Page 1 of 17 MS12026 / AB2766 2012 MSRC Clean Transportation Grant Final Report U-Haul Co. of California August 1, 2014 Prepared for the Mobile Source Air Pollution Review Committee (MSRC) under the AB 2766 Discretionary Fund Work Program. Acknowledgments: U-Haul Co. of California, Contractor Dean Cerimeli, Director of Truck Product Karen Schneidmiller, Project Analyst Allan Yang, Chief Sustainability Scientist This report was submitted in fulfillment of MS12026 and the 2012 MSRC Clean Transportation Grant by U-Haul Co. of California under the partial sponsorship of the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC). Work was completed as of August 1, 2014. Disclaimer: The statement and conclusions in this report are those of the contractor and not necessarily those of the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) or the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). The mention of commercial products, their sources or their uses in connection with material reported is not to be construed as either an actual or implied endorsement of such products.
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Page 1 of 17
MS12026 / AB2766
2012 MSRC Clean Transportation Grant
Final Report
U-Haul Co. of California
August 1, 2014
Prepared for the Mobile Source Air Pollution Review Committee (MSRC) under
the AB 2766 Discretionary Fund Work Program.
Acknowledgments: U-Haul Co. of California, Contractor
Dean Cerimeli, Director of Truck Product
Karen Schneidmiller, Project Analyst
Allan Yang, Chief Sustainability Scientist
This report was submitted in fulfillment of MS12026 and the 2012 MSRC Clean Transportation
Grant by U-Haul Co. of California under the partial sponsorship of the Mobile Source Air
Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC). Work was completed as of August 1, 2014.
Disclaimer: The statement and conclusions in this report are those of the contractor and not necessarily
those of the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) or the South
Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). The mention of commercial products,
their sources or their uses in connection with material reported is not to be construed as either
an actual or implied endorsement of such products.
Page 2 of 17
Project Description and Work Performed
With the assistance of the MSRC, U-Haul of California purchased 23 alternative fuel vehicles in a pilot
program to determine the feasibility and practicality of converting a significant percentage of its truck
fleet to alternative fuels. Eight dedicated compressed natural gas (CNG) and 15 dedicated liquid
propane autogas (LP) Ford E-450 trucks were purchased from BAF Technologies (now Westport) and
Roush CleanTech and delivered to U-Haul’s Tempe, Arizona facility.
Following U-Haul’s industry leading inspection and assembly process, the purchased cutaway chassis
were turned into customer-ready 14 foot long rental trucks, the 23 alternative fueled vehicles were
deployed to select offices within the boundaries of the South Coast Air Quality Management District
(SCAQMD). The trucks will be monitored for usage, location and mechanical failures for a
subsequent five years to ensure the trucks are utilized within the SCAQMD at least 85% of the time.
As of 06/23/14, the fleet has remained within the SCAQMD for 99% of its usage and has operated
entirely within California.
Problems Encountered
Several of the U-Haul centers within the SCAQMD selected to receive LP trucks possessed older
propane dispensing equipment incapable of generating the higher pressures required to fill on-road
vehicles. The one to three horsepower pumps at these locations were upgraded to seven horsepower
units allowing the centers to fill not only the 23 vehicles of the pilot program, but also to meet
increasing demand for publicly accessible propane autogas stations.
Emission Benefits
Compared to a conventional gasoline engine truck, the reduced quantity of emissions is impressive.
Running the usage of the alternative fuel fleet through Argonne National Laboratory’s Alternative Fuel
Life-Cycle Environment and Economic Transportation (AFLEET) calculator and Greenhouse gasses,
Regulated Emissions and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model yielded the following results.
Significantly reduced CO2 emissions: up to 22% within the fleet.
NOX emissions cut by at least 10% on each truck.
Reduction and elimination of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions through
evaporation. Due to the sealed nature of a CNG fuel system, evaporative VOC emissions are
completely eliminated and overall VOC emissions drop by 52%. LP vehicles reduce
evaporative VOC by 21%.
As the public becomes more aware of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions along with the
financial advantages of alternative fuel vehicles, future reductions in emissions are expected both
through economies of scale from infrastructure expansion and continued replacement of older gasoline
powered trucks in preference of newer LP and CNG vehicles.
Page 3 of 17
Photographs and Outreach
A public outreach plan promoting MSRC’s co-funding of U-Haul’s purchase of the alternative fuel
fleet was launched in October 2013. Through PR Newswire, a press release was sent to media outlets
throughout Southern California along with approximately 350 websites in partnership with PR
Newswire. In addition, the partnership was announced through U-Haul’s social media efforts on
Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and corporate website.
In addition to the press release, Roush CleanTech and Westport (formerly BAF Technologies)
prominently displayed examples of U-Haul’s alternative fuels fleet during the SCAQMD co-sponsored
2014 Alternative Clean Transportation Expo held at the Long Beach Convention Center. Over 4,400
members of the industry and media attending North America’s largest clean fleet expo had the
opportunity to view examples of the deployed trucks during the conference. This display of U-Haul
trucks generated news articles in Fleets and Fuels and Natural Gas Intelligence’s Daily Gas Price
Index, leading to thousands of additional views pertaining to the alternative fuel pilot program.
The initial success of the pilot program also sparked an environmentally aware, green-themed issue of
U-Haul News – U-Haul’s internal newspaper – showcasing the 23 rental trucks of the pilot fleet
alongside recently deployed propane powered service vehicles and the continued expansion of U-Haul
Centers offering propane autogas to the public.
A copy of the press release, news clippings from U-Haul News, Fleets and Fuels and NGI’s Daily Price
Index and eight selected photos of the fleet follows:
Page 4 of 17
U-Haul Introduces Alternative Fuel Powered Moving Vans to Southern California
LOS ANGELES (Aug. XX, 2013) — U-Haul has recently launched a new alternative-fuel-vehicle
pilot program involving propane-powered (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) U-Haul moving
vans. California’s Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee is partnering with U-
Haul to implement this alternative-fuel pilot program with 15 LPG and 8 CNG U-Haul moving vans at
10 U-Haul locations in Los Angeles County.
―These product tests fit in perfectly with U-Haul Company’s corporate sustainability vision of being
committed to sustainable development through environmental protection, social responsibility and