Volvo Trucks Unveils New Efficiency Packages

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Volvo Trucks is furthering its focus on freight efficiency by offering new Payload Plus packages.

The new packages for the Volvo VNR and VNL series provide significant weight savings, helping to maximize payload and fuel efficiency in weight-sensitive tanker, bulk-haul, and specific dry van and refrigerated applications.

The Payload Plus packages, now available to order, provide a simple, model-based way to shave up to 540 lbs. from Volvo VNR regional-haul models and remove more than 335 lbs. from Volvo VNL long-haul models, according to the automaker.

Propane Autogas Innovation Sets New Standards

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Forget merely meeting emissions standards. The propane autogas industry is raising the bar for what it means to be a clean fuel for commercial fleets.

It’s no secret that more fleets have been finding value in propane autogas vehicles. Regardless of whether that fleet needs a medium-duty delivery van or a Type C school bus, propane autogas has long delivered reduced greenhouse gas, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur oxides (SOx) emissions at an affordable cost — something other fuels can’t always promise.

In 2017 alone, more than 13,000 new propane autogas vehicles were added to roadways. Fueled by clean propane autogas, these vehicles will significantly reduce the amount of emissions and particulate matter produced over their entire lifecycle.

While the sales figures show that the affordability and low emissions of propane autogas is already resonating with thousands of fleet owners across the United States, our industry’s engine technology partners are never satisfied. They continue to dramatically improve the emissions profile of their engines to offer engine systems with emissions levels previously not thought possible.

RNG Industry Celebrates Growth, Honors 12 Companies

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The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) commenced the North American renewable natural gas (RNG) industry’s annual conference program in Dana Point, Calif., by celebrating industry growth and recognizing 12 companies for their development roles in eight of the RNG production facilities completed across the U.S. in 2018.

This year, the industry surpassed 85 RNG production facilities in North America, up from the 41 facilities built between 1982 and 2014. Further, launching with eight members in 2011, the RNG Coalition surpassed a 150-member milestone earlier this fall.

Production facilities and companies celebrated in today’s ceremony are as follows (project location – companies):

  • Amsterdam, Ohio – Air Liquide and Montauk Energy
  • Angleton, Texas – DTE Biomass Energy and Morrow Renewables
  • Humble, Texas – Air Liquide, Montauk Energy and Waste Management
  • Jasper, Ind. – Amp Americas
  • Perris, Calif. – Greenlane Biogas and SoCalGas
  • Roosevelt, Wash. – Klickitat Public Utility District and Morrow Renewables
  • SE Oklahoma City, Okla. – Aria Energy & Republic Services
  • Walnut, Miss. – Air Liquide & Vilter Manufacturing

Finding Extra Fuel Economy Through Telematics

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Small fleets may not always see telematics as a priority. With smaller margins the cost of the service may seem prohibitive, but even smaller fleets can yield strong results. A fleet operations manager with a fleet comprised of nearly 50 vehicles realized higher average fuel mileage and lower cost per mile by implementing telematics into his fleet.

One of the first things that Reggie Eubanks, fleet operations manager for ServiceMaster Restore, did when he joined the company in July was develop a six-month plan to revitalize his new company’s fleet.

This plan would involve integrating new software to manage the fleet, implementing telematics software, and auditing the company’s fleet.

The company’s fleet, he learned, was comprised of over 40 vehicles with 10 or 20 vehicles that would require more repairs than they were worth to continue to operate. A few had literally been run until their wheels had fallen off, he said.

One of the first things the company did after he joined was scrap the vehicles that had outlived their usefulness.

The common theme among the vehicles that remained was high mileage. Nearly all of the vehicles that the company would still use had over 200,000 miles clocked on their odometers.

 

UK Named Most Bicycle-Friendly College in America

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The University of Kentucky has recently received national recognition for going the extra mile for bike accessibility so all the students can go to classes and auditoriums fast even with a simple Nirve 20 inch kids bike which you can find for sale at the link.

Bicycling Magazine, the world’s leading cycling magazine, has named UK the most bicycle-friendly college in America out of 45 universities, ranging from small liberal-arts colleges to large, public universities. Amelia Neptune, program director at the League of American Bicyclists (LAB), said the university stood out from other schools because of the creative incentives offered to students, staff and faculty and the dedication that the university puts forth toward overseeing the support of cycling.

“It’s truly an honor to have all of the university’s bicycling efforts recognized by an organization as well-renowned as Bicycling Magazine,” said Sandra Broadus, UK’s alternative transportation manager.”We still have a lot of room for improvement, but Transportation Services and the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) have dedicated a lot of funding for infrastructure improvements, outreach, education, and incentive programs for cyclists over the last six or seven years.”

Bicycling Magazine mirrored their ranking process off of LAB’s program, which rates schools who apply for the Bicycle Friendly Award from bronze to platinum based on the “Five E’s”: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation. Although a rigorous application, the process forces colleges to notice holes in initiatives they have in place and to improve their current bicycle accessibility on campus.

Kia Unveils 2019 Niro EV and 2020 Soul

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Kia unveiled its 2019 Niro EV and the 2020 Soul, which is coming in a gasoline and electric version, at the LA Auto Show.

The 2019 Kia Niro EV will be coming to market with a 64-killowatt-per-hour lithium-ion polymer battery that will support DC fast-charging as standard equipment.

Final range on the vehicle is still being finalized, but the company noted an estimate above 200 miles during its press conference.

The 2019 Niro EV will offer four driving modes — eco, normal, sport, and eco+ — that will automatically adjust vehicle settings such as heating, air conditioning, speed limits, and regenerative braking to manage fuel efficiency. If air conditioner fan not working, it can be repaired by an HVAC technician. Drivers can also adjust regenerative braking levels using paddle shifters to add extra range.

The 2020 model year will mark a new vehicle generation for the Kia Soul. The upcoming model of the vehicle will come with a redesigned exterior and new platform.

2019 Toyota Prius Adds All-Wheel Drive

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Toyota is adding an electrified all-wheel drive system as part of a refresh of the Prius for 2019 that should improve sales in the Northeast and other snowy states.

The system would reduce fuel economy from the current front-wheel model only slightly. Toyota expects the AWD Prius to deliver 52 miles per gallon in city driving, 48 mpg on the highway, and 50 mpg combined. The FWD Prius has been rated by the EPA to deliver 54 mpg in the city, 50 mpg on the highway, and 52 mpg combined.

Toyota expects the AWD Prius to account for about 25% of Prius sales. The company unveiled the vehicle ahead of the LA Auto Show.

Volkswagen Planning New North America Factory for Electric Vehicles

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Reuters reported Volkswagen is deciding where to locate a new factory in North America to build electric vehicles for the U.S. market, the German automaker’s new head for the Americas.

Scott Keogh, the newly appointed CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, said a new plant was needed to build a vehicle yet to be revealed under the Volkswagen brand, priced between $30,000-$40,000, that is due in 2020.

“We are 100 percent deep in the process of ‘We will need an electric car plant in North America,’ and we’re holding those conversations now,” Keogh told journalists at the Los Angeles auto show.

An electric car that could take on Silicon Valley’s Tesla Inc is part of the massive investment in electric vehicles that Europe’s largest carmaker plans to make.

Volkswagen announced earlier this month it would spend almost 44 billion euros ($50 billion) on developing electric cars, autonomous driving and new mobility services by 2023, while exploring areas of cooperation with U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co.

To meet a production timeline for 2020, the new electric car will initially be sourced outside of the United States, Keogh said, but then will be produced at the newly chosen site.

Volkswagen’s existing U.S. plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the Passat and Atlas are built, could be one option as there is enough room at that facility, but it will not necessarily be chosen, Keogh said.

18 Trucking Touts Mechanical, Environmental Pluses of Renewable Diesel

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18 Trucking, a construction trucking services company based in Hayward, Calif., is reporting reductions in maintenance costs and less downtime for its fleet after switching to Neste MY Renewable Diesel.

Neste MY is a low-carbon fuel produced from 100% renewable and sustainable raw materials, primarily wastes and residues, explains Neste. Cutting greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 80%, it is a drop-in fuel that requires no blending and no engine modification.

Diesel particulate filters (DPFs) are an engine aftertreatment system designed to reduce emissions from diesel engines. Because they become clogged over time from soot and other particulate matter, the vehicles must routinely be taken out of service to clear these systems of the backup, explains Neste.

U.S. Ethanol Prices Drop to 13-Year Lows on Bigger Supply

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Prices for U.S. ethanol fell to the lowest levels in 13 years on Wednesday, pressured by bigger-than-expected output and larger supplies of the corn-based biofuel, traders said.

Weekly U.S. Energy Information Administration data showed that ethanol production last week was up 6,000 barrels per day, to an average of 1.048 million bpd while stockpiles increased 139,000 barrels to 22.93 million barrels.

Some traders had anticipated a decline in output, as many producers were struggling to make money due to low ethanol prices and comparatively higher costs for the corn and natural gas necessary to make it.

“With all the talks of slowdowns, the market expected to see continual drops in production but they haven’t materialized, and margins have taken a further beating,” an ethanol trader said.