US to become top exporter of liquefied petroleum gas, experts say

HOUSTON — The U.S. is poised to become the top exporter of liquefied petroleum gas — more commonly known as propane or butane — within just a few years, officials with research analyst IHS said Monday.

By the 2020s, the U.S. likely will displace top LPG exporters including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, said IHS Senior Director Walt Hart, during the IHS International LPG Seminar in Houston. The domestic supply of propane and butane is on the rise, produced along with the booming output of U.S. shale gas. But the domestic market for propane and butane is relatively flat, several experts said.

That’s not the case abroad. While most U.S. LPG exports go to Latin America today, a growing portion likely will go to Asia as demand there rises, in part due to its use as a fuel source for heating and cooking but also because of its role as a feedstock for the manufacture of petrochemicals.

Chuck Carr, a senior director at IHS, said China is increasing production of propane dehydrogenation units, equipment designed to convert propane into propylene, a component used to make plastics. Meanwhile, the expansion of the Panama Canal could help facilitate exports of LPG to Asia. Read more here.

Webinar Covers Freightliner Custom Chassis MT-45/55 Powered by Autogas

This new webinar provides in-depth background on the propane-autogas chassis, engine, and injection system that are being used in the 1,000 UPS delivery trucks soon to hit the road. Reps from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp., CleanFUEL USA, and Powertrain Integration discuss their part in the project. Click here to access the webinar and here to access the presentation deck.

PMAA Journal: Propane Autogas; How to Sell This American Motor Fuel

National Parks Roll on With Alternative Fuels

Stretching from sea to shining sea, millions of cars travel to and between America’s National Parks each year. Unfortunately, these vehicles produce greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change and pollutants that threaten the air quality of these national treasures. To reduce these vehicles’ environmental impact, the Energy Department’s Clean Cities program and the National Park Service (NPS) announced new projects at nine parks that deploy alternative fuel and fuel-efficient vehicles on the road, cut vehicle idling, and improve vehicle efficiency.

Clean Cities and NPS are also releasing a collection of outreach materials that all parks can use to engage visitors and staff on the benefits of fuel-efficient driving practices. The launch of the Green Rides Toolkit expands the long-time collaboration between Clean Cities and NPS. The toolkit is a set of centralized educational materials addressing a variety of eco-friendly travel practices. These include reducing vehicle idling, developing green driving habits, using alternative fuels, driving more efficient vehicles, and adopting more sustainable forms of transportation such as mass transit, biking, and walking. Clean Cities and NPS created the toolkit based on feedback from the 13 National Parks already partnering with Clean Cities to educate the public.

Clean Cities and NPS are also announcing the nine newest parks to adopt alternative fuel vehicles and lawn mowers, install plug-in electric vehicle chargers, and implement idle-reduction programs. While some new participants are large, high-profile parks, others are small but will see major benefits. These parks worked with Clean Cities staff members and coalitions to identify solutions to improve their environment by reducing emissions in collaboration with visitors and the local communities. These nine projects are estimated to reduce petroleum use by more than 16,000 gasoline gallon equivalents (GGEs), reduce nearly 109 metric tons of green house gas emission equivalents (MTCO2e), and have the potential to communicate to and reach up to 2.7 million visitors.

• Acadia National Park (Maine): Acadia, known for its wide array of outdoor activities and rugged coastal scenery, is working with Maine Clean Communities. The park will replace 10 existing vehicles with eight new alternative and fuel-efficient vehicles (two hybrid electric vehicles, two propane vans, and four low-speed electric vehicles with a trailer). Also, two electric vehicle charging stations (EVSE) for public and park vehicles will be installed.


• Catoctin Mountain Park (Maryland): Catoctin, a park in the Appalachian Mountains that actually includes Camp David within its boundaries, is working with the State of Maryland Clean Cities. The Park will replace two conventional vehicles with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and install three EVSE for park and public use. The Park will also replace three gasoline lawnmowers with propane mowers and share their use with a nearby military base.


• Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (Colorado): This Monument, which highlights a wealth of insect and plant fossils, is collaborating with Southern Colorado Clean Cities to replace two gasoline vehicles with two all-electric low-speed vehicles, install an EVSE, and deploy an all-electric utility vehicle.


• Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee): The Great Smoky Mountains, America’s most visited National Park, is working with the East Tennessee Clean Fuels coalition and the Land of Sky Clean Vehicles coalition. It will be replacing three gasoline pickup trucks with three all-electric work trucks, converting five gasoline mowers to operate on propane, and install four public EVSE. Specifically, the Park plans to install two DC fast-charging EVSE that charge an all-electric vehicle in about a half hour and two Level 2 EVSE that charge an all-electric vehicle in four to six hours.


• Nicodemus National Historic Site (Kansas): This Historic Site, which preserves the only remaining Western town founded by African Americans during the Reconstruction Period after the Civil War, is working with Kansas City Regional Clean Cities. Nicodemus is replacing a gasoline pickup truck and mower with a propane pickup truck and mower.


• Petroglyph National Monument (New Mexico): This Monument, which contains volcanic cones and archeological sites, is working with the Land of Enchantment Clean Cities coalition to replace three gasoline vehicles with an all-electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and hybrid electric vehicle. Petroglyph will also install two EVSE, with one available to the public.


• Pea Ridge National Military Park (Arkansas): This Park, which preserves a Civil War battle site, is working with Arkansas Clean Cities to replace a gasoline pickup truck with a dedicated propane truck. The Park will also develop a Green Team to educate staff, visitors, and students on sustainability and conservation.

Green vs. Green: Winners but no Losers

That trucking is greening ever faster was exceedingly evident to me while in Indy attending numerous news conferences and taking in a dizzying array of booth displays promoting the environmental bona fides of all sorts of truck equipment at the annual NTEA Work Truck Show.

In making the rounds at that sprawling event, what came across as clearly as a brilliant blue sky is just what a Herculean task it must be for fleet owners to determine exactly which green powertrain solutions and equipment options will best fit truck duty cycles and applications to both cut operating costs and trim carbon foot prints.

Speakers at the Green Truck Summit that accompanied the show delved into the nitty-gritty aspects of specific alternatives to running on diesel or gasoline, but nothing said there left me thinking any more than I had before that trucking will ever settle on one fuel to drive it all.

What I heard about this alternative fuel vs. that alternative fuel brought to mind the wordless comic strip “Spy vs. Spy” (which Mad magazine began running in 1961) that illustrates the antics of two spies who are identical-- except one is dressed in black and the other in white— and locked in ceaseless seesaw combat.

Much like the comic battles waged in Spy vs. Spy, it's a safe bet that trucking's Green vs. Green storyline will never yield a clear winner...

Of course, there are already several more than two players in the alt-fuel game (Biodiesel, Ethanol, CNG, LNG, LPG, Hydraulic Hybrid, Hybrid Electric, All Electric) with others expected to join in the pitch for fleet loyalties in the near (such as DME) and the longer term (such as Hydrogen).

Summit speaker Doyle Sumrall, NTEA managing director, perhaps said it best. “Fleet approaches to selecting alternative fuels remain eclectic,” he remarked. “Natural gas remains strong, but so do others.”

The point is the choices by which a fleet can be fueled to be green and save green are growing. And not even the proponents of any given alternative fuel suggest that their pony alone will win all the stakes.

While natural gas (in both its CNG and LNG forms) will arguably remain king of trucking’s green hill for some time to come, that other gaseous fuel propane autogas (LPG for short) made an awfully big splash at the show with the announcement by UPS that it plans to invest some $70 million to bring propane power into its U.S. fleet.

That investment will cover the purchase of 1,000 of its iconic “package car” medium-duty delivery trucks powered by propane autogas and the installation of an initial 50 LPG fueling stations at UPS-owned sites here.

Per UPS, the move “benefits from propane autogas’ wide availability as a result of increased natural gas production in the U.S. (LPG is a byproduct of natural gas), and there is more price stability with the accessible supply.”


Prototype UPS package car fueled by propane autogas on display at NTEA Work Truck Show, which was held March 4-7 in Indianapolis

Michael G. Britt, Sr., UPS’ director of Maintenance & Engineering International Operations, said the LPG-fueled step vans, to be built by Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) will replace older gasoline- and diesel-powered units used largely in rural parts of Louisiana and Oklahoma. He added that propane use in other states is pending.

Later on, I asked Bryan Henke, FCCC’s manager—product marketing, for an OEM’s perspective on how the burgeoning market for alternatively fueled trucks may shake out.

Noting that FCCC currently builds trucks powered by diesel, gasoline, CNG and LNG and has prior experience with hybrid-electric powertrains, Henke said the company prides itself on “being a single-source [vehicle] provider based on the fleet’s fuel of choice.

“All fleets want to save money,” he continued. “But the [green] decision has to take in infrastructure, maintenance etc. You are not buying just the fuel. It all comes down to evaluating which power choice will best fit a fleet’s specific needs.”

Perhaps then, when it comes to green vs. green, there will be no winner— but also no losers. Full article here.

Work Truck Show 2014 Success Reflects Rebounding Industry

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., March 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Indianapolis, IN, was once again the center of the vocational truck universe as more than 10,000 industry professionals gathered for The Work Truck Show® 2014, March 5–7 at the Indiana Convention Center. The event featured significant new product introductions, a day-and-a-half Green Truck Summit, more than 60 educational sessions, and a record number of ride-and-drive opportunities.

"The success of this year's Work Truck Show is reflective of the slow but steady growth our industry is currently enjoying," says Steve Carey, NTEA executive director. "Vocational trucks and equipment are the tools that millions of people rely on every day to get their jobs done. As the economy improves and budget restrictions ease, vocational fleets are able to start replacing older equipment. The Work Truck Show offers the best opportunity to see and try the latest products, get questions answered and develop a better understanding of industry trends, all in one place at one time."

The Work Truck Show is produced annually by NTEA – The Association for the Work Truck Industry. The event's educational conference, including the popular Green Truck Summit, kicked off on March 4. Altogether, 10,160 people attended The Work Truck Show 2014, making it one of the best-attended events in NTEA history.

More than 100 new products were introduced at the Show, including the 2016 Ford F-650 and F-750, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America's 2015 Canter FE130 cabover work truck, and many technology developments designed to improve work truck fuel utilization. Several companies also used the Show as a platform to announce new partnerships and technology adoptions. For example, UPS and the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) announced that UPS is buying 1,000 propane delivery trucks and building 50 fueling stations for a total investment of approximately $70 million.


One of the hottest areas in the work truck industry in recent years has been the development of sustainable technology. This trend has driven the ongoing popularity of the Green Truck Summit and the Green Truck Ride-and-Drive at The Work Truck Show. At the 2014 event, attendees had the opportunity to test-drive nearly 30 "green" vehicles for themselves between the Green Truck Ride-and-Drive and the new PERC-sponsored Propane Autogas Ride & Drive. Read more here.

ACT Expo 2014: Conference is a one-stop shop for all alternative fuels and weight classes

This year is shaping up to be a game-changer for clean transportation.  Across North America, electric vehicle adoption is increasing like never before with record sales reports.  Natural gas infrastructure for heavy-duty trucking continues to rapidly expand, with fleets regularly deploying NGVs from coast to coast.  Also, propane autogas is gaining traction, with sales of LPG-fueled vehicles doubling in 2013 and expected to continue this year; hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are emerging as an increasingly viable option, with several major OEMs debuting fuel cell models over the next few years; and biofuels are benefiting from technology gains and evolved policies.

With so many practical alternative fuel options on the market, the stage is set for the 2014 Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, North America’s largest clean fleet expo.  Taking place May 5-8 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Southern California, the conference will showcase the latest advanced technology solutions for all weight classes and alternative fuels, including electric, hybrid, hydrogen, natural gas, propane autogas, and renewables.

The 2014 ACT Expo program was crafted with input from high-volume fleets, including Frito-Lay, the City of Los Angeles, GE Capital, Penske,  UPS, Coca-Cola, Ryder System, and many others, as well as a U.S. Dept. of Energy Clean Cities committee and alternative fuel industry associations.  Here are a few highlights of the four-day event:

• Fleet-focused agenda. Leading public and private fleets will share how their companies reduced fuel costs and emissions through clean transportation initiatives, as well as provide insight on the total cost of AFV ownership.  Breakout sessions will highlight the wide range of options for fueling, engines, efficiency improvements, and much more. 
• Our biggest expo hall ever.  Transportation industry leaders will take over the Long Beach Convention Center, solidifying ACT Expo 2014 as the largest clean transportation event in North America’s history.  With more than 175 sponsors and exhibitors, the expo hall will showcase AFVs and engines for all weight classes; EVs, HEVs and PHEVs, LNG, CNG, and LPG engine conversion companies; vehicle charging and refueling technology; and equipment and station providers.
• Hands-on ride & drive. Attendees will be able to test-drive dozens of AFVs for all applications.  Representatives will be on hand to discuss vehicle specs, helping fleet managers avoid trips to multiple OEM dealerships or technology/fuel specific shows.
• Educational technical tours. Southern California is home to many of the largest and most successful AFV and clean infrastructure projects in the world.  Attendees can participate in guided off-site technical tours to receive real-time demonstrations and experience fully functioning facilities that utilize alternative fuels every day.
• Co-located industry events. ACT Expo will be co-located with several industry events, including the NGV Global 2014 conference and exhibition, the Propane Education and Research Council Summit, the California Hydrogen Business Council Spring Summit, and a Trucking Efficiency workshop organized by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency and Carbon War Room.

With more than 3,500 stakeholders expected to convene in Long Beach—fleets, technology companies, OEMs, infrastructure developers, fuel providers, and policy makers—ACT Expo 2014 provides the perfect opportunity for fleet managers to make the connections necessary for alternative fuel project implementation.  Bottom line: If you are considering alternative fuels, this is the one show you need to be at. Read more here.