News Briefs | 05.22.17

Kenworth Advances Near-Zero-Emission Drayage Trucks Project

Kenworth is building zero- and near-zero-emission drayage trucks for Southern California ports in a project backed by $9 million in government grants. The company has begun building a hybrid-electric prototype based on the T680 day cab that will use the Cummins Westport ISL G Near Zero NOx engine fueled by CNG. It will have an electric-only range of 30 miles, and the on-board natural gas fuel will provide sufficient range for a day of regional hauling. Kenworth will build a total of five trucks.

San Diego Opens New CNG Fueling Station

The city of San Diego has opened a new CNG fueling station at the Environmental Services Department’s Collection Services facility and is using it to fuel 20 CNG trucks. The city plans to purchase 20 more CNG trucks in the next year, with the goal of transitioning its entire refuse and recycling fleet of 131 trucks from diesel to natural gas by 2022, according to the press release. When the station is fully built, it will be able to fill up 152 vehicles simultaneously.

Long Beach to Purchase Near-Zero Truck Fleet

At the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo on May 3, the city of Long Beach unveiled the first of 23 new municipal refuse trucks, which the city says are the first in the nation to use Cummins Westport’s ISL G Near Zero NOx natural gas engine. The city expects the 22 additional trucks to go into service in the next six months.

Cenergy Solutions and Catalina Composites Team Up to Produce Adsorbent Natural Gas Cylinders

Cenergy Solutions and Catalina Composites have agreed to work together to develop, design, and manufacture lightweight adsorbent natural gas (ANG) cylinders for NGVs, which can hold more fuel than traditional tanks. Catalina Composites has already manufactured and tested several sizes of low-pressure ANG cylinders, which can be filled using a Cenergy Solutions compressor.

Updated AB 118 Investment Plan Available

The CEC has posted the final 2017–2018 Investment Plan Update for the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (AB 118), which was approved April 12. It includes $2.4 million for natural gas infrastructure projects and $9.7 million for NGV incentives. Coalition President Thomas Lawson, a member of the program’s advisory committee, said the allocations are fair and will help drive the natural gas industry forward.