At the same time the NGV sideis more responsive to operators’needs. All three of the CNG tanksuppliers here, for example, offercomplete, bolt-in bus fuel systemsor have partners who do so.

Yes, natural gas prices arerising. But globally, natural gasprices are expected to lag behindthe price of oil by about 20 years.And last month President Bushsigned legislation giving a 50-cent-per-gallon price break to naturalgas. Yes, it’s a story worth telling.

—Rich Piellisch, Editor

Why Natural Gas for Transit?

Natural gas advocates say gas buses arecleaner, likely to see better economics.

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Clean Energy, which claims the title of largestNorth American supplier of vehicular naturalgas, has a simple message for APTA Expo 2005:the company says it can deliver the cleanest pos-sible bus fuel at an advantageous price, and lockin that price for years.

“We can offer transit operators very attractivelong-term fixed-price contracts that others aren’t

necessarily able to offer,” says Clean Energy VPMitchell Pratt.

Clean Energy was founded by natural gasmaster trader Boone Pickens, who is nowchairman emeritus of the Seal Beach, Calif.-based company.

“We’re aware of the gas marketplace,” saysPratt, “and work within that marketplace to pro-vide customers what they need.” Pratt is aco-chairman of APTA’s clean propulsion andsupport technology committee.

The company is in at least one case offering acontract with fixed-price gas costs locked in forten years, and is thinking of making the ten-yearterm a nationwide policy.

Right here in Dallas, Clean Energy has won anew contract to supply liquefied natural gas toDallas Area Rapid Transit, committing to a capof 99.54 cents per LNG gallon for five years,with a three-year option. It’s “a very favorable

price,” says DART maintenance VP MikeHubbell (see page 12). Clean Energy is trying toconvince Hubbell to go with gas for its next busbuy, expected to be some 70 vehicles.

LNG accounts for about 35% ofClean Energy’s overall business, and isgrowing faster than CNG. CleanEnergy is working to build its ownLNG plant in Southern California.The 80,000-gallon-per-day unit, to bebuilt for easy expansion, is part of an“aggressive” five-year growth plan

including investment of $100 millionoutlined by Clean Energy presidentand CEO Andrew Littlefair inWashington last month.

The plan includes 42 additionalLNG outlets, and 50for CNG, augmentingmore that 160 in opera-tion already in the U.S.and Canada. Littlefairsaid Clean Energynotched volume growthof 40%, to 46 million

equivalent gallons, from 2003 to2004, and that 2004 revenuestopped $50 million.

Fuel volume is expected toexceed 50 million gallons this year.

Above and beyond fuel provi-sion, Clean Energy promises “afull complement of services.”That includes financing, and helpwith getting grants. “We’ll buildand own the station,” says VPPratt, reaching out to agenciesthat are leery of natural gas.

“There were a number oftransit properties that were earlyadopters,” Pratt told ShowTimes.“Those properties struggledthrough the early adopter experi-ence.” Now, he says, engines aremore reliable and more efficient,

and, citing new offerings from CumminsWestport (page 7) and John Deere (page 11), aregetting even better. Diesel is meanwhile getting

more expensive—both the fuel itselfand diesel engines as they are modifiedto meet emission standards the new gasengines can achieve.

Hybrids? Pratt says diesel-fueledhybrid buses cost approximately half amillion dollars each, as compared toroughly $330,000 or $340,000 for aCNG bus (a premium of as little as

10% over straight diesel buses, and one that withnew engine technology may be covered almostfully by new federal incentives).

“It’s really time,” Pratt says, “to take a freshlook and reconsider natural gas.”

Clean Energy provides fuel at the Sky Harbor airport inPhoenix to vehicles like this New Flyer employee shuttle bus.

C E N T E R S T A G E

Clean Energy: Low Prices, Long ContractsMitchell PrattVP Business DevelopmentClean Energy (Booth 5706)

Mitchell Pratt

Clean Energy VP MitchellPratt also reminds APTAExpo 2005 attendees aboutthe nation’s commitment tohydrogen, and that sooner orlater transit operators willhave to invest in it.

“To get to that hydrogenfuture, transit facilities haveto be upgraded to gaseousfuels,” he says. “Natural gasis a clean, reliable solution.”

Even more logical, tohasten the advent of thathydrogen future, Pratt argues,is the use of hydrogen-CNGblends, which promise tobring already-low CNG engineemissions down even further.

Clean Energy is in theearly stages of a project topower buses operated byVancouver’s TransLink

(which several weeks agoopted for CNG buses insteadof diesels) with HCNG madewith waste hydrogen from aBritish Columbia chlor-alkaliplant. Clean Energy haseven designed a new dis-penser to deliver a moreconsistent blend.

“We’re a much less expen-sive way to get to a nearzero-emission bus,” Prattsays. Using blends in internalcombustion engines couldfoster a market for hydrogenwhile fuel cells develop, too.

Pratt was a key figure intaking the natural gasvehicle industry’s “pathway-to-hydrogen” message to theNational Hydrogen Associ-ation’s annual meeting inWashington this year.

Path to the Vaunted Hydrogen FutureCould Be a Combination of Two Fuels

Tax Breaks Seen as Boon, But Not Real SoonBills just signed into law by President Bush pro-vide tremendous new incentives for natural gasvehicles. The energy law provides fueling infra-structure support, and it appears that as much as$32,000 per vehicle will be available for buseswith the latest, 2010-compliant engines—enoughto cover most of their incremental costs, effectiveJanuary 1.

As tax breaks, however, all of the new rules are

subject to IRS interpretation. The real challengeis in the transportation bill’s 50-cent-per-gallonexcise tax credit for alt fuels. Since it’s based onsales, there is some question of whether the creditapplies to agencies pumping their own fuel.

Securing favorable interpretation is a key pri-ority of the national NGV lobby, and at any ratethe 50-cent credit doesn’t take effect untilOctober 1, 2006.

Natural Gas Transit Report • Convention & Tradeshow News September 26, 20054

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Cummins Westport, Inc. is trumpeting its ISL Gengine here, advising that the new 8.9-liter power-plant can meet year 2010 NOx emissionsrequirements now, and that the engine boasts effi-ciencies that rival diesel.

CWI’s ISL G is a stoichiometric fuel mix variantof the L Gas Plus, which was launched last year.The ISL G is fitted too with EGR (exhaust gasrecirculation) controls, and economical three-waycatalyst.

The new CWI engine is rated at 250 to 320horsepower.

“It’s targeted initially at transit and refuse,”saysCWI marketingVP Jeff Campbell,who is representingthe company a tBooth 3773.

CWI’s pitch totransit operators?G e t a j u m p o n2010’s 0.02-gramNOx requirements(which take effect

in California in 2007), and save fuel too. “We get animprovement in efficiency with stoich, so we expectan improvement in fuel economy,” Campbell says.

“We intend to close the gap with diesel,” he toldShowTimes.

Particulate emissions for the new engine are at orbelow 2010 levels without a particulate trap, CWIsays. “Greenhouse gas emissions are expected to beat least 17% lower than the cleanest diesel engineavailable.”

“The availability of a high performance enginewith ultra-low emissions bodes well in the fightagainst deteriorating urban air quality and climatechange,” CWI president Hugh Foden said earlierthis year, when CWI said it would develop the stoi-chiometric L Gas Plus successor with the supportof DoE’s National Renewable Energy Lab inColorado. “Our solution should offer significanteconomic as well as environmental value to cus-tomers,” Foden said.

NREL was expected to put about $2 million intothe project, which is also supported by the SouthCoast Air Quality Management District, the clean

air watchdog for the Los Angeles region.CWI is also promoting the 8.3-liter C Gas

Plus here, although that engine is to be phasedout in North American markets and replaced bythe new ISL G. The third horse in the CWIstable is the 5.9-liter B Gas Plus.

A modified version of the B Gas Plus,dubbed the B Gas International, is meanwhilefinding favor in Asia. “It’s designed to be locally

manufactured in China and India,” Campbellsays, using parts shipped for assembly by CWI.

Dongfeng Cummins Engine and CumminsIndia are the l i censees for the B GasInternational for those markets.

Will CWI offer a B Gas Plus derivative usingthe technology in the ISL G?

“The B stoich decision,” Campbell says,“is pending.”

CWI to Meet 2010 NOx Rules Next Year

TRANSIT NGV PROGRAMSARE ON THE MOVE

About 8000 natural gas-powered transit

buses operate in urban and suburban set-

tings across North America and hundreds

more on order will deploy in the coming

year. In fact, about one-in-four transit

buses on order is specified to run on natur-

al gas. That’s because CNG- and LNG-pow-

ered buses have a proven track record of

clean, reliable and cost-efficient service at

more than 120 transit agencies and the list grows every year. Today’s natural

gas-powered buses emit less NOx and PM than

their “clean diesel” counterparts. In fact, while

diesel proponents continue to struggle with

complex and costly fuel and exhaust after-treat-

ment strategies, many natural gas bus engines

already meet 2007 emission requirements now

and several

manufacturers

have engineered

solutions to

meet 2010 requirements. To get the straight facts

about natural gas-powered engines, vehicles and

NGV fueling equipment and services, contact us.

Transit officials in NAAQS Maintenance and Non-Attainment areas are deploying natural gas-poweredtransit buses to reduce emissions in order to helptheir regions meet air quality requirements and toreduce reliance on petroleum fuels.

Many transit agencies use light- and medi-um-duty sedans, pick-ups, vans and trucksin their “white fleets” for driver switch-outs,route supervision and maintenance duties.

Riders and drivers appreciate the fact thatnatural gas engines run quieter and cleanerthan their diesel counterparts. Transit agencyexecutives are finding that NGVs also costless to operate because of lower fuel costs,less maintenance and longer engine life.

www.cleanvehicle.org

Clean Vehicle Education Foundation 6011 Fords Lake Court, Acworth, Georgia 30101

CWI is talking up its natural gas engine line,with a decided emphasis on the new ISL G, atBooth 3773. The company is sharing its APTAdisplay with joint venture parent CumminsEngine. CWI’s other j.v. parent is Vancouver’sWestport Innovations, which is developingheavy duty engines that maintain the spark-less, efficient diesel cycle but run primarily onnatural gas.

In League with Cummins

CWI’s L Gas Plus is the basis forthe stoichiometric ISL G.

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Nebraska’s Lincoln Composites has its old nameback: Lincoln Composites. The manufacturer oflightweight, all-composite natural gas (andhydrogen) fuel cylinders was purchased fromGeneral Dynamics on January 21 by Norway’sHexagon Composites, which also owns theNorwegian tank manufacturer Raufoss.

Hexagon has reinstated the Lincoln name, andappointed longtime company veteran Bill Dickas president.

Lincoln is at Booth 2034 here.The firm reminds Expo 2005 that its TuffShell

brand tanks “have been a fixture in the transitindustry for more than 12 years.” The aero-space-derived fabrication techniques andaerospace-grade carbon fiber used in their con-struction has allowed weight tobe reduced so that bus-builders could placetanks on the roof, inturn allowing easy-to-board, low-floor CNGtransit vehicles.

“By putting any-where from three toseven tanks on the roof of the vehicles,” the firm

says, “manufacturers could fill their vehicles withthe equivalent of 704 liters (186 gallons) of dieselfuel in compressed natural gas.”

Lincoln also pioneered material arrangementsthat make for exceedingly durable cylinders:“The structural integrity of the TuffShell tankshas never been compromised in any accident thathas occurred in the field,” the company says.

“Lincoln’s tanks have been driven into over-passes, rear-ended by semi-trailers, and drugover concrete barriers,” says sales and marketingmanager Brock Peterson. “The tanks performedas designed and still met the minimum burstrequirement for a new tank.”

Lincoln also offers “fully integrated storagesolutions” for CNG, with designs suitable for

both roof and chassis mounting. The storage modules

include not only the requi-site number of CNG tanksbut all of the necessary

valves, PRDs (pressure reliefdevices) and plumbing, including fill

receptacles, venting, and fairings. Lincoln says it’s sold more than 30,000 CNG

tanks and hundreds of fuel modules in transit.

Lincoln moduleready to wheel intoposition and mount

Lincoln Composites Gets Its Name BackLincoln Composites has already begun prepa-rations for what it says may be “the nextphase of alternate fuel in the transit industry.”In 2002, the firm designed, manufactured andsuccessfully tested a 700 bar (10,000 psi)compressed hydrogen tank. In 2004, Lincolnsays, a 700 bar TuffShell tank was tested byan independent testing laboratory and“passed all of the proposed requirements forhigh pressure hydrogen storage.”

An added plus for all-composite tanks?High cycle life, which the company main-tains is superior to that of competing tankswith aluminum liners. A test TuffShell tank,Lincoln says, has undergone 500,000 fillingcycles to 6,250 psi with no leak or rupture.

(The term “all-composite,” or Type IV, con-notes a CNG cylinder with a polymeric innerliner, generally a toughened version of high-density polyethylene, wrapped with carbonfiber. Competing Type III tanks have metalliners, generally aluminum, likewise wrappedin carbon.)

Fundamental Edge in H2?

North American Bus Industries (Booth 2611) deliv-ered its 1000th CNG bus to Los Angeles CountyMTA on August 8. There have been four separatecontracts since NABI began supplying alt fuel busesto LA Metro in 1993.

NABI has by Expo 2005 delivered at least 30 of200 60-foot articulated CNG buses to LA Metrofor BRT (bus rapid transit) routes.

The Hungary- and Alabama-based company hasalso supplied 875 40-foot low-floor buses and 95lightweight, 45-foot CompoBuses to LA Metro.

NABI says it’s produced more than 1,500 CNGvehicles of varying lengths for U.S. operators.

LA Metro itself has 1,530 CNG buses.

NABI Delivers 1,000LA Metro CNG Buses

LA Metro vehicle technology director Mike Bottoneand manager John Drayton accept plaque from NABIfield service manager Craig Pruett (right).

Natural Gas Transit Report • Convention & Tradeshow News September 26, 20056

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France to Double Gas BusesFrance’s AFGNV has a dealwith the French govern-ment to double its numberof buses running on naturalgas by 2010 to 3,200. Francehopes to have 100,000 nat-ural gas vehicles by 2010, up

from about 7,400 this year. AFGNV is the Paris-headquar-tered Association Française du Gaz Naturel pour Véhicules. Anatural gas bus operated by RATP in Paris is pictured.

Picking Up the OEM SlackDallas-based BAF Technologies offers compressed naturalgas versions of Ford and General Motors shuttle buses,effectively picking up the slack as the OEMs have discon-tinued their factory CNG models. BAF thus makes it possiblefor airport, hotel and other shuttle bus operators to useCNG for Ford E450s with 6.8-liter V-10 engines, and forGM C4500s and C5500s with 8.1-liter Vortec V-8 engines.

BAF has both U.S. EPA and California Air ResourcesBoard certifications for 2005 with applications pending for2006. “We currently have 100 buses scheduled for produc-tion through December 31,” reports BAF VP Bill Calvert.

“BAF projects that gasoline/diesel fuel cost and new sup-portive legislation will add additional incentives to look atthe natural gas option,” he told ShowTimes. BAF, BillCalvert, 214-231-1450; [email protected]

California Transit Bus BattleAccusations are flying as The San Francisco Chronicle reportedlate in August that the California Air Resources Board is

moving to tighten its dual-path strategyfor cleaner transit buses—essentiallymaking it harder for California agencies tobuy new diesels as they update theirfleets—at the behest of the NGV lobby.The California Natural Gas VehicleCoalition insists it’s asking only for CARB

to stand by its existing policy, which includes more stringentrules for buses than for trucks. The verbal mêlée includesaccusations of improper contributions to Gov. ArnoldSchwarzenegger on the part of natural gas vehicle advocates.

NGV advocates are in turn accusing the diesel lobby ofmounting a deliberate disinformation campaign.

CNG Pioneer Is HereMississauga, Ont.- and New York State-based Orion Bus Industries, now part ofDaimlerChrysler Commercial BusesNA (Booth 1203) has manufacturedmore than 2,500 CNG buses “for transitauthorities across North America,” reports VP Mark Brager.

“Orion pioneered CNG fuel systems for transit buses inthe mid-80s and still accounts for a substantial percentage ofthe market,” Brager told ShowTimes.

S N A P S H O T SS N A P S H O T S

Emission Solutions, Inc. is kicking offa new line of dedicated-natural gasvehicle engines.

The first of the new ESI line, aimedat Class 5 to Class 7 short-haul vehi-cles, including small transit buses,will be the 175- to 265-horsepowerPhoenix 7.6L. It’s a spark-ignitionvariant of the popular DT 466 enginefrom International (Navistar), astraight-six powerplant.

ESI’s Phoenix versionemits just 0.7 grams ofNOx per brake horse-power hour, even with adeter iora t ion f ac tor,s a y s t h e McKinney,Texas-based company. Itthus easily meets the U.S.EPA’s 2007 requirement of1.2 grams.

Tests at the Southwest ResearchInstitute in Austin have certifiedPhoenix 7.6L NOx emissions of just0.513 grams. Non-methane hydro-carbon and particulate emissions werepegged at 0.059 and 0.009 grams perbrake horsepower hour, respectively.

Emission Solutions says it is filingfor both U.S. EPA and CaliforniaAir Resources Board certifications.

Approvals are expected as soon asSeptember 30.

ESI plans an engine swap programwhereby existing 466 engines can beexchanged for the Phoenix 7.6L,which has a nearly identical footprint.

The program will include fullinstallation of either liquefied or com-pressed natural gas tanks and lines, aswell as a two-years parts-and- laborwarranty “and a full complement of

optional maintenanceservices.”

“Support is crucial,”says ESI VP Jim Cole.

“We see tremen-dous potential for theESI Phoenix 7.6 inshort-haul transporta-tion and distributionapplications such as

school buses, food and beverage fleetsand in the municipal work truck sectorwhere this engine is so well suited,”ESI president Jim Moore says ina release.

ESI is based just 30 miles from here,in McKinney (north of Plano).

Emission Solutions, VP Jim Cole,972-369-0099; fax 972-369-0091;[email protected]

Emission Solutions LaunchingA Natural Gas Version of DT 466

Los Angeles County has had an alter-native-fuels-only bus policy since1993 and, after a failed bout withmethanol, that policy has come tomean all compressed natural gas.

The agency stands by the policy,says Richard Hunt, now general man-ager of LA Metro’s San FernandoValley division. The agency operatessome 2,045 buses, all but 515 of themCNG-fueled. Los Angeles has a newalt fuel to test now however, in addi-tion to potential trials of a hydrogen

CNG blend (page 8): the agency islooking to evalutate six gasoline-pow-ered New Flyers with ISE hybriddrives, as California has deemed gaso-line an alt fuel for buses.

Los Angeles Stands by Alt Fuels

the Phoenix 7.6L

“Transit systems are leading the way inthe development of cleaner, morefuel-efficient transit vehicles,” APTAsaid in promoting the Dallas conven-tion two weeks ago.

“More than 8,000 clean-burningnatural gas-powered buses are now onthe road,” APTA said, “along with

700-plus hybrids. More than 80% ofthe nation’s bus fleet is now poweredby ultra low sulfur diesel fuel.”

APTA extolled new diesel emissiontechnologies, as well as securityadvances, devices to let transit passen-gers access the Internet, and betterfare collection methods.

A Natural Gas Bus Plug from APTA

NABI Metroliner

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Natural Gas Transit Report • Convention & Tradeshow News September 26, 2005

LA Metro Eyes HCNG TrialsLos Angeles County MTA is mulling a proposal to replace8.5-liter Series 50G natural gas engines from Detroit Dieselwith 11-liter powerplants from Nevada’s City Engines onfour 40-foot buses. Two will be tested with an eye to meeting

2007 NOx standards on compressednatural gas. The other two, in aneffort to drive emissions even lower,will be run on a 70/30 blend ofCNG and hydrogen. One of LAMTA’s Trillium USA (Booth 3979)

fueling stations for CNG would be modified to supply theHCNG blend, says San Fernando Valley GM RichardHunt. The 11-liter City Engine is based on a diesel blockfrom Korea’s Doosan (formerly Daewoo). City EnginesCOO Neal Mulligan will describe the engineering work at aTechnology Showcase presentation here at 2:15 today.

Biogas for BusesPasadena, Calif.- and Denver-based WestStart-Calstart isone of the few organizations actively promoting biogas inthe U.S. Biogas is natural gas (primarily methane) derivedfrom municipal waste streams oragricultural sources, includingagricultural waste. Biogas is beingused on an ongoing volume basisin Sweden, where one plant, inLinkoping, provides fuel for 67transit buses. Calstart late last year issued a 52-page reporton biogas activities in Sweden. Calstart, Brad Rutledge,626-744-5600; [email protected]

No Disputing the MomentumNew York City Transit and its MTA affiliate are believed tobe close to a decision on a supplier of 364 more hybrid elec-tric transit buses, with an option for 525 more. Natural gasadvocates maintain that the 869 hybrids will likely costapproximately $430 million, whereas the same number ofCNG buses would cost about $290 million—leaving amplefunds for investment in CNG fueling infrastructure.

Candidate suppliers are Orion Bus Industries with serieshybrid drivetrains from BAE Systems, and New Flyer withparallel hybrid drivetrains from General Motors Allison.

New York City also operates more than 400 CNG buses,and will buy more when vehicles based at its CNG fuelingoutlets come due for replacement.

Rare Birds: CNG and HybridISE Corp, a fast-growing provider of hybrid electric drive-trains (Booth 3135), expects to build at least one CNG-fueled hybrid bus for testing in San Diego. CNG-fueledhybrid electric buses (some now being upfitted withimproved drivetrains from Colorado’s UQM Technologies)have been plying the downtown mall in Denver for fiveyears. The Los Angeles International Airport has severalsimilar vehicles.

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S N A P S H O T SS N A P S H O T S

Think what you will about hydrogen,the fuel has political momentum (hencemoney) and the indisputably desirablepotential of someday, maybe, allowingfor zero-emission transportation.

Because hydrogen is a gas, requiringdifferent types of shipping and storageand dispensing hardware, and valvesand regulators and high-pressuretubing, all similar to that used today formillions of natural gas vehicles, naturalgas is seen by many as the likeliestroute to volume hydrogen use.

There are several hydrogen-fueledbuses here, featuring both zero-emission fuel cell technology andalmost-as-clean hydrogen internalcombustion engines.

An AC Transit bus by Belgium’s VanHool, outfitted by ISE Corp with anelectric drivetrain using fuel cells fromUTC Fuel Cells (Booth 3052) is beingunveiled here today. The bus has com-

pressed hydrogen fuel tanks byStructural Composites Industries(Booth 1759), integrated by FabIndustries (Booth 1157).

The unveiling is slated for 11:30today at the display of Van Hool’sNorth American distributor, ABCCompanies (Booth 5739).

AC sees fuel cell technology notonly as a way of achieving zero emis-sions, but as a way of increasing busridership over the long term. Buses aresuper-quiet and early results showexcellent fuel efficiency. AC saysits diesel Van Hools are provingextremely durable too.

San Diego-based ISE is showing ahybrid hydrogen internal combustionengine bus, with Ford Triton V-10engine modified for hydrogen, atBooth 3135. The HHICE bus is in thelivery of SunLine Transit, which oper-ates in the Palm Springs area.

The Gaseous Fuel of the Future:Hydrogen Buses on Display Here

AC Transit will unveil hydrogen fuel cell Van Hool at 11:30 here today (Booth 5739).

Dynetek Industriesis promoting notonly its Dynecellbrand compressednatura l gas andhydrogen fuel cylin-ders at Booth 5002here, but entire fuelstorage systems for both low- andhigh-floor transit buses.

Calgary-based Dynetek, which is apublic company, says that the tank sys-tems are “assembly line-ready fordrop-in-place installation,” and aredesigned for ease of access for mainte-nance and cylinder inspection.

Dynetek makesType III (indicatinga metallic insidel iner) CNG andhydrogen cylinderswith thinwall alu-minum wrappedwith high-strength

carbon fiber. The firm notes that the aluminum

liner’s thermal properties make TypeIII tanks more suitable for fast-filloperations.

Robb Thompson is Dynetek presi-dent. Vehicle systems business man-ager Mairi Serpas is here.

Dynetek Talks Up Cylinder Systems

Multi-cylinder systems from Dynetekare designed for easy installation.

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“Trillium’s principle market will remaintransit,” says Mark Barton, the Salt LakeCity-based company’s new president.Trillium USA provides compressed naturalgas fuel and full fueling services, targetinglarge fleets: Los Angeles and New YorkCity are among its bus customers, withfour installations for LA Metro and twofor NYC Transit.

Trillium handles the equivalent of about2 million gallons of fuel per month, 95%of it for transit customers.

Full service is the key to Trillium’stransit strategy. “No agency has theinternal resources to build and operatereliable CNG fueling infrastructure cost-effectively,” Barton says.

“It’s not about building a station as inex-pensively as possible. It’s about buildinga station that fuels vehicles every day

without headaches and ongoing involve-ment by agency management. The biggercosts that aren’t quantified when a stationis built are the service and maintenancecosts. Building on the cheap causes higher

costs over time.“That’s why we believe in the public/

private partnership approach that includesthe station design, construction, mainte-nance, and even financing,” Barton says.“The fuel provider is motivated to lookbeyond initial installation costs and takeinto account life cycle costs over the fulllife of the contract. With this approachand a sound partner, you get a betterproduct over the life of the contract.”

CNG faces a clean-bus challenge frombetter diesels operating on low sulfur fueland from hybrids. But as Barton sees it,“The jury is still out on the ability of thediesel engine manufacturers to make anengine that is clean enough to meet futureemission standards.

“Hybrids show promise but the initialcosts to purchase the vehicles is very highand the technology has not produced thefuel economy necessary to make up for theinitial cost.”

Hydrogen? “The politics are moving faster than the

practicalities,” Barton says. “Technology iscoming along, but still needs developmentand it still isn’t in the price range whereagencies can deploy reliable, affordableproducts on a wide scale. Hopefully, thelessons learned over the past 20 years fromour CNG experience are not forgottenand they can be applied to a developinghydrogen market. Done right, hydrogencan be an important part of our future.

“All of these technologies are morecomplicated than the diesel bus of the1990s,” Barton says. “They are moreexpensive, require more training to main-tain, and they utilize technologies thatneed to be shown to be reliable over time.Not one of these technologies has beenaround for a full bus life cycle of 12 to 16

C E N T E R S T A G E

Trillium USA Has a Brand New PresidentMark BartonPresidentTrillium USA (Booth 3979)

Barton’s Got Some Big Shoes to FillAnd some big equipmentto maintain, too.

Mark Barton took overas Trillium USA presidentjust this month followingthe resignation of Jan Hull.

“I follow big footsteps,”Barton told ShowTimes onthe eve of Expo 2005.

“Not only is Jan wellknown and respected inthe industry, but internallyhe was seen as a fantasticleader. He set Trillium onthe right course. He will be

missed at Trillium. [But]the rest o f the teamremains in place, so opera-tionally there won’t be anydisruption.

“It takes a tremendousef for t from our employ-ees to of fer a ser vicethat is 100% reliable,”Barton says.

“Anything less thanthat just isn’t acceptableand so far we have deliv-ered. We have to stayfocused on that mission.”

NexGen Fueling’s LNG HardwareNexGen Fueling (a unit ofChar t Industries) is pro-moting equipment forliquefied natural gas.

NexGen handles bothLNG fueling station equip-ment and onboard tanksfor buses and other vehi-cles—more than 5,000 arein service in North America

(including 183 DART buseshere in Dallas), Europe,Asia and Australia.

NexGen pioneered in-ground tanks at fuelingstations and onboard in-spection of vehicles’ LNGtanks. Klaus Emmer andJames Turvey are at Nex-Gen’s Booth 4420 here.

years so we don’t know how well they will hold up over time.“CNG has been around a long time,” Barton says. “CNG

technology is proven and the costs are predictable.”

Gauges at the Gleason Depot in Brooklyn, N.Y.

When transit operators contract withTrillium, “compression costs are fixed forthe life of the contract,” says company presi-dent Mark Barton.

“Our customersknow what they’ll bepaying for operationand maintenance forthe contract term.

“As for fixing thegas commodity costs,I see trading on the

futures market as just a step above legalizedgambling.

“Making good bets and runningCNGstations are two differentskill sets.

“We choose to focus onthe latter,” Barton says. “ButTrillium has always been ableand willing to help agenciesconnect with reputable com-panies that provide hedgingand similar solutions.”

Fuel Prices? They Can Rise

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An oil price of just $31 per barrel—likely afond memory from here on in—will prob-ably be high enough to make natural gasbuses competitive with diesels on a lifecyclecost basis when new emissions regulationstake effect in 2010, finds a study by Tiax.

The Tiax study was commissioned bythe California Natural Gas VehiclePartnership. Its findings indicate thatdiesel’s cost advantages over CNG andLNG may well be over.

“NGVs could be markedly more afford-able if crude oil prices remain high,” thePartnership said in trumpeting the studytwo months ago.

Tiax analyzed the lifecycle costs of 2010 nat-ural gas and diesel vehicles. Tiax devised lifecyclecost models accounting for expected vehicle,fuel, and operational and maintenance expenses,including fuel consumption.Analysts varied several factors:crude oil cost per barrel, per-centage of NGVs in the national fleet, choice ofdiesel exhaust gas aftertreatment system, price ofnatural gas versus diesel, price of LNG versusCNG, engine cost, and fuel economy.

It was assumed that stoichiometric natural gasengines would have 95% of the fuel economy oftheir diesel equivalents in terms of power ratings.Oil prices, Tiax found, are the largest variable.

The Tiax model predicts that future naturalgas transit buses will be less expen-sive to operate than future dieselswith oil at $31 per barrel (the

figure is far lower for some trucks). “NGVs will have a significant average annual

lifecycle cost advantage in all applications if thecrude oil price hits $60 a barrel,” which was the

highest price considered, states a studysummary. The price of oil briefly topped$70 per barrel during the HurricaneKatrina crisis.

A key factor is the cost of bringing dieselengines in line with stringent NOx emis-sion standards slated to come into forcein 2010.

“The cost of the diesel exhaust gasaftertreatment (EGA) system could giveNGVs a price advantage in each of theapplications if diesel EGA system costs areon the high end of our predicted range,”Tiax said. But the study also found that,

“despite significant challenges,” enginemakersmay come up with competitive diesels.

“There is significant uncertainty regarding thecost of natural gas and diesel heavy duty enginesin the future,” Mike Jackson of Tiax said at aDoE NGV Technology Forum in Washingtonlast month.

Jackson said the study findings are importantbecause diesel has until now enjoyed a costadvantage.Tiax, Mike Jackson, 408-517-1560;[email protected]; www.tiax.biz

Natural Gas Is Found to Be CompetitiveWith Diesel If Oil’s Priced at $31/Barrel

CNG buses like this DC Metro New Flyer may soon becomecheaper to operate than diesels.

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The transit bus sector has been and continues to bean important market for natural gas vehicles. Whilebuses normally contribute only 2-5% of overallpollution, the majority serve urban areas where theper-person exposure to emissions, and particulates(in particular) is of growing concern worldwide.

While the diesel bus industry continues to toutimprovements in bus emissions and a narrowinggap with NGV emissions, NGVs continue to bethe “clean bus” benchmark.

What’s more, the increased cost of new dieselfuels and technologies should make for an increas-

ingly strong competitiveedge for NGVs in urbantransportation, wheremarket share is alreadyquite good:• Worldwide there areapproximately 122,400natural gas buses.• France has a nationalfleet of some 1,600 nat-ural gas transit buses, and

recently Gaz de France, along with the Frenchgovernment and other private sector interests,pledged to double this by 2010. From 25-30% ofall new buses in France are natural gas.

• Other big European natural gas bus users are:Italy with approximately 1,600; Germany with1,100; and Sweden with more than 550, manyrunning on biogas (see page 8).

• Other worldwide users of natural gas buses, wherepublic transport is critical to personal mobility,include China, with nearly 47,000; India, withmore than 10,000; and Russia, with more than4,600—and major plans for Moscow CNG buses.NGVs are perceived by European officials to

constitute a clear path to hydrogen, which is whythe European Commission has set a goal of 10%replacement of transport sector petroleum fuelwith natural gas by 2020 (2% by 2010).

If realized by the European Union, the ECgoal could result in 200,000 natural gas busesthroughout Europe 15 years hence. Since almost allthe European bus manufacturers offer NGVmodels, there should be no shortage of ever-improving CNG (and LNG) technologies.

Capitalizing on the momentum of the Target2020 policy in Europe, the European Natural GasVehicle Association will be sponsoring a majorpolitical and press event in Brussels on April 25,2006, followed by ENGVA’s 12th AnnualConference April 26-27. Leaders from the EC,European Parliament, the United Nations andfrom national and local governments will be on

hand to describe their experiences andthe longer term role of the natural gasvehicle in Europe and beyond.

The meeting theme, Poli-Techs, willdemonstrate links between laws, regu-lations, standards and technology.

—Jeffrey Seisler

Europe Takes Natural Gas Very Seriously

ENGVA chief Jeff SeislerNATURAL GAS ENGINE

I n t r o d u c i n g

PHOENIX NG 7.6L HDE

www.emissionsolutionsinc.com

n Meets/Exceeds 2007 Emission Requirements Today!n Durable Proven OEM Platform n Innovative Engine Control Management System

ä Real Time Emission Monitoringä On-Demand Peak Performanceä Adaptive Learnä Power & Torque Mapped to Customer Demands

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n Familiar Platform - No Major Tooling or Training Required n ESI Program Is A Simple Engine Exchange n Natural Gas - The Clean Abundant Domestic Fuel

820 lb-ft

725 lb-ft

210 hp

265 hp

2001 Central Circle, Suite 106, McKinney, Texas 75069

Czech-built Ekobus has a B-Series enginefrom Cummins Westport (Booth 3773).

Jeffrey Seisler is the Executive Director of theEuropean Natural Gas Vehicle Association,which is headquartered in the Netherlands.

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CNG Buses for Vancouver TransLinkThe TransLink (Vancouver) board has overruled a recom-mendation by staff and decreed that the agency shall go withcompressed natural gas buses, not diesel. “Diesel is diesel,”Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell insisted at a boardmeeting in July. “It is still an unclean fuel,” he said. TheTransLink report found that CNG would be cleaner thandiesel, but could cost somewhat more. (August 1)

Far-Flung Cummins WestportA consortium of seven Bangladeshi bus operators is taking30 buses powered by Cummins Westport, Inc. 5.9-literB-series CNG engines, CWI says. The buses are built byChina’s Chongqing Yutong Coach and IBH Motors ofBangladesh. Up to 120 are to be delivered by the end ofNovember. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyotook delivery of her country’s first CWI-powered bus onJuly 1. CWI (Booth 3773) reported too that 103 more of its8.3-liter C Gas Plus natural gas engines are powering busesfor two agencies in the San Diego area. (July 18)

Exit NABI’s Lightweight CompoBusNorth American Bus Industries (Booth 2611) has discon-tinued its lightweight CompoBus, in part because the FTAhas declined to extend NABI’s “Buy American” waiver forthe vehicles. Cost was a big factor too. (February 28)

Foothill Transit Is Going All-CNGFoothill Transit, the Los Angeles area’s second-largest fixed-route carrier, is converting its entire 300-plus vehicle fleet tocompressed natural gas, and has contracted with CleanEnergy for a $3.1 million fueling station in Irwindale, sup-plementing an even larger one in Pomona. (February 14)

Clean Energy LNG in CaliforniaClean Energy (Booth 5706) has spent more than $35 millionin support of NGVs, and has a 5-year, $75 million strategicplan to more than double its California fueling stations andbuild the state’s first LNG plant. (January 3)

You Too Could Be This Well-InformedWhat Fleets & Fuels readers know and when they knew it.Always replete with real-world contact information, phonesand e-mails for key players. (24 times a year)

F L E E T S & F U E L SF L E E T S & F U E L S

Fleets & Fuels560 Fourth StreetSan Francisco, CA 94107

[email protected]

www.fleetsandfuels.com

Dallas Area Rapid Transit may or maynot go with natural gas for its nextpurchase of some 70 buses, but willcertainly look at gas again after newemissions rules take effect in 2007.

The argument for new diesel buses(a request for bids is expected to goout this fall) is that DART findsits current diesel buses tobe about 8 cents per milecheaper to run than its liq-uefied natural gas buses—asubstantial sum given thatthe agency logs some 35million miles per year, saysagency maintenance VPMike Hubbell.

LNG became economical inJanuary as diesel prices rose. ButDART incurred an LNG price hike ofnearly 66% in June, when a three-yearcontract with Applied LNG Tech-nologies (Booth 4293) ran out.

DART had been getting LNGfrom ALT for 60 cents per gallon,Hubbell says. ALT couldn’t continuethat price, and DART’s new deal withClean Energy (Booth 5706) sets a capof 99.54 cents per gallon—”also a veryfavorable price,” Hubbell says—butfar higher than he’d enjoyed for thethree years prior to June 2005.

“The bogey point for us is rightaround $2.18” per gallon of diesel, hetold ShowTimes. “The highest I’vepaid is $2.02.” DART’s new contractwith Clean Energy is for five years,with a three-year option.

“We’re going to see favorablepricing,” Hubbell predicts.

DART’s fuel comparison formula,he says, by necessity takes in the 25%efficiency penalty the agency’s seen foroperating its LNG buses.

DART has 183 LNG buses out of atotal fleet of 759. All the LNG busesare from the old NovaBus of Roswell,N.M. Of the 183 buses, 45 of the vehi-

cles have Detroit DieselSeries 50G engines and therest have Cummins L10s.

Both of those engineshave been discontinued.

(Cummins is at Booth3773 here, promoting notonly its conventional dieselengines, but new and more

efficient natural gas engines via theCummins Westport, Inc. joint venture.)

“I’d be happier if they were cheaperto operate,” Hubbell says of his LNGvehicles. They have shown excellentemissions performance however, andHubbell says he anticipates looking atLNG again when tougher NOx limitstake effect in 2007.

“In 2007 all bets are off,” he says,noting that he expects to be in themarket for some 500 vehicles by2010—at which time NOx limits getfar more stringent than 2007.

DART has meanwhile fitted 365 ofits diesel buses with Cummins M11and ISM engines with low-pressureEGR (exhaust gas recirculation) hard-ware for a 40% reduction in NOxemission, and with particulate filters.

Hubbell notes too that DART usesultra low-sulfur diesel, which it specsat a maximum of 15 parts per million.

DART’s on the Fence About LNG,2007 Rules Seen Changing That

One Way? Natural gas advocates have an answer to that question. And DART saysthat when diesel hits $2.18 per gallon, its 183 LNG buses will be cheaper to operate.

DART’s Mike Hubbell

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Fab Industries (Booth 1157) not only branchedfrom Alabama to California this past year, but hasgraduated from the installation of natural gas fuelsystems to the installation of alternative fuelengines, and vehicle transmissions.

Fab is best known for installing compressednatural gas systems for North American BusIndustries (Booth 2611), as NABI’s Alabamafacility is just a few miles away from Fab inAnniston. Buses are towed to Fab and drivenback to NABI the same day, says Fab VP GeorgeKalet.

Fab also provides fueling system installationsservices for New Flyer. It handles liquefied nat-ural gas too, and in fact claims the first-everroof-mounted LNG fuel system, supplied byTaylor-Wharton, for New Flyer buses for BigBlue Bus in Santa Monica, Calif.

Scenting opportunity, Fab said earlier this yearthat it would expand to California. It has startedby acquiring AFV Fleet Service, in RanchoCucamonga, just north of Ontario. AFV bringsthe engine installation expertise that’s already

allowing Fab to take Schwarzestreet sweepers that are suppliedas “gliders” and fit them with5.9-liter B Gas Plus engines fromCummins Westport, transmis-sions—and fuel systems usingCNG tanks from StructuralComposites Industries (Booth4656), its customary supplier.

The firm has at least threeCalifornia customers for thesweepers, vehicles Kalet notesare often bought by transit agen-cies as well as municipalities.

AFV is also installing engines modified byDallas-based BAF Technologies for propaneoperation, as well as propane fuel systems, inElDorado shuttle buses, Kalet reports.

Other Fab transit work includes fuel installa-tions for NABI buses for Valley Metro (forPhoenix) and California’s Foothill Transit, andfor Los Angeles Metro, which recently tookdelivery of its 1,000 NABI CNG buses. The tally

includes 30 Metroliners, which are 60-foot artic-ulated vehicles. They are the first of an order for200 for the Orange Bus Rapid Transit line.

Fab works with hydrogen too, and can takecredit for the compressed hydrogen fuel systemson buses displayed here by ABC/Van Hool andISE Corp (see page 8).

COO Jeff Scott is representing Fab here atExpo 2005. Steve Adams is president.

John Deere is best known for tractors and otheroff-road vehicles and, perhaps as an after-thought, for school buses.

What’s less known is that allof Deere’s on-road enginesare fueled by natural gas,and that the company ismaking a concerted pushinto the transit sector witha new and more powerfulengine. That new engine isbeing shown for the firstt ime ever here at APTAExpo 2005.

Deere (Booth 1047) pledges to meet 2007heavy duty vehicle NOx requirem e n t s t h i syea r and 2010 ’s f i ve - t imes -more-strin-gent requirements in time for 2007 vehicles,doing the latter with a 9.0-liter 6090 enginethat will eventually replace its 8.1-liter 6081workhorse.

Deere first publicized the new engine this pastspring at the Clean Cities convention in PalmSprings, releasing the news to ShowTimes and toShowTimes affiliate Fleets & Fuels.

Waterloo, Iowa-based D e e r e P o w e rSystems began a careful, methodical introduc-tion of its natural gas-fueled, 8.1-liter 6081engine in late 1994, and has since seen the pro-gram, which included 1.6 million miles of tests,result in deployment of the engine on some

2,500 U.S. school buses. The firm with the familiar green

tractors is already reapingbenefits in the transit bussector, notching well morethan 300 orders via atleast three OEMs. It islaunching the larger 6090,which will be offered in awide range of power rat-

ings, not only to meetimpending federal regulations but

to allow it to power buses plyingmore demanding transport routes.

“We’re looking to get into the 300-horse-power range,” says one Deere man.

The deep history behind the 8.1-liter 6081,Deere says, will ease the market introduction ofthe 9.0-liter 6090, which is to be available tomeet the EPA’s 2010 (and California transit bus2007) standards late this year.

Projects for the 8.1-liter 6081 in transit include:• 22 New Flyer buses in Bakersfield, Calif.;• 55 New Flyer buses for MARTA in Atlanta;• 24 New Flyers for Omnitrans in San Bernardino;• 100 Orion VIIs for DC Metro Washington, D.C.;• 4 Orion VIIs for the student-operated Unitransagency at the University of California, Davis; and • 122 Deere 6081-powered ElDorado busesfor the Sky Harbor International Airportin Phoenix.

Deere’s 8.1-liter 6081 engine

Fab’s roof-mounted LNG system for New Flyer buses operated bySanta Monica—the Big Blue Bus—marks an industry first.

Fab Moves from Fuel Systems To Engine, Tranny Installations

ANGI InternationalOffers Turnkey CNG

ANGI International brings more than 22

years of experience to the natural gas

transit, having started with CNG vehicle

conversions in 1983. The firm was a pioneer

in packaged CNG fueling installations and

remains one of the few “exclusively dedi-

cated to providing highly integrated turnkey

NGV refueling solutions.”

ANGI says it was the first to offer an elec-

tronic sequencing dispenser in the U.S.

market. The firm did its first non-U.S. job in

Egypt in 1997 and has since branched to

Venezuela, Mexico, China, Brazil, Korea,

Malaysia, Thailand and, most recently,

Eastern Europe.

Recent and current work in the U.S.

includes a new facility in Santa Clarita,

Calif., an upgrade in San Diego, and new

CNG facilities for Pacific Gas & Electric in

Fresno and for Georgia Southern University

in Statesboro. The initial Georgia Southern

buses will be run by Atlanta’s Cognisa

Transportation.

ANGI operates of out of a newly renovated

facility in Milton, Wisc.

The company is represented by Tim Boyle

at Booth 5510 here.

Deere Ups the Gas Bus Ante

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October 4-6, 23rd National Natural Gas VehicleConference. Nikko Hotel in San Francisco.Organized by CVEF, the Clean Vehicle EducationFoundation. Timed to immediately precede theLeague of California Cities convention at SanFrancisco's Moscone Center October 6-8. CVEF,Stephe Yborra, 301-829-2520; mobile -446-2584;[email protected]; www.cleanvehicle.org

November 8-10, BusCon 2005, the Mid-Size BusEquipment & Technology Show. Las VegasConvention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. BobitPublishing, Mark Naylor, 310-533-2521; fax 310-533-2511; [email protected];www.busconexpo.com

December 6-8, EDTA 2005, the Electric DriveTransportation Association Conference &Exposition 2005, organized by the Electric DriveTransportation Association. Vancouver, Canada.EDTA, Kara Elsden, 202-408-0774;[email protected];www.electricdrive.org; www.edtaconference.com

January 18-21, 2006, Motorcoach Expo 2006 inTampa, Fla. United Motorcoach Association.UMA, Mark Miller, 703-934-4700, ext 107;[email protected]; www.motorcoachexpo.com

February 4-8, 2006, Third Annual NationalBiodiesel Conference and Exposition. San Diego.National Biodiesel Board, Jenna Higgins, 573-635-3893 or toll-free 800-841-5849; fax573-635-7913; [email protected];www.biodiesel.org

February 22-24, 2006, CHDV 2006, Weststart-Calstart Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles Conference.Co-hosted by the U.S. Army National AutomotiveCenter. San Diego. Calstart, Monica Alcaraz,626-744-5655; fax 626-744-5610;[email protected]; www.calstart.org

April 25-28, 2006, 12th annual meeting of theEuropean Natural Gas Vehicle Association.Brussels. ENGVA, Jeff Seisler, +31-23-554-3050;fax +31-23-557-9065; [email protected];www.engva.org

April 30-May 3, 2006, 2006 Bus and ParatransitConference organized by the American PublicTransportation Association. Anaheim, Calif.APTA, Gloria Smith, 202-496-4818;[email protected]; www.apta.com

June 9-12, 2006, Michelin Challenge Bibenduminternational environmental vehicles competi-tion. CERAM circuit in Mortefontaine and Paris,France. Includes a symposium on sustainablemobility in Paris on Monday June 12.Michelin, Lynn Mann, 864-458-4698;[email protected]; www.challenge-bibendum.com

Next UITP...May 21-24, 2007, 57th UITP World Congress inHelsinki. Includes the UITP Mobility and CityTransport Exhibition. UITP is the Brussels-basedInternational Association of Public Transport.UITP Word Congress co-sponsors includeHelsinki City Transport and the HelsinkiMetropolitan Area Council. UITP, MaristellaAngotzi, +32-2-663-6664; fax +32-2-660-1072;[email protected]; www.uitp.com

Next APTA...October 6-8, 2008, Expo 2008, tri-annual tradeshow of the American Public TransportationAssociation and APTA annual meeting. SanDiego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif.APTA, Renee Battle, 202-496-4840; fax 202-496-4324 [email protected]; www.apta.com

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Showcase B — Monday, September 262:15 – 3:00 pm, Expo FloorHCNG is the path to the Hydrogen EconomyPresented by: Mark Barton, President, Trillium USA and Neal Mulligan, Chief Operating Officer, Collier Technologies

HCNG is a blend of hydrogen and natural gas fuels. It hasdemonstrated emissions levels below the 2007 heavy dutyNOx standard of 0.2 g/hp-hr and is an economical and sen-sible way for transit users to take the next step forward on thepath to the hydrogen future.

Collier Technologies has developed the "City Engine" foroperation with HCNG or CNG. They will present data fromengine development to illustrate the benefits of hydrogen/nat-ural gas blended fuel.

Trillium USA is a leading provider of CNG fueling services totransit agencies and will discuss the implications of adaptingcurrent CNG facilities to dispensing HCNG.

Showcase A — Tuesday, September 272:00 – 2: 45 pm, Expo FloorThe Pathway to Hydrogen: How Transit Agencies Can Buildthe Bridge to the FuturePresented by: James Orsulak, Account Manager, Clean Energy

23% of all new transit buses on order are powered by nat-ural gas instead of diesel fuel. This presentation will showcasethe impact of this new technology and how public / privatepartnerships are being used to implement the most successfulnatural gas transit programs. Discussion topics will includeengine and fuel reliability, vendor accountability, improving airquality and fuel costs in the face of continually escalating andunstable diesel prices. Presentation will include three shortcase studies on Foothill Transit, the Fort Worth T, and the Cityof Mesa.

APTA Expo 2005Transit Showcase Presentations

Page 16: ShowTimes Magazine September 2005 at APTA Expo 2005

Here’s how transit operators canWin Win Win with Natural Gas.

Prices — Natural gas prices are consistently lower than diesel.And Clean Energy, the nation's largest provider of natural gasfor transportation, can make long-term, fixed-price fuel supply

contracts to protect further against fuel price inflation.

Efficiency — New natural gas engines are vastly improved and the recent TIAX Report reveals that Life Cycle Costs for natural gas are better than diesel when oil prices exceed

$32 per bbl — and keep getting better after that.

Environment & Health — Natural gas-fueled buses orderedtoday for 2007 delivery will meet 2010 EPA standards,which provides the cleanest, most stable technology for

years to come.

The question is no longer “Why natural gas?” — but “Why not!”

To get a copy of the TIAX Report or to learn how Clean Energycan help you Win Win Win, call Mitchell Pratt, Vice President— Public Affairs and Business Development for Clean Energy, at(562) 493-2804. Or email [email protected].

Clean Energy is the largest provider of natural gas for transportationin North America with a broad customer base in the transit, refuse,shuttle, taxi, police, interstate and intrastate trucking, airport andmunicipal fleet markets.

562.493.2804www.cleanenergyfuels.com

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