EAST BAY CLEAN CITIES COALITION
Natural Gas Vehicles Overview
Date
Clean Cities / 1
Richard Battersby
Director, East Bay Clean Cities Coalition
About Clean Cities
Mission
To advance the energy, economic, and environmental security of the United States by
supporting local decisions to adopt practices that reduce the use of petroleum in the
transportation sector
Goal
Reduce petroleum use by 2.5 billion gallons per year by 2020
• Replacement
• Reduction
• Elimination
Accomplishments
Eliminate
• Displaced nearly 3 billion gallons of petroleum since 1993
• Put more than 775,000 alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) on the road
• Installed more than 6,600 alternative fueling stations
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About Clean Cities
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Basics
Natural Gas
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Hydrocarbons, predominantly methane (CH4)
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High octane rating
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Nontoxic, noncorrosive, and noncarcinogenic
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Not a threat to soil, surface water, or groundwater
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Lower ozone-forming emissions than gasoline
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Extracted from gas and oil wells
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Existing pipeline distribution system
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Basics: CNG and LNG
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
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Stored in onboard tanks under high
pressure
Fuel economy similar to gasoline
1 GGE = 5.7 lb CNG
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
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Kept at cold temperatures
Stored in double-wall, vacuum-insulated
pressure vessels
Heavy-duty vehicles
1 GGE = 1.5 gal LNG
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Basics: Natural Gas Vehicles
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Basics: Natural Gas Vehicles
Dedicated Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV)
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Run only on natural gas
Better performance
Lower emissions
Increased cargo capacity
Bi-fuel NGVs
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Two fueling systems
o
o
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Natural gas
Gasoline
Fueling flexibility
Dual-fuel NGVs
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Run on diesel and natural gas
Heavy-duty vehicles only
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Basics: Natural Gas Vehicles
A: Gas fill valve
B: Cylinders
C: Master manual shut-off valve
D: High-pressure fuel line
E: Regulator
F: Natural gas solenoid valve
G: Fuel-injection system
Adapted from Compressed Natural Gas: A Suite of Tutorials.
Courtesy of Thomason & Associates, Inc.
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Benefits and Considerations
Public Health and Environment
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Lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Lower particulate pollution
Lower carcinogens
Energy Security
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Plentiful in U.S.
Existing infrastructure
Driving Range
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Shorter than gasoline
Comparable power and speed
Deployment
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Proven and established
114,000 natural gas vehicles in U.S. in 2008
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Use: Fleet Applications
Light-Duty NGVs
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Suitable for light-duty needs in private and
government fleets
Honda Civic GX
Medium-Duty NGVs
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Vans and shuttles
Airports and taxi fleets
Heavy-Duty NGVs
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Refuse haulers
Transit buses
School buses
Long-haul trucks
Street sweepers
Snowplows
Short-haul delivery trucks
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Natural Gas Vehicles for America
www.ngvamerica.org
Use: Fueling Stations
Offsite, Public Access
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Utilize an existing public station
Operated by retailer, utility, or fleet
Anchor fleet or pool of multiple fleets
Onsite, Private Access
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Exclusive use by fleets
Time-fill stations always private access
Onsite, Public Access
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Often located outside of restricted areas
Benefit from economy of scale
Promotes public use of NGVs
Must have fast-fill capabilities for public
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Use: Station Ownership and Operation
Fleet-Owned and -Operated
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Fleet works with vendors on station development
Fleet owns and operates station
Outsourced to Independent Provider
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Outside development, ownership, and operation
Fleet provides demand threshold
Long-term price agreement
Public access possible
Fleet-Owned, Contractor-Operated
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Reduces fleet risk
Fleet relies on experienced operator
Usually a 5-7 year contract
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Use: CNG Fueling
Time-Fill Fueling
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Good for centrally-based fleets with consistent schedules
CNG is dispensed slowly, often overnight
Lower cost investment
Fast-Fill Fueling
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Fueling takes place in minutes
Necessary for public-access stations
Good for vehicles with little downtime
Combo-Fill Fueling
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Time-fill and fast-fill
More flexibility in fueling
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Use: LNG Fueling
Mobile Fueling
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Tanker truck with metering and dispensing equipment
Provides temporary fueling option
Starter/Containerized System
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Complete fueling station, including storage tank, dispensing,
metering, and required containment
Turn-key solution
Custom Station
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Larger storage tanks
Multiple dispensers
LNG and/or CNG dispensing
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Use: Getting Started
Questions to Ask
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How many vehicles will be fueled each day?
How much fuel will each vehicle need?
When and how often will vehicles need to be fueled?
What are the site development requirements?
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Use: Getting Started
Prepare Fleet Inventory and Replacement Schedule
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Identify vehicle replacement potential
Determine station sizing plan
Explore Your Options
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Contact vehicle vendors
Contact equipment vendors
Meet with station developers
Visit Existing Sites
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Fast-fill and time-fill
Private and public
Ask Questions
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Clean Cities coordinators
Station developers
Vendors
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For More Information
Clean Cities
AFDC
FuelEconomy.gov
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For More Information
Clean Cities Web site
www.cleancities.energy.gov
Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicles Data Center Web site
www.afdc.energy.gov
Clean Cities Coordinator Contact Information and Coalitions
www.afdc.energy.gov/cleancities/progs/coordinators.php
Natural Gas Vehicles for America
www.ngvamerica.org
Some of the information in this presentation was provided by Natural Gas Vehicles for America, in the
presentation, “The Compelling Case for NGVs in Public and Private Fleets,” by Stephe Yborra, Director of
Communications for the Clean Vehicle Education foundation and NGVAmerica, May 26, 2010.
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For More Information
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