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Alt fuel news roundup: 3/21/13

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:00:59 +0000

This week’s rundown of the top alternative fuel and fleet industry headlines includes a new propane autogas video curriculum, a clean fuel debate in Oregon, a new fuel economy report from the EPA, and much more:

As we blogged about earlier this week, Alliance AutoGas launched a new video series to educate America’s fleets about the benefits of operating on clean, affordable propane autogas.

President Obama has proposed diverting $2 billion in revenue from federal oil and gas royalties over the next decade to pay for advanced technology vehicle research.

Things are heating up a bit in Oregon this week as the Senate hears arguments both for and against extending the “sunset clause” on the Clean Fuels Program.

A Sustainable Energy Conference is coming to Raleigh, N.C. this April.

Some see “short-term pain but long-term gain” in running fleets on natural gas.

A new report from the EPA cites significant gains in fuel economy for 2012.

The Denver Auto Show is being held this week. This article explores natural gas vehicle use by fleets vs. consumers.

AAA will offer a roadside charging service for electric vehicles in Washington state.

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EPA Streamlines Previously Arcane Rules for Vehicle Conversion Certifications

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:29:14 +0000

The streamlined EPA regulations regarding after-market conversions for alternative transportation fuels (for light-duty cars and trucks) got a lot of coverage last week – and those in the industry likely know the key points already. This isn’t a rehash of the changes – but a discussion about how these new certification regulations can help get autogas fleets on the road faster and more efficiently than before.

As many fleet managers interested in alternative fuels have probably learned, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) didn’t exactly make things easy on vehicle conversion equipment providers in the past. Autogas conversion partnerships like Alliance AutoGas provide fleets with a solution that takes the logistical intricacies of switching to an alternative fuel off of the fleet manager’s to-do list. However, conversion system providers like Alliance had the onus for getting any given conversion system EPA-approved every year for the same vehicle make, model, and model year. No matter the age of the vehicle, no matter if the conversion system components stayed the same from one year to the next.

This meant a brand new 2010 Ford F-150 would have the same certification rules that applied to a much older model year vehicle, and both would have to jump through the same hoops every year. This struck many people as, well, kind of unnecessary.

Getting to the point, since alternative fuel conversion system certifications for “new” (2010 and after) vehicle models is needed only once now, what does this mean for the autogas industry going forward? More choices, more solutions, and most importantly, more clean-burning autogas vehicles on the road. We’d expect increased competition in the autogas industry and the after-market vehicle conversion sector as a whole – which isn’t a bad thing.

The EPA’s rule changes reduce the hurdles for getting certifications, which in turn increases availability of alternative fuel conversion systems. This, along with growing demand among fleets for alternative fuels due to higher gasoline and diesel prices, points to one probable conclusion: sure, any one company or solution provider might have to fight to keep their slice of the alternative fuel pie, but that pie is set to get a lot whole lot bigger for everyone.

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High C.A.R.B. Diet for Autogas Vehicles

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:16:22 +0000

There are two types of certifications for aftermarket alternative fuel vehicle conversions. The first is EPA certification. Pretty standard really. There is an application process followed by bureaucracy, then tests and data, more bureaucracy, and then, hopefully, the applicant is certified to convert a certain make and model of vehicles to run on propane. It’s a highly necessary process since our nation desperately needs cleaner air and bureaucracy.

The second certification comes from the California Air Resources Board (C.A.R.B.). C.A.R.B. certification tends to be a bit more elusive. They require more tests, data and I assume bureaucracy than EPA certification and can be stricter in some of their requirements. Other states are jumping on board, and they are adopting these regulations. I assume it’s because eventually everyone wants to seem cool, and let’s face it-California is cool. They have celebrities. Or maybe certain states looked at the picture below and decided, “If it works for them then it will probably work for us.” But I am not here to speculate on reasons (I know it’s because of celebrities). I am here to shed some light on this confusing world of alternative fuels.

California: They need everything they can get

I have compiled for your reading pleasure (but mostly so you don’t have to look it up) a list of states that have adopted C.A.R.B. regulations. If your state is listed below then you will need to check with any dealers or conversion centers about the laws and whether they have the right certifications.

The LIST:

Arizona

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Maine

Massachusetts

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Utah

Washington

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