Archive for May, 2010

The American Power Act provides NGV provisions to benefit consumers

By CNGNow.com

[Released on Tuesday, May 18, 2010]

New natural gas legislation has been unveiled by senators John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn. Dubbed “The American Power Act,” this new bill proposes doubling the current federal tax credits available for purchasing natural gas-powered fleet vehicles for the next 10 years. Eligible natural gas vehicles (NGVs) include heavy-duty trucks and certain shuttle vans.

With additional provisions in the bill to encourage a refueling infrastructure and the manufacture of more NGVs, this legislation could be the needed step to advance NGV use and reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.

Basic provisions of the bill include:

• Doubling all NGV fuel credits for the next 10 years
• Creating a bi-fuel tax credit
• Providing 3 billion in bond funds for state and local government entities to issue tax-exempt bonds to finance NGV projects
• Granting a new tax credit to auto manufacturers for producing dedicated and bi-fuel NGVs domestically
• Requiring research and review of NGV vehicles in service by the federal government fleet

Take Action

Contact your legislators and urge them to support this act.

Clean Natural Gas Conversions: Not Just for New Vehicles

With the ever increasing cost of gasoline and the concerns about the CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, many consumers — especially fleet owners — are looking to converting their existing vehicles to run either entirely on economical natural gas or to install bi-fuel systems that can run on clean natural gas (CNG) or gasoline. Natural gas is a domestic resource that is not subject to the same political and environmental fluctuations that affect oil and gas prices. Converting your gas or diesel vehicle to CNG can potentially save you up to 40 percent on your overall fuel cost while reducing the noise generated by fossil fuel combustion systems.

Natural gas powered vehicles burn cleaner and emit 21 percent less of the pollutants that contribute to greenhouse gases. As a result, CNG powered cars, trucks and buses often qualify for carbon capture incentives. Proper installation and maintenance documentation are required to request CNG carbon credits.

Federal and State Regulations

CNG conversion is closely regulated by federal and state agencies because installation of inferior components by non-qualified technicians could cause CNG systems to malfunction, and converted vehicles might become unsafe to operate. The EPA has established strict federal rules and guidelines that must be satisfied for a used vehicle to be retrofit for CNG conversion.

The EPA does not recommend conversion for any vehicle built before 2003, although under certain conditions older vehicles can be converted. Only CNG components made by certified retrofit system manufacturers — referred to as SVMs — can be used to convert used cars and trucks to CNG systems. Furthermore, these EPA approved SVM components can only be purchased and serviced by Qualified Service Representatives (QSR) who have been certified by the EPA or by an Executive Order from the California Air Resources Board.

Due to the high-pressure properties of the CNG fuel storage system, the National Fire Protection Association has developed a Vehicular Fuel Systems Code (NFPA 52) that establishes strict guidelines for various aspects of CNG installation and maintenance.

Clean Vehicle Solutions QSR Technicians

Clean Vehicle Solutions is proud of our QSR team of certified technicians who have obtained all the necessary licenses to qualify as professional CNG installers. In order to convert a vehicle to CNG, quite often it is necessary to fabricate templates to accommodate tanks and cylinders. Our QSR specialists have extensive experience with adopting CNG systems to used vehicles, and have to skills required to properly secure protective plates and high pressure release devices on converted vehicles.

Maintenance and Repair

The Clean Vehicles solution team can also handle any repairs or adjustments required on the SVM components on your CNG converted vehicles. Once you have retrofit a used vehicle for CNG conversion, most of the basic maintenance services, such as oil changes and tune ups, can still be performed by regular automotive technicians. But when there are problems with the SVM components, repairs and inspections must be performed by QSR technicians to insure that proper safety standards are achieved. Since the CNG fuel storage systems have a limited life span — typically 15 to 20 years — all tanks are marked with the date of manufacture and their expiration date. Regular maintenance documentation of SVM systems is required to qualify for carbon credits.

Warranties

Many customers are concerned that installing CNG systems will affect their existing warranties. Converting used vehicles to CNG fuel systems only impacts the engine warranty. The original manufacturer’s warranties still apply to all vehicle services that are not related to the CNG retrofit items, and recent court rulings have confirmed these claims. Warranties for engine components affected by CNG conversion kits are issued by the SVM.

Who’s Who in CNG Fleets

Today, many businesses and drivers are exploring their options for retrofitting their fleets pick-up trucks or cars to run on natural gas alone, or natural gas and gasoline, known as bi-fuel. Along with that, they are concerned about the numbers of pollutants that are released to the environment when they are on the road.

At Clean Vehicle Solutions, we install, service, and distribute a wide range of compressed natural gas (CNG) systems that have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and certain states’ air reserve boards. Using such a system helps reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil, removes approximately 90% of the smog-forming pollutants in the air, and substantially reduces carbon emissions as well.

How a CNG system works

CNG systems may be installed in a vehicle that is already in use, or one that is brand new, and we have been approved as a qualified system retro-fitter (SQR) to perform this service. (They are never sold to an installer who is untrained and unapproved.) In addition, since natural gas engines and gasoline engines function in a similar way, once the system is installed, any servicing needs can be met by an SQR, and we are prepared to do just that.

The vehicle owner/operator will be instructed to have the fuel tank inspected every 36,000 miles or after three years, depending on which happens first. (This should also be done if a fire or accident involving the vehicle occurs.) Qualified inspectors can be found throughout the United States, and both the cost and amount of time related to this inspection are minimal.

The benefits of using natural gas vehicles (NGVs) include the following:
● They are both quieter and cleaner, and they are also 40% less expensive to operate than gas vehicles.
● Natural gas is relatively plentiful, and it is also available domestically. (The EPA estimates that the United States currently has a 48-year supply on hand.)
● in general, a natural gas vehicle has lower tail-pipe emissions than more conventional types, where the emission of hydrocarbons is considered to be a major air-pollution problem.
● A natural gas fueling system is sealed, resulting in zero evaporative emissions from the vehicle.
● It has been documented that an NGV requires less frequent servicing and fewer oil changes than other vehicles.
● Overall, NGVs provide reduced maintenance costs for the owner, especially when they are compared with current diesel technologies.

For more information about getting a CNG system for your vehicle, phone Clean Vehicle Solutions at 800-495-2270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit http://www.cleanvehiclesolutions.com/index.html on the Web.

What Is the Upfitting Process?

The upfitting process can entail a number of different things. In some cases, it refers to the act of adding specialized additions to vehicles in order to make them more useful; for instance, ladders, drawers and shelves may be added to a work van in order to make it more efficient for a contractor to use. In other cases, special customizations to the body or design or a vehicle may be made to increase its usefulness. These days, though, vehicles are increasingly being upfitted with compressed natural gas – or CNG – systems.

The Benefits of a CNG System

There are several prime benefits to using compressed natural gas in lieu of traditional gasoline or diesel. Lower fuel and maintenance costs are two things that definitely catch transportation companies’ eyes; several available tax credits also sweeten the deal. It burns much cleaner than gasoline or diesel, producing 20% to 30% less carbon emissions than traditional systems. Vehicles aren’t generally designed with CNG systems, though, which is why upfitting becomes necessary. Fortunately, upfitting a vehicle to a CNG system isn’t prohibitively expensive – especially when you factor in all of the savings and environmental benefits that you’ll be enjoying.

How It’s Done

Transportation companies who are interested in upfitting their fleets can do so with brand-new vehicles, or with vehicles that have already been in service for some time. Companies that perform CNG systems upfittings must be certified to do so; if inexperienced or unqualified companies handle the upfitting process, damage and other serious problems can occur. Alternative fuel engine conversion systems fall under the jurisdiction of the EPA, who has strict rules and protocols concerning the installation and use of CNG systems. Therefore, the upfitting process must be performed by a certified and experienced servicer.

Turn a Gas Guzzler into a Green Machine

Today’s consumers prefer doing business with companies that are known to be environmentally friendly. If your fleet is old and outdated, its emissions may be above and beyond what most people would consider “green.” Rather than selling each vehicle and buying new, cleaner-running ones, you can turn to the upfitting process as a more cost-effective option. Once you’ve upfitted your vehicles with CNG systems, you’ll be able to market that fact and appeal to a larger number of consumers. Better still, you’ll stand apart from your competition in a very positive way. Make your business more Earth-friendly through the upfitting process.