All About Alternate Fuel Vehicles (AFV)

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 22, 2007
Source: Quantum Fuel System Technologies /press release
http://www.qtww.com/files/qtww_press/

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. today announced that it received an order for six hydrogen hybrid vehicles for the U.S. Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC). The contract will be administered by Aerospace Engineering Spectrum (AES), based in Ogden, Utah.
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Prius Maker Takes Tentative Stance On New Fuel-Sipping Technologies
By Joseph B. White,
Toyota City, Japan, October 23, 2007
Source: Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119304912491266963.html

Toyota Motor Corp. outlined a more cautious strategy than General Motors Corp. for a new generation of fuel-efficient cars, signaling the differing approaches the world’s auto makers are taking to adjust to long-term concerns over oil supplies and climate change.
* Different Strategies: Toyota, which enjoys a cleaner image thanks to its Prius hybrid, is taking a more cautious approach than rival GM on the next generation of fuel-efficient vehicles.
* Toyota’s Thinking: The car maker questions whether current technology can deliver affordable cars that offer significantly better fuel efficiency.
* The Threat: A resurgent GM, which is challenging Toyota’s effort to become the world’s No. 1 auto maker (left), hopes to capture more of the market for fuel-efficient vehicles.
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Correspondant, Telegraph India,
New Delhi Sept 26, 2007
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070927/asp/business/story_8365957.asp

Piaggio Vehicles Private Limited, the local arm of the Italian automobile major, plans to introduce two mini trucks in India by 2010.  “One has to grow the platform (of four-wheelers). In the next two years we should be able to introduce variants of the sub-one-tonne truck … The vision is to create another platform beyond the sub-one-tonne but less than two tonnes by 2010,” said Ravi Chopra, chairman and managing director of Piaggio Vehicles.  “We are going to develop more four-wheeler products and plan to be a full-range light commercial vehicle player,” he said. (more…)

Express news service, Ahmedabad, September 27, 2007
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Piaggio-to-roll-out-Ape-LPG-next-month/221651/

In order to meet the growing demand for environment-friendly vehicles in the country, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd, the Indian arm of the Italian auto major and world’s pioneer of three-wheelers, said it planned to launch LPG version of three-wheeler in Bangalore next month, a top official of the company said here on Wednesday.  J.  Narayanan, General Manager (Customer Care & PI), who formally launched the CNG variant said : “The cargo version of ‘Ape CNG’ is priced at Rs 1.39 lakh and the passenger version priced at Rs 1.3 lakh both ex-showroom in Ahmedabad. Since CNG is available in Gujarat we have selected Ahmedabad for our national launch.”
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QINGDAO, China, Oct. 9, 2007
Source: PR Newswire / CNNMoney.com
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/CNTU01409102007-1.htm

Sinoenergy Corporation , (”Sinoenergy”), a manufacturer of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle and gas station equipment and a designer, developer and operator of CNG filling stations in China, is pleased to announce today that its first two CNG filling stations are now open and have begun distributing compressed natural gas to vehicles as of September 30, 2007. The two stations are located on Changfeng Street and on Baibuting Street of Wuhan City, Hubei Province. Each station has four filling outlets and both are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The company has staffed each station with 12 to 14 employees to handle daily operations.
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By John Dunlop, Oct. 23, 2007
Source: The Energy Tribune
http://www.energytribune.com/articles.cfm?aid=653

Compressed natural gas (CNG) is one of the oldest petroleum technologies, going back well over 100 years in pipeline applications. CNG has also been used for the bulk movement of gas, including a marine transport project in the late 1960s. Today, other CNG applications, such as natural gas vehicles and truck-based transportation systems, are commonly used worldwide.  In 2001, EnerSea introduced a major breakthrough in CNG marine transport technology: its VOTRANS (Volume Optimized Transport and Storage) system. The patented innovations advanced by VOTRANS include a 60 to 100 percent increase in the gas that can be stored per unit of containment steel, along with a 10 to 20 percent increase in the quantity of gas cargo that can be cost-effectively evacuated from the CNG storage system, compared with conventional CNG concepts. This performance is made possible with VOTRANS’s optimization of storage conditions and by employing its proprietary gas-loading and discharging processes.
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Calgary, Alberta October 19, 2007
Source: Dynatek.com / press release
http://www.dynetek.com/press_releases.php

Dynetek Industries Ltd. (“Dynetek”), a leader in developing,  producing and marketing lightweight compressed natural gas (CNG) and compressed hydrogen storage cylinders, announced today that it has completed the delivery of the previously announced 450 bar Hydrogen Tube Trailer System to the IWHUP project.  The delivery of the Dynetek “BT450” Tube Trailer System to the IWHUP project, is a further demonstration of how Dynetek’s “Instant InfrastructureTM” products, can enable customers to refuel Hydrogen powered vehicles easily and cost effectively.
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Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada − October 22, 2007
Source: New Flyer.com press releaese
http://www.newflyer.com/index/07-10-22-bus-orders
New Flyer Industries Inc., the leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit vehicles in Canada and the United States, announced today that it has received new orders for up to 1,180 buses for a combined value of over US $624 million.  Of these new orders, 794 buses are firm orders and 386 are options.  These orders are for a variety of vehicle configurations, including 35-, 40- and 60-foot buses and diesel, hybrid-electric, natural gas and fuel cell propulsion systems. (more…)

Source: AC Transit.org  / press release /Oct 23, 2007
http://www.actransit.org/news/articledetail.wu?articleid=2e682640

The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) and Chevron Products Company today launched the Cleaner Fuels Test Program, which will study two alternative fuels in a fleet of buses traveling Bay Area roadways.   During the six-month study, AC Transit will test a biodiesel fuel blend and GTL (gas-to-liquids) diesel in a fleet of 22 unmodified diesel buses. Chevron will provide the fuels and engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. will provide engine assessments and technical consulting. It’s anticipated the test buses will transport more than 1.5 million passengers, travel over 400,000 miles and consume more than 100,000 gallons of alternative fuels during the study period. (more…)

Also Launches Biodiesel Initiative At Worldport Air Hub
Atlanta GA, Oct. 8, 2007
Source. UPS press release
http://pressroom.ups.com/pressreleases/current/0,1088,4937,00.html

UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced it was adding 306 alternative fuel vehicles to its “green fleet” by placing an order for 167 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) delivery trucks while taking delivery of 139 new propane delivery trucks in North America. Additionally, the company has launched an initiative to use biodiesel fuel in its ground support vehicles at the UPS Worldport® air hub in Louisville.  The CNG trucks will be deployed early next year in Dallas, Atlanta and four California cities - Los Angeles, Ontario, San Ramon and Fresno. They will join more than 800 such vehicles already in use in the United States. The propane vehicles are joining nearly 600 propane trucks already operating in Canada and Mexico.
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