Ford Readies for Push in Electric Cars, Morgan Stanley Says

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Ford Motor Co. is preparing to make a bigger push in electric vehicles, according to Morgan Stanley.

The company doesn’t currently offer any electric cars, although it has been heavily investing in such technology. The carmaker’s ongoing discussions with Volkswagen AG promise to take its electric-car ambitions “to the next level,” analysts led by Adam Jonas wrote in a note on July 3, adding that such a deal mitigates financial risks from electric car investment.

“While Ford and VW have yet to announce any definitive agreement around joint-BEV development,” Morgan Stanley wrote, referring to battery electric vehicles, “we believe investors should prepare for significant levels of potential collaboration to share development and manufacturing costs.”

A logo is displayed on the steering wheel of a VW I.D. Buggy electric concept automobile. Volkswagen AG is nearing a deal to cooperate with Ford Motor Co. on electric-car technology and self-driving vehicles. (Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg)

Ford shares rose as much as 1.7% to $10.29 on July 3, the highest level since May 17.

An announcement could be imminent. Bloomberg has reported that Volkswagen’s supervisory board plans to discuss, and possibly approve, the next steps toward expanding its alliance with Ford when it meets next week, according to people familiar with the matter. The two companies announced a collaboration on vans and pickup trucks back in January.

Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative Sees Quintupled Commitments

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On Thursday, at the second-annual Climate Mayors Summit in Honolulu, 127 cities and 15 counties from across 38 states joined the Climate Mayors Electric Vehicle Purchasing Collaborative, committing to purchase more than 2,100 total electric vehicles (EVs) by the end of 2020.

Launched in September 2018, the collaborative is a partnership between Climate Mayors, the Electrification Coalition and Sourcewell, a national transit fleet transition program.

The collaborative has announced plans to place a competitive bid on electric school buses by the end of this year, which will enable all electric school bus manufacturers to offer any public school system in the country access to equal, competitive prices, the partners say. Sourcewell will be releasing a national solicitation for electric school buses by the end of the year.

10 fleets sign on to test their fuel efficiency in NACFE’s Run on Less Regional challenge

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After a successful and informative Run on Less in 2017, the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) has returned with a new run focusing on fleets running regional routes.

The Run on Less Regional event will take place over three weeks in October, beginning October 8 and ending later that month at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show, where NACFE will announce initial results of the run. Ten fleets have signed up for the regional run, including three that also participated in the 2017 long-haul run.

The 10 fleets (and home base where the truck will be based) involved in the Run on Less Regional challenge are:

  • C&S Wholesale Grocers (Hammond, Louisiana)
  • Hirschbach (Monterey, Tennessee)
  • Hogan Transportation (St. Louis, Missouri)
  • J.B. Hunt (NYSE: JBHT) (Corsicana, Texas)
  • Meijer (Lansing, Michigan)
  • PepsiCo’s (NASDAQ: PEP) snacks and beverages division (Vancouver, Washington)
  • Ploger Transportation (Norwalk, Ohio)
  • Schneider (NYSE: SNDR) (Rockford, Illinois)
  • Southeastern Freight Lines (Columbia, South Carolina)
  • UPS (NYSE: UPS) (Phoenix, Arizona)

Hirschbach, Ploger Transportation and PepsiCo are returning fleets.

“It’s really exciting to do this. Run on Less the first time really helped the industry,” Mike Roeth, NACFE executive director, said.

In 2017, NACFE along with Shell, Pepsi and the Carbon War Room, held the original Run on Less challenge. That challenge also ended at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta, with the trucks in the study averaging 10.1 mpg overall, with 12.8 the highest individual mpg and three different trucks posting days over 12.5 mpg. The lowest mpg from a truck was 7.1 on one of the days, and the average for all lowest mpgs throughout the Run was 8.8. Collectively, the trucks traveled 50,107 miles and saved 2,877 gallons of fuel and $7,183 over the national fleet-wide average of 6.4 mpg.

The fleets in the original study included owner-operators and company drivers of various-sized fleets up to one with more than 7,000-plus trucks. Drivers tracked their daily mileage during regular duty cycles, which included 31 of 99 total days operating at over 65,000 pounds. Trucks faced both headwinds and tailwinds from Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, mountainous terrain and flat highways. All the trucks had different specifications. The only real requirement was that the technologies used on the trucks needed to be commercially available.

Exploring Propane as a Fleet Fuel Source

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In an environment with rising gasoline prices, propane could offer a viable option for fleet managers looking for an alternative-fuel source.

There’s a misconception that propane autogas is more expensive than traditional fuels, noted Michael Taylor, director of autogas development for the Propane Education & Research Council.

But, the actual cost of wholesale propane typically falls between the price of oil and natural gas — the two sources of propane, he added.

In the first week of May 2019, the national average price per gallon of propane autogas was $1.45. The national average cost of regular grade gasoline was $2.86.

“There is a small segment of the fleet industry who may have tried propane autogas years ago and wasn’t pleased with the performance,” said Taylor. “Over the past decade [there have been] dramatic improvements in propane engine and fuel system technologies.”

BNEF: EVs to Comprise 57% of Global Passenger Car Sales by 2040

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Electric vehicles (EVs) are on track to dominate global sales of passenger cars and buses by 2040 and to encroach significantly on the market for vans and short-distance trucking, according to a recent report from research firm BloombergNEF (BNEF).

Based on analysis of the evolving economics in different vehicle segments and geographical markets, BNEF’s Electric Vehicle Outlook 2019 shows EVs taking up 57% of global passenger car sales by 2040, which is slightly higher than the firm forecast a year ago. Electric buses are set to hold 81% of municipal bus sales by the same date.

For the first time, BNEF has incorporated in its forecast detailed work on the commercial vehicle market. These projections show electric models taking 56% of light commercial vehicle sales in Europe, the U.S. and China within the next two decades, plus 31% of the medium commercial market.

UPS Signs Biggest Renewable Gas Deal With Clean Energy Fuels

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UPS Inc. has agreed to buy the equivalent of 170 million gallons of renewable natural gas from Clean Energy Fuels Corp. over the next seven years in what the company described as the biggest-ever deal involving the alternative fuel.

The contract, worth about $95 million based on current natural gas prices, runs through 2025, according to UPS. The parcel deliver company said renewable natural gas ultimately will make up 40% of its total fuel purchases for ground transportation.

Shares of Clean Energy Fuels surged as much as 24% in pre-market trading. The Newport Beach, Calif.-based company, which initially was backed by energy magnate T. Boone Pickens in the early 2000s, harvests methane gas from landfills, keeping the greenhouse gas from reaching the atmosphere and contributing to global warming.

UPS Inc. is No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America.

“Instead of wasting it, we’re going to use it in trucks,” said Mike Casteel, director of fleet procurement for UPS. “We’re hoping to stimulate more production, and we eventually want for the majority of our natural gas to be renewable natural gas.”

Possible Trump Visit to Iowa Ethanol Mill Signals E15 Win

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President Donald Trump is considering visiting an ethanol refinery in Iowa in the coming weeks, according to people familiar with the matter, a signal that the administration will fulfill a pledge to permit the year-round sale of high-ethanol gasoline sought by corn farmers in the state.

Iowa Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, as well as Governor Kim Reynolds, will be invited, according to four people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named discussing the private deliberations.

Last fall, Trump visited Iowa and delivered a victory to corn farmers and biofuel producers when he said he signed a memo telling the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to lift summertime fueling restrictions on E15 gasoline, which contains 15% ethanol. The corn-based fuel currently accounts for 10% of U.S. gasoline consumption and higher blends are restricted during the summer months in some areas.

Leading Fleet Wins with Biodiesel

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Ruan Transportation Management Systems has never stopped innovating, which is fitting for one of America’s most storied trucking companies.

John Ruan started the company in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1932 with one truck. Today, it is an asset-based 3PL with a diverse offering of services, over 300 locations nationwide and a fleet that travels 350 million miles a year.

As the company continues to evolve, Ruan recognizes the importance of environmental sustainability to the trucking industry’s future.

“Ruan wants to help reduce emissions,” says Steve Larsen, the company’s Director of Procurement and Fuel. “We are also very customer-focused, and a lot of our customers have sustainability goals, and we want to support them by being a cleaner supplier.”

Study Shows RFS Saves 22 Cents Per Gallon

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A new study shows the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has lowered gas prices by an average of 22 cents per gallon in recent years and saved the typical American household $250 annually.

The study, by economist and energy policy expert Dr. Philip K. Verleger, Jr., used an econometric model to estimate the impacts of the RFS, which requires refiners to blend increasing amounts of renewable fuels with gasoline and diesel, on crude oil and gasoline prices over the last four years (2015-2018).

“The Renewable Fuel Standard Program: Measuring the Impact on Crude Oil and Gasoline Prices” concludes that by expanding fuel supplies by approximately 1 million barrels per day, the RFS reduced the price of crude oil by an average of $6 per barrel from 2015-2018. In turn, gas prices were reduced by an average of 22 cents per gallon, which amounts to a savings of nearly $5 every time consumers fill up. According to the study, the RFS is responsible for putting roughly $90 billion back into the pockets of U.S. consumers over the past four years, increasing discretionary income and raising the nation’s gross domestic product.

The report also found that if ethanol was entirely eliminated from the fuel supply, as some opponents of renewable fuels have advocated, gasoline prices would surge by more than $1 per gallon. According to the study, “Retail prices would today be above $4 per gallon, not $2.90, were renewable supplies removed from the supply mix.”

 

Electrify America Launches App, Alters Charging Prices

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Electrify America has launched its first-ever app, designed to allow users to manage an entire electric vehicle (EV) charging session on their phone.

Available for both Android and iPhone, the app, developed by talented app developers, allows customers to locate a charging station, pay for a charge, and track a charging session. Once a charging session is complete, the app will provide a receipt, enhancing the overall user experience with its seamless functionality.

The company also is introducing two charging membership plans: Electrify America Pass and Electrify America Pass+. In addition, Electrify America will be changing its introductory charging cost pricing, currently at 30 to 35 cents per-minute, and will implement a roughly 20% reduction on those prices, depending on regions and local utility rates. There will be three power levels for pricing: 0 – 75 kW; 76 kW – 125 kW; and 126 kW to 350 kW.