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Feb 10, 2017

GREEN "SCANIA" TRUCKS * UK: New trucks fueled by food waste

* England - UK grocer first in Europe to use new trucks fueled by food waste
--- A British supermarket, the Waitrose grocery chain, has become the first retailer in Europe to use a new type of tank that keeps trucks motoring on fuel made from food waste for 500 miles, almost twice the current average... Gas provider CNG Fuels said the upmarket grocery chain had added 10 trucks to its fleet, all powered by renewable biomethane gas, which emits 70 percent less carbon dioxide than diesel... Biomethane gas is made from food waste, which is also a source of greenhouse gases... The lorries, manufactured by Swedish truck maker Scania, can run on the green fuel for 500 miles, 200 miles more than the average, thanks to a carbon fiber tank that is lighter and holds more gas, the companies said in a joint statement... 
(Photograph: PR Company Handout: The biomethane fuel is derived from food waste and can be only be used in trucks with gas engines)   --  Bracknell, Berkshire, England. UK - The Thomson Reuters Foundation, by Umberto Bacchi - 9 FEB 2017

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Mar 18, 2016

GREEN TRUCK FLEET * USA - Matheson Postal Service

* California - USPS contract carrier adds natural gas powered trucks

-- Matheson Postal Services, a contract carrier for the United States Postal Service, is adding 37 new compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas tractors to its fleet as part of a company-wide program to expand clean energy use... Matheson has added 25 new CNG –powered and 12 LNG-powered trucks to its fleet to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diesel fuel consumption on postal routes... The company is partnering with Kenworth, Agility Fuel Systems and Clean Energy Fuels to spec the tractors for its fleet... Matheson is in the process of taking delivery of eight additional CNG T680 sleeper cabs for its Los Angeles to Seattle runs... 
(Photo: Matheson Postal Services)  --  Sacramento, CAL, USA - TrukingInfo - March 14, 2016

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Apr 28, 2015

GREEN TRUCKS * USA: Lawmakers focused on USPS automobiles' efficiency

* DC - Lawmakers think postal delivery trucks can do better than 10 miles per gallon

-- The U.S. Postal Service has been complaining about its aging vehicle fleet for years, but it has not had the funds to do anything about it... In February, USPS finally issued a request for proposals for manufacturers to provide 180,000 new vehicles valued collectively at $4.5 billion to $6.3 billion. The order would almost entirely replace USPS’ fleet of 211,000 vehicles, which agency officials call “one of the largest civilian fleets in the world” ... Postal management is looking for vehicles with an array of specifications, ranging from a less boxy design to stronger windshield wipers to better cup holders. Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress, however, have focused on a different priority for the next crop of USPS automobiles: efficiency... This week introduced new Federal Leadership in Energy Efficient Transportation (FLEET) Act, would require the Postal Service to reduce its petroleum consumption by 2 percent each year over the next 10 years. The new standards would cut USPS’ fuel usage by 250 million gallons and save $350 million in that period, while turning the agency into a “global leader in efficiency and innovation” ... The vast majority of the vehicles are those designed for delivery, which -- according to a 2009 inspector general report -- average just 10 miles per gallon. That report suggested the Postal Service could convert some of its fleet to electric vehicles... 
Washington, DC, USA - Government Executive, by Eric Katz - April 24, 2015

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Apr 2, 2015

CNG TRUCKS * USA: Orlando, Florida's

* Florida - CNG trucks further ensuring a cleaner, greener City beautiful

  --   Through our Green Works initiative, Orlando has become the greenest city in the southeast, and part of that achievement has come from having the greenest fleet in the region. Yesterday, that fleet became even more environmentally friendly with the introduction of five compressed natural gas commercial garbage trucks... The trucks, and the City’s entire green fleet of 36 electric, hybrid, hydraulic hybrid and compressed natural gas vehicles, demonstrate our efforts to incorporate new vehicle technology to reduce or eliminate the consumption of gasoline, diesel fuel and bio-diesel... These clean vehicles are saving the City significantly – economically and environmentally. The new CNG trucks operate 90 percent quieter on our City streets, reduce CO2 emissions by up to 12.5 thousand tons per year, which is equivalent to planting 600 trees mature trees a year or taking 325 cars off the road each year. And they further reduce the use of more expensive diesel fuels... 
(Photo: Orlando city, CNG garbage trucks fleet)   --  City of Orlando,FL,USa - The City of Orlando - April 01, 2015

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Nov 21, 2014

GREEN TRUCKS * USA & UK

* Florida - Alternative propulsion still seen as attractive to trucking

(Photo: An AutoCar E3 refuse truck equipped with Parker Hannifin's RunWise system) 
Miami,FL,USA -Fleet Owner. by Sean Kilcarr -Nov 19, 2014: -- The recent decision by Miami-Dade County, FL, to purchase 29 additional hybrid trucks for its refuse fleet – bringing the total number of such units it operates up to 64 – is an indication at least to some experts that alternative propulsion options will remain attractive to truck-based firms despite the current low price of diesel fuel... Tom DeCoster, business development manager for the hybrid drive systems division at Parker Hannifin, told Fleet Owner, that this is actually the third order Miami-Dade has place for Autocar E3 hybrid refuse trucks equipped with Parker’s RunWise system that’s designed to “capture” more than 71% of braking energy to then help “launch” vehicles with less engine power – saving up to 4,300 gallons of fuel per year per truck... 


* New Jersey / USA - Newark to use 'greener' trash trucks
(Handout - Newark unveiled Monday five new natural gas trash trucks as part of a long term plan to bring garbage collection in-house and reduce the use of outside contractors) Newark,NJ,USA -NJ Advance Media, by Naomi Nix -November 18, 2014: -- Newark unveiled Monday five new natural gas trash trucks as part of a long-term plan to bring garbage collection in-house... The five new trucks use natural gas instead of diesel fuel, which will reduce the city's carbon footprint, the city said in a statement... The city expects to save about $30,000 a year, the statement said... 


* England / UK - Heavy-Duty trucks make shift to Compressed Natural Gas in news departments

London,EN,UK -NGT News -November 18, 2014: -- John Lewis Partnership, a U.K.-based company that owns dozens of department stores and supermarkets, has converted 38 DAF CF heavy-duty trucks to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) using Dieselblend dual-fuel technology from Prins... The trucks will be used in the distribution fleet that moves goods for the John Lewis and Waitrose retail brands. Each vehicle features the Prins Dieselblend 2.0 CNG system, which is designed to integrate with virtually all diesel engines by using a computer-controlled injection system to replace an optimum amount of diesel with CNG. The system can also be integrated with propane autogas...

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Sep 3, 2014

GREEN TRUCKS * USA: California's new Bill

* California - Bill to accelerate development, deployment of cleaner trucks and buses on way to Governor’s Office

Pasadena,CAL,USA –CALSTART, by Mary Kathryn Campbell -August 29, 2014: -- Funding bill will clean trucks, buses, off-road vehicles, and equipment – improving public health and helping to prevent climate change... The California Legislature yesterday passed a funding measure to clean up heavy-duty and off-road vehicles and equipment, with strong bipartisan support, was sent to Governor Jerry Brown’s office for his signature. The measure was supported by a diverse and broad coalition, including the California Trucking Association and the Coalition for Clean Air... Bill would create the California Clean Truck, Bus and Off-Road Vehicle and Equipment Technology Program at the California Air Resources Board to accelerate the development and deployment of cleaner medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Funding would come from cap and trade funds, and will complement existing efforts at the Energy Commission and Air Resources Board. Preference will be given to investments that benefit disadvantaged communities...
The program would:
• Create a focused program to develop zero- and near-zero emission technologies for trucks, buses, and off-road equipment. Investments would support technology development and demonstration, with a focus on reducing cost and improving performance so that these technologies can succeed in the market.
• Accelerate the early deployment and commercialization of clean vehicles by helping truckers, transit agencies, farmers, construction workers, and others to cover the higher upfront costs of new technologies. At least 20% of funding for the first three years would support deployment of the cleanest heavy-duty trucks and related technologies available today. Among other things, this funding would also allow public transportation agencies and school districts to increase the use of zero emission buses...

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Aug 15, 2014

GREEN TRUCK SALES * USA

* Kentucky - Lexington acquiring garbage trucks and buses that run on compressed natural gas

(Photo by Stacey: Mayor Jim Gray: New energy-saving garbage trucks -equipped to run on compressed natural gas) 
Lexington,KEN,USA -The Herald Leader, by Karla Ward -August 12, 2014: -- Compressed natural gas is touted as greener and cheaper than diesel fuel, and it's coming to Lexington in new garbage trucks, buses and fueling stations... The city on Tuesday unveiled 11 garbage trucks that run on the fuel, and it has committed to replacing its entire fleet with garbage trucks that run on compressed natural gas over time... The trucks cost $353,000 each — about the same as a diesel truck — and are being bought as part of the city's normal replacement schedule... Two others are scheduled to arrive in December, and the city has budgeted $2.9 million to buy 10 to 12 more trucks over the next year...

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Jul 3, 2014

GREEN TRUCKS * USA

* Arkansas - NACFE releases confidence report on Idle Reduction Solutions

Little Rock,ARK,USA -Truckinginfo, by Jim Park -July 01, 2014: -- Idle reduction has to be among the most daunting challenges in trucking. It's habitual, it's sometimes necessary and it's terribly expensive. Fleets and owner-operators seeking workable and cost-effective solutions to idling have been stymied by a combination of barriers, including a lack of unbiased data about the true performance gains offered by these technologies... The North American Council for Freight Efficiency has just published its third Confidence Report, 'Idle Reduction Solutions,' intended to help end users and manufacturers determine whether to adopt a specific technology or set of solutions. This one focuses on idle reduction solutions. It includes a best practices study and draws on interviews with large fleets and owner-operators that use the various solutions. It also boasts a calculation too to help operators of Class 8 over-the-road sleeper trucks determine which technology, or multiple technologies will offer the best payback in specific applications...

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Jun 6, 2014

GREEN TRUCKS * USA: MIT´s

* Massachusetts - Eco-friendly trucks, thanks to MIT innovation

(Courtesy Filter Sensing Technologies - A demonstration of FST sensors installed on a diesel engine exhaust system. Pictured, from left: Alexander Sappok PhD ’09 -president, FST-; Gary Christenson -mayor, City of Malden-; Neal Anderson -president, Malden City Council-; Greg Bialecki -Massachusetts State Secretary of Housing and Economic Development-) 
-MIT Spectrum, by Elizabeth Thomson -June 3, 2014: -- Trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles could run more efficiently while cutting tailpipe emissions, thanks to a discovery in an MIT lab that, with the help of the Institute’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, is now the focus of a start-up that has drawn attention — and funding — from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy... Alexander Sappok PhD ’09, was a graduate student in mechanical engineering at MIT’s Sloan Automotive Lab when he and Dr. Leslie Bromberg realized that the radio-frequency (RF) signals key to transmitting data to and from cell phones and other wireless devices might also solve a problem in the automotive industry. Their basic concept: The signals could be analyzed to monitor the buildup of soot in the high-tech filters that prevent trucks and buses from spewing black smoke along our roadways... “It turns out that the carbon in soot is really good at absorbing RF signals. So the more soot in the filter, the weaker the RF signal gets, and we can measure that directly in real time,” says Sappok, president of Filter Sensing Technologies (FST), the company he started in 2008 while still a student...

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Feb 26, 2014

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * USA: Tighter fuel-efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks

* Maryland - Obama draws mixed response to fighter fuel standards for heavy trucks

Upper Marlboro,MD,USA -Forbes, by Robert Bowman -21 Feb 2014: -- President Obama is drawing a mixed response from industry to his recent call for tighter fuel-efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks... He called EPA and DOT to work with industry on developing new technologies for meeting whatever standard might emerge, including  improvements in engine efficiency, aerodynamics, truck weight and tire-rolling resistance. In addition, manufacturers could deploy new systems for automatic engine shutdown, more efficient air conditioning and hybrid power... Heavy-duty trucks, defined as having a gross vehicle weight exceeding 26,000 pounds, make up just 4 percent of all vehicles on American highways. Yet they are responsible for 20 percent of the carbon pollution produced by the nation’s transportation sector, said Obama... Jason Mathers, senior manager with the Environmental Defense Fund, estimated that the first generation of rules will save shippers around 9 cents a mile in freight costs. Fuel accounts for 40 percent of the cost of moving a truck, he said... That the President’s message was endorsed by an environmental group should come as no surprise. But major trucking interests appear to be on board as well. Engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. and truck maker Peterbilt Motors Co. (part of PACCAR) have embraced the U.S. Department of Energy’s SuperTruck program, launched to improve the efficiency of the heaviest trucks on the road. A joint demonstration last month by the two companies showed off a tractor-trailer that got 10.7 miles to the gallon in real-world driving conditions. Most heavy trucks today get around 6 MPG...


* North Carolina - Volvo’s North America truck deliveries jump

(Photo: TT file) 
Greensboro,NC,USA -Transport Topics -20 Feb 2014: -- Volvo Group’s truck deliveries in North America jumped 113% in January over a year earlier... The Volvo brand’s deliveries increased 209% to 2,433 vehicles, the truck maker said Feb. 20. The change was largely due to two “down-weeks” in January 2013, resulting in only 788 deliveries... Mack Trucks delivery 1,733 vehicles in North America in January, a 53% increase, Volvo reported... Globally, Volvo’s deliveries grew 26% over last year to 13,612 units. The increase was led by heavy-duty trucks, which saw a 35% gain, while light- and medium-duty trucks both decreased... The Volvo brand saw the largest rise globally, a 51% increase to 8,422 units, the company said. Volvo has decreased European production, predicting a drop-off in demand because customers pre-bought trucks before a January 2014 emissions standard took effect...


* Illinois - Navistar to shift production from Alabama to UAW plant

Warrensville,ILL,USA -Daily Kos, by Short Bus -FEB 21, 2014: ... Navistar just announced that they will be shifting production of their mid-range engines from their non-union Huntsville, Alabama plant to their UAW plant in Melrose Park, Illinois... Commercial truck maker Navistar International Corp., will close an engine plant in Alabama this summer as it moves to eliminate excess production capacity and consolidate its engine lineup for medium-size trucks... The closure of the plant in Huntsville will result in the loss of about 280 jobs and generate savings of about $22 million a year. Production at that plant will be shifted to an engine plant near Chicago, which will add about 75 workers... Of course, neither the WSJ article cited, or other sources I checked, mentioned the union status of the facilities. Probably because labor costs aren't the driving factor in many business decisions and wasn't related to the issue being discussed. However, if the story was about production being shifted to the South, we know what the headlines would be screaming, relevent or not...

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Feb 18, 2014

GREEN TRUCKS * UK

* UK - Changing to low-carbon HGVs cuts operating costs and CO2

(Image: Brit European MD Graham Lackey reports his company’s 36 Actros car transporters with Hardstaff dual-fuel CNG conversions are achieving a gas substitution rate of up to 55%)
Leicestershire,UK -Commercial Motor, by David Wilcox -18 February 2014: -- Early results from the 13 low-carbon truck demonstration trials, supported by £11m of government funding, point to reductions in both operating costs and CO2 emissions... In a progress report on the trials given last month (30 January) by Cenex, the government’s low-carbon centre of excellence, it was revealed that 175 of the 354 trucks involved in the 13 trials have been deployed so far... The first of the two-year trials started in late 2012, with the remaining ones about to begin. Of the trucks involved in trials, 339 are dual fuel (diesel/gas), five are dedicated gas vehicles, and 10 run on used cooking oil... Cenex technical and consultancy head Chris Walsh said data is coming from 85 trucks so far, which are covering more than one million km a month between them... The dual-fuel trucks’ gas substitution rate – the proportion of diesel replaced by gas – is averaging just under 50%, but climbing, said Walsh. CO2 savings range from 4% to 9%... Much of the additional cost of gas trucks is in their tanks, noting that LNG tanks in particular are “ridiculously expensive” ... Steve Whelan, technical director at Clean Air Power, said that could soon change, thanks to low-cost tanks made in China... “There are some high-quality manufacturers in China,” he said. “We are going to see a step change in tank costs” ...

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Aug 14, 2013

* USA - NY: Incentive program for vehicles in state high-pollution areas

* New York - Clean trucks move to fast lane


(Photo credit NYSF: The Green Truck)
Albany,NY,USA -The Times Union, by Rick Karlin -August 9, 2013: -- The Cuomo administration on Friday rolled out a $19 million federally funded incentive program aimed at getting more clean trucks on the road in the state's high-pollution areas, including the Capital Region... The Truck Voucher Incentive Program is designed to spark discounts from makers of hybrid, compressed natural gas and "clean diesel" trucks. The discounts can apply to a wide range of vehicles, from large pickups to semi-tractors, dump trucks and cement trucks... Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the plan, which will be administered by the state Energy Research and Development Authority, "another important step that New York State is taking to meet clean air standards" ... NYSERDA estimates the program could fund the purchase or retrofitting of 1,000 trucks...

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May 7, 2012

GREEN TRUCKS * UK

* UK - Government backs trials of low-carbon trucks 

London,EN,UK -Energy Efficiency News -27 April 2012:  --  The UK government is backing trials of low-carbon trucks with an investment of £9.5 million from the Department for Transport (DfT) and Technology Strategy Board... Heavy goods vehicles and trucks currently account for around a quarter of the UK’s transport-related carbon emissions... The ‘low carbon truck demonstration trial’ will test fleets of low-emission heavy goods vehicles, as well as supporting the installation of infrastructure such as gas fuelling stations and electric recharging points... The initiative is now looking for truck operators to bid for funding of up to £750,000 each. The closing deadline for full applications is June 20 and successful bidders will be informed in early August...

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Mar 8, 2012

GREEN TRUCKS * USA

* North Caroline - Barack Obama pushes for $1bn green tax credits

(Photo by John W Adkisson/Getty Images: US president Barack Obama in Mount Holly, North Carolina)
Mount Holly,NC,USA -The Guardian (UK), by Suzanne Goldenberg -7 March 2012: -- President pushes energy-efficient auto agenda in North Carolina truck factory...  Barack Obama stopped by a North Carolina to announce $1bn in tax credits and grants for alternative-energy cars and trucks...  The Obama's factory tour was intended to spur the development of a new generation of clean, fuel-neutral cars: electric, natural gas, and alternative fuels...  The Daimler plant is working to produce 18-wheeler trucks that use only half as much gas as current models. Long-haul trucks make up just 4% of all vehicles on the roads, according to the White House, but suck up 20% of all transport fuel in the country... The factory also makes hydrogen-powered trucks...  Obama is also asking Congress to expand the tax credit for advanced vehicles to $10,000 from $7,500, and to all fuels – including natural gas, which is not covered under the programme...

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GREEN TRUCKS * WORLDWIDE

* England / UK - Coca-Cola puts the fizz into biogas trucks

London,EN,UK -Business Green, by Jessica Shankleman -6 Mar 2012: -- Coca-Cola Enterprises is set to launch 14 new gas-powered delivery trucks from its North London depot, after a 12-month trial found renewable biogas could cut help greenhouse gas fleet emissions by more than 60 per cent... The Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies (Cenex) today revealed the drinks giant has invested in 14 gas-powered Iveco Stralis vehicles and a biogas refuelling station, which is expected to be commissioned at its Enfield depot in June this year...


* UK - Car makers continue to drive down emissions. Eight brands and seven nations already below 2015 target of 130g of CO2 per kilometre

(Photo: Ssangyong Korando Green Truck)
Harrow, Middlesex, Great Britain -Business Green, by Will Nichols -6 Mar 2012: -- Emissions from new cars sold in the EU dropped 3.4 per cent last year to 136.1g of CO2 per kilometre, just ahead of the UK average of 138g/km, research published yesterday by analysts JATO Dynamics has revealed... Europe's fleet averaged 140.9g/km in 2010, but reductions across almost all manufacturers and in 21 European countries monitored helped the bloc to stay well on course to achieve the 130g/km EU target by 2015... The figures are bound to add more fuel to green groups' claims that manufacturers have overestimated the impact of the emissions standards on costs and could move even faster to enhance fuel efficiency... JATO's interim report found eight of Europe's largest brands have already achieved the 130g/km EU target for 2015, while cars with emissions between 101g/km and 120g/km accounted from almost 30 per cent of overall sales...

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Feb 29, 2012

GREEN TRUCKS * USA

* California - Motiv Power’s Electric Drive Kit Could Electrify US Truck Fleet. It may beat the cost of diesel by 50 percent.

Mountain View,CAL,USA -Green Tech Media,by Herman K. Trabish -February 28, 2012: -- A $1.16 million California Energy Commission grant will allow Motiv Power Systems to create a prototype assembly line for the installation of its Electric Powertrain Control System (ePCS) on four Detroit Chassis truck frames.  The Motiv system is a “mix of hardware and software” that “controls the electric power train" ...  The Motiv kit can used with almost any new truck maker’s chassis or for an older truck retrofit. This will take the experimentation done on such systems by GE Global Research into the marketplace...

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GREEN TRUCKS * Europe

* France - First Euro VI tractor delivered


(Photo)
Saint-Vallier,Drôme,France -Fleet Owner, by Brian Straight -Feb 28, 2012: -- Norbert Dentressangle has taken delivery of the first truck to meet Euro VI emissions standards, a Mercedes-Benz truck with a BlueTec 6 engine. The engine reduces particle emissions by 50% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 77%, Mercedes-Benz said... Euro VI standards are the next step in European emissions standards. They will be required for all new trucks beginning Jan. 1, 2014. Norbert noted that 90% of its fleet meets Euro IV and Euro V standards now. Compared to Euro V standards, Euro VI marks require a 66% reduction in particle matter and 77% less nitrogen...

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May 10, 2011

Low Emission Zone * UK - LEZ-affected operators offered further manufacturer discounts

London,EN,UK -Transport Engineer, by John Challen -9 May 2011: -- Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced that more major vehicle manufacturers have signed up to offer discounts for drivers of vehicles set to be affected by changes to the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) next year...  Renault and Fiat have pledged to provide the owners of around 72,000 larger vans and minibuses that will need to take action to avoid fines, more affordable ways to buy new, cleaner vehicles. This will enable them to avoid daily charges when changes to the LEZ come into effect in January 2012...  DAF has also come forward and offered to provide the owners of HGVs a discount towards the purchase of new, cleaner vehicles. Around 75,000 owners of HGVs buses and coaches will have to take action to meet tighter LEZ standards...  These companies join existing deals from Ashwoods, Citroën, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot and Volkswagen announced by the Mayor last month...  Owners of larger vans and minibuses who do not meet the required emissions standards by 3 January 2012, and who drive within Greater London, will have to pay a £100 daily charge or risk a £500 penalty...  Owners of HGVs, buses and coaches that do not meet the required emissions standards by 3 January 2012, and who drive within Greater London, will have to pay a £200 daily charge or risk a £1,000 penalty...

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Apr 12, 2011

GREEN TRUCKS * USA - DHL Plans New York Delivery Fleet Powered Entirely by Alternative Fuels

New York,NY,USA -Automotive Fleet-11 April 2011: -- DHL said it is taking the first step toward establishing a delivery fleet in New York City that is powered entirely by alternative fuels, in a move that it said will reduce emissions by at least 50%...  The conversion from vehicles solely powered by petroleum fuels was announced March 31 by Frank Appel, chief executive officer of DHL parent Deutsche Post... The DHL fleet is scheduled to be in place by September, using 30 battery-powered electric vans and 50 hybrid trucks... Azure Dynamics is producing the electric vans and the hybrid trucks, whose total cost wasn’t disclosed. Ford Motor Co.’s E450 chassis are being used in combination with Azure’s hybrid and electric components, as DHL’s current E450 fleet is converted to hybrids... (Photo from automotive-fleet: DHL will be operating modified Transit Connect vans and E-450 delivery trucks)


* Europe - EU plan to phase out 'conventionally fueled' cars by 2050. The Commission says Europe's transport system remains unsustainable.

Brussels,Belgium -Gizmag, by Tannith Cattermole -April 11, 2011: -- The European Commission has released a white paper detailing ambitious plans to transform Europe's transport infrastructure by 2050...  The overall goal is to create a unified transport system capable of meeting the needs of the 500 million EU citizens...  Without change, oil dependence of transport will remain around 90%, CO2 emissions from transport will remain one third higher than their 1990 level and congestion costs will increase by about 50% by 2050...  The major goals set out in the "Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area" are:


• Development of eco-driving requirements in future revisions of the driving license directives with reference to fuel-saving techniques
• Progressively allowing for European electronic tolling systems through a single service provider for the whole of Europe... For example, current international hauliers need 13 permits, tags and tolling contracts to drive on all European tolled roads
• Movement of more than 50% of road freight traveling more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) to rail or boat (30% by 2030)
• Creating a fully functioning multi-modal transport system removing bottlenecks and barriers in other parts of the network. For instance the Thalys high-speed train through France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands must currently adapt to seven different signaling systems
• At least 40% cut in EU CO2 emissions from maritime transport (if feasible 50%) by 2050. Europe (EU/EEA) has the world's largest shipping fleet, directly employing some 300 000 seafarers on board merchant vessels and another three million in related jobs
• An overall 60% cut in transport emissions by 2050
• Use of electric, hydrogen and hybrid technologies for long distance and inefficient "last-mile" freight transport, reducing air and noise emissions, allowing a greater portion of freight transport within the urban areas to take place at night, and easing road congestion during peak hours
• Creating a fair financial environment applying the "polluter pays" and "user pays" principle


The European Twowheel Retailers' Association welcomed the plans but were felt that the part two-wheelers could play in helping cut emissions had been underplayed...  (Photo: A lorries protest in UK)



* Germany - Deutsche Post road tests 12 new Renault electric vehicles



Bonn, Germany -Transport Intelligence -11 Apr 2011: -- Deutsche Post DHL is road testing 12 new Renault Kangoo Z.E. electric vehicles for combined deliveries. As part of the "E-mobility in commuter traffic" pilot project, the vehicles will transport letters and small packages in the Rhine-Ruhr area until the end of 2011... By using these electric vehicles, Deutsche Post DHL and the car maker Renault are trialling the operational suitability of electric vehicles for commercial fleet operations...  The Renault vehicles are powered by a fully electric drive train with Li-Ion batteries. The range of up to 160 km for a fully loaded vehicle is sufficient for use as a combined delivery vehicle. At the delivery centres in the Rhine-Ruhr area, charging stations have been installed where the batteries can be recharged overnight... (Image from dp-dhl: Renault kangoo ze)

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Apr 1, 2011

GREEN TRUCKS * USA - Transport operators place orders for electric, hybrid and natural gas trucks

DHL, Ryder Expand Green Truck Fleets

New York,NY,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -Mar 31, 2011:   ...  The green truck purchases by two large transportation companies underscore growing commercial interest in alternative fuels as diesel prices rise...  By September, DHL's New York fleet will include 30 electric vans and 50 hybrids. Those trucks will cut fossil fuel use and reduce carbon emissions 50 percent compared with conventional diesel or gasoline-powered models, DHL said...  On the West Coast, Ryder ordered more than 200 natural gas-powered heavy trucks...  That is the largest heavy-duty natural gas truck order to date for Freightliner, which introduced the M2-112 with the Cummins ISL-G natural gas engine in 2009. The vehicles will use either liquefied or compressed natural gas...  The Southern California natural gas project will eliminate about 9.2 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, more than 131 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions and 2.65 tons of diesel particulate emissions a year, Ryder and the local government organization said...   When fully implemented, SANBAG, will displace more than 1.5 million gallons of diesel a year and create more than 400 jobs...

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