Publications

Limited Progress in Acquiring Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Reaching Fuel Goals

2/1/2000

with the first deadline approaching for EPAct's petroleum replacement goals the GAO was asked to review progress towards achieving EPACT goals. gao was asked to determine the progress made in acquiring alternative fuel vehicles and using altnerative fuels to meeting the act's fuel replacement goals. Also, GAO determined the impediments to using alternative fuel vehicles and the measures that can be taken to address those impediments in order to reach the act's replacement goals.

Alternative Fuel Case Study: UPS Delivers with Alternative Fuels

8/1/1999

This four-page fact sheet discusses how the United Parcel Service has integrated alternative fuel vehicles, specifically CNG vehicles, into their fleets. UPS has operated its service with many different kinds of AFVs since the early 1930s. The fact sheet also discusses the different types of alternative fuels and the types of AFVs UPS has incorporated into their fleets.

Authors: Whalen, M.

Waste Management LNG Truck Fleet - Start-Up Experience

8/1/1999

This report highlights the start-up experience of Waste Management's truck fleet.

Authors: Norton, P.

Using LNG as a Fuel in Heavy-Duty Tractors

7/1/1999

Authors: Liquid Carbonic, Inc;Trucking Research Institute

Alternative Fuel Vehicles: Real-World Perspectives from the Federal Fleet

7/1/1998

Vehicles that run onfuels other than gasoline, or "alternative fuel" vehicles (AFVs), offer great promise for improving air quality and lessening our nation's dependence on imported oil. But if they are to fulfill this promise and replace traditional gasoline vehicles on a large scale, they must meed the needs of the people using them, and consumers must have access to"real-world" information about them. Do they drive as well as gasoline vehicles? Are their refueling stations as convenient as the corner gas station? Can we expect the same reliability that we've come to expect from our gasoline vehicles? How better to answer these questions than to ask the people who are actually running the AFVs? So in 1996, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national labortory, designed a nationwide study to capture the opinions of federal fleet managers and drivers onthe performance, reliability, driveability, and acceptability of AFVs. NREL put together this short brochure to serve as a "quick look" summaryof the surveys and their results.

Authors: Whalen, P

Revision to Addendum to Mobile Source Enforcement Memorandum 1A

6/1/1998

The purpose of this document is to revise the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Addendum to Mobile Source Enforcement Memorandum 1A policy for motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines originally designed to operate on gasoline or diesel fuel and subsequently modified to operate exclusively or in conjunction with compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or propane).

Using CNG Trucks in National Parks

5/1/1998

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has successfully introduced cleaner-burning alternative fuel (in particular, compressed natural gas, or CNG) transit vehicles, such as refuse haulers electric trams, to relieve traffic congestion and help to protect the National Park System's (NPS) natural resources and historic sites. As part of this effort, NPS and DOI are working with DOE to implement alternative fuels in heavy trucks to attain goals of environmental sustainability and efficient operation. This report outlines the steps required to put CNG trucks in operation in the NPS fleet.

The Pierce Transit Story Case Study

1/1/1998

In 1986, Pierce Transit made a commitment to the future of the transportation industry and to the environment by deciding to put buses powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) into everyday service. This case study outlines the company's success and how it was achieved.

Running Refuse Haulers on Compressed Natural Gas (Case Study)

11/1/1997

Since 1992, six new refuse haulers have logged more than 60,000 miles--cleaner, quieter miles, with miles with good horsepower and speed as compared to their diesel counterparts. The U.S. Department of Energy sponsors this project. The Alternative Fuels Data Center at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has been gathering data on these trucks since they went into service.

Addendum to Mobile Source Enforcement Memorandum 1A

9/4/1997

The purpose of this document is to clarify and revise the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) "tampering" enforcement policy for motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines originally designed to operate on gasoline or diesel fuel and subsequently modified to operate exclusively or in conjunction with compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or propane).

Replacement Fuel and Alternative Fuel Vehicle Tehnical and Policy Analysis Pursuant to Section 506 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992

7/1/1997

This report is the first of two technical and policy analyses required by EPAct section 506.

Effects of Uncertainty in SAPRC90 Rate Constants and Selected Product Yields on Reactivity Adjustment Factors for Alternative Fuel Vehicle Emissions

7/1/1996

Tropospheric ozone is formed in the atmosphere by a series of reactions that involve volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen (NOx). NOx emissions are composed primarily of NO and NO2, but hundreds of VOCs are being emitted. Generally, VOCs promote ozone formation; however, the rate and extent of ozone produced by VOCs vary considerably.

Authors: Bergin, M.S.;Russell, A.G.;Yang, Y.J.;Milford, J.B.;Kirchner, F.;Stockwell, W.R.

Round 1 Emissions Test Results from Compressed Natural Gas Vans and Gasoline Controls Operating in the U.S. Federal Fleet

1/1/1996

The first round of emissions testing of light-duty alternative fuel vehicles placed in the U.S. federal fleet under the provisions of the Alternative Motor Fuels Act was recently completed. This undertaking included 75 Dodge B250 vans, of which 37 were dedicated compressed natural gas models, and 38 were standard gasoline controls. Data were collected on regulated exhaust emissions using the federal test procedures, and on a number of other quantities, through a statistically controlled program of investigation. All test vehicles were operated in routine federal service activities under normal working conditions, adhering as closely as possible to Chrysler's prescribed maintenance schedules. The data analysis conducted thus far indicates that the compressed natural gas vehicles exhibit notably lower regulated exhaust emission, on average, than their gasoline counterparts, and that these values are well within U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards. In addition, lower levels of toxic constituents are emitted by the compressed natural gas vehicles relative to their gasoline counterparts and they produce lower levels of ozone precursors as well. Performance measures include driver acceptance, fuel economy, operational cost, cost and level of maintenance, and emissions output. The most extensive effort of its kind, the AMFA evaluation program targets three alternative fuels - methanol, ethanol, and compressed natural gas (CNG) - and encompasses several different types of vehicles, makes, and models operated in a number of federal service applications at various sites around the country. This paper specifically addresses the emissions performance of light-duty federal fleet AFVs operating on CNG. The data represents solely from Round 1 of a three-round testing program (hence, emissions deterioration is not specifically addressed).

Authors: Kelly, K.;Bailey, B.;Coburn, T.;Eudy, L.;Lissiuk, P.

CleanFleet Final Report Fleet Economics, Vol. 8

12/1/1995

The costs that face a fleet operator in implementing alternative motor fuels into fleet operations are examined. Five alternatives studied in the CleanFleet project are considered for choice of fuel: compressed natural gas (CNG), propane gas, California Phase 2 reformulated gasoline (RFG), M-85, and electricity. The cost assessment is built upon a list of thirteen cost factors grouped into the three categories: infrastructure costs, vehicle owning costs, and operating costs. Applicable taxes are included. A commonly used spreadsheet was adapted as a cost assessment tool. This tool was used in a case study to estimate potential costs to a typical fleet operator in package delivery service in the 1996 time frame. In addition, because electric cargo vans are unlikely to be available for the 1996 model year from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), the case study was extended to the 1998 time frame for the electric vans. Results of the case study are presented in cents per mile of vehicle travel for the fleet. Several options available to the fleet for implementing the fuels are examined.

Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988

11/21/1995