Considering alternative fuels for your fleet? Learn more about propane!
We visited The Produce Box site in Raleigh, North Carolina, last year and talked to Founder Courtney Tellefsen about their fleet of propane vehicles. Check out our new video on it here!
The Produce Box, a produce delivery company in North Carolina, serves about 11,000 families across the state. The company has eight propane trucks, which they said they chose because they burn cleaner and save $20-30K in fuel a year. Propane is also a domestic fuel, as 90 percent of it comes from the US.
NCCETC Awards $1.1 million in Air Quality Improvement Grants
New round of funding released
Raleigh, N.C. (October 9, 2018) — The N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) at N.C. State University announced the results of a call for projects through the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) Project. The 2017-2018 $5.6 million initiative, focused on reducing transportation-related emissions, is supported with federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funding from the N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT). More than $1,100,101 is being awarded for ten projects to a variety of public and private entities.
Also, a new round of funding has been released, and the applications are due December 17, 2018.
The awards include:
Alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) lease and conversions by UNC Charlotte
Electric PTO (power take-off) bucket trucks by Viatec Incorporated and Town of Apex
AFV conversions to bi-fuel propane by City of Charlotte and thyssenkrupp
Diesel retrofit by North Carolina Department of Transportation Rail Division
Electric motorcycle leases by law enforcement in Davidson County, Orange County, and Town of Matthews
The CFAT project operates in counties that do not meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards. In total, the awarded equipment displaces 62,949 gallons of diesel/gas a year, reducing 54,042 kg of daily emissions.
The first round of 2019 funding Request for Proposals (RFP) period has opened and awards will be announced by February 2019. In 2019, up to $2,350,000 in federal funding is being awarded. The 2019 funds will be awarded continuously, through three rounds of reviews and allocations, until all funds are allocated. The deadline to apply for the first round of funding is December 17, 2018. The application can be found here. For more information, click here.
The NCCETC has partnered with Triangle J, Centralina, Upper Coastal Plain and Kerr-Tar Councils of Governments, and the Piedmont Triad Regional Council to conduct education and outreach regarding alternative fuel and fuel conservation technologies and policies. Additional CFAT activities include a public education media campaign, an annual recognition of exemplary efforts to reduce transportation related emissions, and an annual Sustainable Fleet Technology Conference.
About the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center
The N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center, as part of the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University, advances a sustainable energy economy by educating, demonstrating and providing support for clean energy technologies, practices and policies. It serves as a resource for innovative, sustainable energy technologies through technology demonstration, technical assistance, outreach and training. For more information about the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center, visit: http://www.nccleantech.ncsu.edu.
Last Friday and Saturday, the NC Clean Energy Technology Center’s Clean Transportation team ended National Drive Electric Week with an Alternative Fuel Vehicle Demonstration & Tailgate for the NC State vs. Virginia Cavaliers football game.
The event began Friday, Sept. 28 with a driver meet-up and car show. There were about 20 plug-in electric, hybrid and biofuel vehicles on display, both from local dealerships and from electric vehicle owners and enthusiasts, including several Tesla models, BMWs, Mitsubishi, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Toyota and more.
Owners enjoyed showing off their vehicles to guests who were curious to learn more about them, and the Clean Transportation team were able to answer questions and hand out fact sheets and studies done by the Center.
There was even a Tesla Model X that did a dance!
Saturday was the NC State game outside of the Close-King Indoor Practice Facility where many of the same alternative vehicles were on display for guests to look at inside and out. Nissan representatives were also on site and guests played the “Run the Route Challenge” and the “Blind Spot Challenge.”
City of Raleigh Prius vehicles charging up. Courtesy: www.raleighnc.gov
The City of Raleigh has more than 2,000 registered vehicles in its fleet used for a wide variety of services, including the police force, garbage, maintenance and repairs, public utilities, water and sewer and more, according to Fleet Services Superintendent Travis Brown.
Along with the wide range of vehicles, Raleigh also has a large number of alternative fuels and alternative vehicles to match.
The City, which isn’t new to the 100 Best Fleets list, uses 385 vehicles with B20 biodiesel, over 1,000 E85 flex fuel-compatible vehicles, 223 hybrids, 18 electric powered neighborhood vehicles, 25 vehicles that use propane, and 7 that use natural gas.
Brown, who has worked with the City of Raleigh for 16 years, said the City has been working to transform the fleet even before he arrived, when the City was already using biodiesel.
Brown said that so many alternative fuels have been introduced into the fleet because they help to reduce emissions, improve air quality, promote domestic energy production, help decrease fuel costs, and can help farmers.
The goal of the City is to take care of its citizens, Brown said – and using alternative fuels is a part of that.
“It’s about being a good steward of a city, and trying to do the right thing,” Brown said.
Raleigh also uses anti-idling technology in many of the police fleet vehicles. The Energy Xtreme Law Enforcement anti-idling system allows vehicles to operate their full electrical system (including lights, camera and radio) without using the vehicle’s engine, according to the City of Raleigh website.
After the first quarter of the anti-idling technology usage, about 962 gallons were saved from 29 vehicles that used it, according to the website. The projected annual savings were estimated at $63,199.
Previously, many City police vehicles were driving Ford Crown Victorias, and now they’re driving hybrid sedans – which Brown said saves a lot of money when it comes to fuel. The Crown Victorias were getting around 13-18 miles per gallon (MPG), he said, and the hybrids get around 30-38 MPG.
“It’s been a good investment on return, going that way,” Brown said.
In addition to alternative fuels, the City schedules vehicle replacements every year to ensure the fleet is kept modern.
Raleigh also uses a maintenance management system, which provides GPS information for departments on engine faults, idling, equipment and accountability.
The most challenging part of managing a fleet, Brown said, is communicating and educating – getting the word out to all staff about changes and plans, and educating on new ways of doing things and how those changes are beneficial.
Brown said he addresses it as much as he can by having meetings with service departments and providing data on fuel usage.
When running a fleet, Brown advises doing research, networking with those in the same industry to see what works for their fleet, looking at your own to figure out what could work for yours, and attempting to do some forecasting.
“There’s so much technology out there, and the automotive industry is changing so much,” Brown said. “Don’t look at necessarily what’s happening today – try to find what’s coming up three years down the road. You don’t want to get something approved, and then it’s outdated.”
Looking ahead, Brown said Raleigh hopes to push more telematics, eventually adding the technology to all vehicles being used. Currently, Raleigh uses a maintenance management system, but the City would like to upgrade to a web-based system so they can provide more transparency to users and customers.
Learn more about the City of Raleigh’s alternative fuel use by visiting the website here.
NCCETC Awards $1.2 million in Air Quality Improvement Grants New round of funding released
The N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) announced the results of a call for projects through the Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) Project. The 2017-2018 $5.6 million initiative, focused on reducing transportation-related emissions, is supported with federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funding from the N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT). More than $1,245,300 is being awarded for eight projects to a variety of public and private entities. A new round of funding has also been released, and the applications are due June 8, 2018. Apply here!
The awards include:
Alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) leasing by BuildSense, Inc.
AFV conversions and idle reduction technology by City of Charlotte
Idle reduction technology by Convoy Solutions and Viatec Incorporated
AFV conversions by Gaston County North Carolina Propane Gas Association (NCPGA), and City of Winston Salem
Diesel retrofit by North Carolina Department of Transportation Rail Division
The CFAT project operates in counties that do not meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards. More than half of North Carolinians live in counties that have unhealthy air. In total, the awarded equipment displaces 353,265.16 gallons of diesel/gas a year, reducing 97.02 kg of daily emissions.
Round 2 of funding request for proposal period has opened and awards will be announced by September 2018. Up to $1,455,000 in federal funding is being awarded for projects to a variety of public and private entities. The deadline to apply for this final CFAT round of funding for 2018 is June 8, 2018. For the application and more information, click here.
