Hyundai plans to introduce HD hydrogen truck to U.S. by 2022

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Hyundai Motor Co., which is currently testing heavy-duty fuel cell electric trucks (FCETs) in Switzerland, plans on commercializing the hydrogen-powered vehicles in the U.S. starting in 2022. A pilot program could begin in 2021 in California.

The first fleet customers are expected to have 3,000 to 5,000 trucks. That allows Hyundai to gradually build out the much-needed and virtually non-existent infrastructure. As of Sept. 1, 2020, there were 42 hydrogen stations open in California for light-duty FCEVs, according to the California Fuel Cell Partnership.

Hyundai shipped 10 of its XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks, “the world’s first mass-produced” FCET, according to the company, to Switzerland in July. Forty more should arrive by the end of the year. By 2025, Hyundai expects 1,600 XCIENTs on the road.

WPGA: Propane to Play Major Role in California’s Green Energy Future

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The Western Propane Gas Association (WPGA), a trade and membership service organization that represents propane marketers throughout California, says renewable propane is on track to play a major role in the state’s green energy future, with the industry targeting 2030 for supplying the state with a 100% sustainable energy source.

The news, along with the unveiling of WPGA’s sustainability statement, comes during Climate Week 2020 and on the heels of Governor Newsom’s announced agenda to accelerate California’s climate change goals.

“Renewable propane’s benefits are amplified when coupled with ultra-low NOx engines that are 90% cleaner than the EPA’s most stringent standard or combined with innovative appliance technologies that can reduce NOx emissions by up to 80%,” says Joy Alafia, president of WPGA. “Our industry is excited to serve as an integral part of California’s effort to fight climate change. We look forward to working with customers who seek to reduce their carbon footprint and policy makers as they navigate a path to achieve California’s environmental goals.”

It’s Official — Consumer Reports Confirms EV Owners Spend Half As Much On Maintenance

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Data is king, and when it comes to information on the frequency of repairs on automobiles, Consumer Reports has more data than anyone. For its latest report, it did a deep dive into the data from its 2019 and 2020 reliability surveys of electric and gasoline powered vehicles. After crunching all the numbers, Consumer Reports says “drivers of electric vehicles are saving an average of 50% on maintenance and repair over the life of a vehicle compared to owners of gas-powered vehicles.”

Chris Harto, CR’s senior transportation policy analyst, says: “Electric vehicle owners don’t need a coupon to get half-off typical maintenance and repair costs from their dealer, it comes standard! These savings are going a long way to offset the upfront costs for consumers.”

Why fleet managers at Anheuser-Busch, KeHE Distributors are fueling up with renewable natural gas

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Companies of all sectors and sizes seek ways to reduce emissions across the board and increasingly are taking a far closer look at the kind of fuel powering their vehicles. While much attention has shifted to the potential for battery-electric or hydrogen vehicles, another technology with a vast infrastructure — renewable natural gas — is gaining traction among fleet managers.

“I’ve personally worked on energy issues for 10 years, and I’ve been extremely excited about the progress that’s been made in renewable natural gas,” said Sam Wade, director of state regulatory affairs with the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, during a recent GreenBiz webcast exploring this trend. The discussion focused on the growth of renewable natural gas for fleets of different sizes, the production of it and how it may continue to gain popularity.

Renewable natural gas (RNG) is natural gas made from methane, often from methane gas produced at landfills but also from farms. Methane that otherwise might be released into the air and produce more greenhouse gases is either stored or sent through a pipeline to be refined and made into fuel for vehicles. And it has an environmental aspect to it because the world still produces plenty of organic waste.

Propane Autogas School Bus Success Translates to Commercial Fleets

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The school bus industry is undeniably one of the most scrutinized transportation sectors. Between ensuring student health and safety and trying to balance a budget during cutbacks, difficult challenges abound for school transportation officials.

One way school districts across the country have met these challenges head on is by transitioning their school bus fleet to propane autogas, a safe and reliable energy source that has reduced harmful emissions and operational costs.

This has been especially important during the pandemic, where budgets and student health are under more careful watch than ever before. While this school year looks different than any that have come before it, propane autogas is still providing the low emissions and cost-effective benefits districts need. Even districts that have gone remote and are using propane autogas buses to deliver meals to students are realizing these benefits.

Generation Z drivers push for schools to teach with eco-conscious cars

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Christian Hughes did not just want to learn to drive – he wanted to do so in a Tesla. So, when it came to getting his license, the high school student found a driving school that specialised in the sought-after electric cars. Driving school will help you learn the techniques for driving safely.

As well as being a fan of the vehicles and their technology, he was attracted by their green credentials. “Every second you spend driving a gasoline car contributes to climate change,” says the 17-year-old from St Augustine, Florida, who passed his test this summer. He has since bought a Tesla with his father.

Hughes, in his journey of learning to drive at the Tesla Driving School, launched by All Florida Safety Institute in January, immersed himself in lessons tailored for eco-conscious Generation Z drivers. This driving school, part of a growing trend, specializes in instructing on hybrid or electric cars. Even in situations involving low-impact fender-benders, these lessons emphasize safety, sustainability, and responsible driving practices.

Daimler to Put Fuel-Cell Electric Truck in Production During Second Half of Decade

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Daimler Trucks showed off a Mercedes-Benz concept truck powered by fuel cells, with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers (more than 600 miles), projecting customer trials starting in 2023, and outlined when its battery-electric eActros trucks are projected to be available, including a first look at a long-haul version.

In an event focusing on its technology strategy for the electrification of its vehicles, ranging from urban distribution to international long-haul transport, Daimler focused on the technology for hydrogen-based fuel-cell trucks for the long-haul transport segment.

The Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, which had its world premiere as a concept vehicle, marks the beginning of fuel-cell drive, according to the company. Daimler Trucks plans to begin customer trials of the GenH2 Truck in 2023, with series production to start in the second half of the decade.

Fortistar Begins Construction on Noble Road Landfill RNG Project

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Fortistar, a privately-owned investment firm, and Rumpke Waste & Recycling, a privately-owned residential and commercial waste and recycling firm, have begun construction on the Noble Road Landfill Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Project, a $33 million transportation decarbonization project in Shiloh, Ohio.

The project will extract and capture waste methane from the Noble Road landfill in Ohio and transform it into renewable natural gas (RNG). GPR technology for site investigations will help them remove hazards with minimal damage to nearby flora and fauna. The fuel will be dispensed in fueling stations for natural gas vehicles via Trustar Energy, a Fortistar portfolio company. The RNG will be distributed through a key partner, Chesapeake Utilities Corp. affiliate Aspire Energy’s pipelines.

Like carbon dioxide, methane is a greenhouse gas (GHG) that contributes to climate change, but is 30 times more potent as a heat-trapping gas. The Noble Road Project will capture 20,323 tons of methane emissions per year and produce RNG. Instead of simply flaring or burning the methane, the naturally occurring gas will generate sustainable energy and jobs in the community. Shop industrial machinery for sale to meet the demands of your business operations. It will produce 6.9 million gallons of gasoline gallon equivalents (GGE) per year, which is enough to fuel 725 biofuel trucks – displacing diesel fuel for those vehicles – and creating approximately 35 to 40 construction jobs and three permanent green operations jobs to ensure the ongoing production of this sustainable energy source.

The potential for renewable natural gas in truck fleets

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The end goal for much of transportation is to “electrify everything.” But the reality is that today, when the market for heavy-duty electric trucks is still nascent, there are other cost-effective and low-emission fuel options that fleets that run big vehicles — such as garbage trucks or semi-trucks — are embracing.

An important one is renewable natural gas (RNG), biogas collected from sites that have decomposing organic matter, such as landfills, farms and wastewater treatment plants. RNG is interesting because, depending on the source, the fuel actually can be emissions-negative, meaning the collective project and fuel remove more greenhouse gases than they produce.

Why? Take a dairy farm, where cow waste is a significant contributor to the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. If a farm collects that cow waste biogas and turns it into fuel for a fleet, it’s not only slashing the emissions from its farm, it’s also contributing to the displacement of diesel or natural gas use in a truck fleet.

Cummins using hydrogen technology to enable renewable energy for public utilities

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Global technology and power solutions leader Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) will provide its 5-megawatt PEM electrolyzer to enable renewable energy for the Douglas County Public Utility District (Douglas County PUD) in Washington state. The Cummins electrolyzer will be dedicated to producing hydrogen from renewable energy and will be the largest, as well as first of its kind in use by a public utility, in the United States.

Expected to be operational in 2021, the new renewable hydrogen facility allows the Douglas County PUD to manufacture commercial hydrogen using electrolysis to harvest hydrogen from water from Wells Dam on the Columbia River. The PEM electrolyzer system, which stands for proton exchange membrane, takes the excess renewable energy and through a chemical reaction splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen acts as an energy carrier and the oxygen is released into the air. The hydrogen can then be stored in a gas or liquid state to be used in a multitude of applications, including fuel cell electric mobility. The electrolyzer is powered by clean hydroelectricity, so the production of hydrogen does not generate any carbon emissions.