XL’s electrified Ford F-250 earns California Air Resources Board approval
XL announced it has received approval from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to sell hybrid electric Ford F-250 pickup trucks in California. According to the company, upfitting the 2018 Ford F-250 with the XLH hybrid electric system can lead to as much as a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency, along with accompanying reductions in CO2 emissions. “The
Kenworth T680, T880 and T880S offer Cummins Westport natural gas engine
The Kenworth T680 on-highway and Kenworth T880 and T880S vocational trucks are now available with the Cummins Westport L9N near zero NOx emissions natural gas engine. The L9N engine is certified to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) optional low NOx standard of 0.02 g/bhp-hr ‒ a 90% reduction from engines operating at the current
The fuel of the future? How hydrogen trucks could get their infrastructure
Many alternative energies are exciting to dream about, but you go crashing back to reality when confronted with one word: infrastructure. The “how” of putting together a network of charging stations for electric cars and trucks or hydrogen fueling stations is always much more difficult than the “how” of making those trucks available in the
Demystifying compressed natural gas
Fleets are becoming increasingly open to evaluating natural gas as an alternative to gasoline and diesel fuel. For an energy source that is so familiar to most of us (for heating, cooking, or industrial processes), there is considerable confusion around natural gas (NG) as a viable fuel for trucks and other fleet vehicles. The purpose
Biodiesel: One fleet’s experience
Jeff Corbin is director of maintenance and fleet operations with Mahoney Environmental, an Illinois-based company that services the restaurant industry in all 50 states. Mahoney Environmental has used biodiesel to some degree for years but committed using the fuel across its full 160-truck fleet in the past year to profit from the performance, financial and
Freightliner debuts two new CNG-powered Cascadia trucks
Two new Freightliner Cascadia compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles will be showcased for the first time by Daimler Trucks North America. One of the new Cascadia CNG vehicles was developed in collaboration with UPS. The new Cascadia day cab is equipped with a Cummins Westport ISX12N Near Zero (NZ) NOx natural gas engine and Eaton
How biodiesel can solve fleets’ lubricity problems
The move to ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) has been a good thing for the environment, but it has not come without some undesirable side effects for diesel engines. Chief among them is the loss of lubricity. Sulfur is what gives diesel fuel its lubricating properties. By shifting to ULSD, diesel fuel significantly reduced the component
Driving force: How hydrogen fuel cells are powering electric trucks
Amid the buzz surrounding Class 8 heavy-duty trucks, let’s remember that an electrified Class 8 solution is still in development. The two most common types of electric trucks being produced are all-battery electric and hydrogen-electric. Battery-powered electric truck examples include the Fuso eCanter, a Class 4 truck with a range of up to 100 miles,
Watch: Hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks—an explainer
Hydrogen-electric trucks still have a fully electric powertrain—meaning there’s no diesel or gasoline engine. But rather than being powered solely by electric batteries, the electric motor is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, which allows the truck to use a smaller, lighter battery. Naturally that invites another question: what is a hydrogen fuel cell, and
Five reasons for fleets to consider biodiesel blends
Biofuels are a reality for today’s fleets. Should you use them, should you not? To find some clarity on the matter, Troy Shoen, senior manager of marketing for Renewable Energy Group Inc., sounded off on five ways biodiesel can help your fleet. 1. Performance Fleets throughout North America are running on biodiesel blends of up
How Nestlé Waters North America’s fleet is reducing its carbon footprint
Environmental stewardship is taken very seriously at Nestlé Waters North America. To reduce its carbon footprint, the third largest non-alcoholic beverage company by volume in the U.S. is working to continue improving its recycling rates across North America. There is also a strong and ongoing commitment at the company to water stewardship and responsible packaging.
Ride the lightning: Cummins unveils its electric Class 7 concept truck
There’s a moment when you’re standing under a gray curtain of clouds and wonder if you actually felt the first rain drop or just imagined it. That was the moment when the crowd gathered in the courtyard of the Cummins Technical Center, the power generation company’s incubator for innovation. Julie Furber, executive director of Cummins’
