T

rucks that travel in the western

United States will soon be

able to operate clean-burning

alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs)

along the Interstate Clean Transportation Corridor (ICTC). The ICTC

project is the first effort to develop

clean transportation corridors to 

connect Los Angeles, San Bernardino, the San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento/San Francisco, Salt Lake City,

Reno, and Las Vegas along routes 

1-15, 1-80, and 1-5/CA-99. The

ICTC team, headed by Californiabased Gladstein and Associates, 

plans to have commitments by early

1997 for 10 to 15 fueling sites located

approximately 180 miles apart. 

These sites will serve 250 new

heavy-duty AFVs and 500 local 

delivery vehicles. Their fuels will

displace 4.7 million gallons of 

petroleum and mitigate more than

286 tons of pollution annually.

A coalition of public and private

sponsors is now working with the

ICTC project team to shape a strat e g ic plan. According to project

director C l i fford E. Gladstein, “It 

is unrealistic to think that additional

regulations will be adopted mandating the use of alternative fuels. 

We need to focus on getting industry

and government representatives

working together if we are going to

succeed in developing economically 

self-sustaining alternative fuel 

markets.” 

A unique aspect of the ICTC is

the project’s focus on heavy-duty 

vehicles. Gladstein noted 

that they are the last and 

biggest reservoir of potential

emission reductions, and 

that even though other 

sources of air pollution 

receive most of the attention,

the contribution of heavyduty vehicles to this problem

continues to grow.

One reason for the small 

number of heavy-duty AFVs

has been the shortage of engines to

power them. This situation is quickly

being remedied: several natural gas

engines are being offered for commercial sale in 1996. Some long-haul

fleets have begun to deploy heavyduty AFVs that operate primarily on

liquefied natural gas (LNG). JBK

Trucking, which operates the largest

LNG fleet in the world, reports significant cost savings with natural gas.

Volume 5, Number 2

Interstate Clean Transportation Corridor

Project Under Way

by Bruce Reznik, Associate, Gladstein and Associates

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Congressional Task Force

Addresses Concerns............2

Midwest Ethanol Demonstration Project Continues .3

Caterpillar Introduces New

Dual-Fuel Engines..............4

NGV Report Released

Recently...............................5

NGVC Testifies before House

Oversight and Investigation

Committee............................6

DOE Biodiesel Research and

Development Program: Next

Steps ....................................6
Cost-competitiveness is critical to

developing viable AFV markets.

Fleets will not operate vehicles on

alternative fuels if they cannot 

compete economically with dieselpowered vehicles. Today's alternative

fuel trucks can compete, but their

accomplishments have not been 

well publicized. Projects such as 

the ICTC should help change that.

The ICTC project focuses on

long-haul trucks, but is not ignoring

local A F V e fforts. It is integrating its

l o n g -haul activities with activities in

Clean Cities along the ICTC. Accordding to Gladstein project manager

Dennis Zane, “Focusing on coordinating long-haul activities with local

delivery vehicles will allow alternative fuel vehicle infrastructure to be

more fully utilized, making such 

stations more economically viable.”

He notes that there is already a great

deal of AFV activity at the local

level, but that too many activities are

being undertaken in isolation. He is

convinced that developing an alternative fuel infrastructure requires that

every project segment be analyzed in

terms of its effects on every other

segment; otherwise, there is a great

risk of misallocating resources and

making the already difficult task of

developing A F V markets even harder.

ICTC sponsors and stakeholders

gathered for a conference in Las

Vegas to determine the focus of the

project during the upcoming months.

The conference joined national, state,

and local decision makers in the air

quality, energy, and transportation

arenas with senior representatives

from fleet operators, alternative 

fuel providers, and engine and 

vehicle manufacturers. The participants suggested that perhaps the

greatest obstacle to developing 

alternative fuel markets is an 

inconsistent legislative tax policy,

which often disfavors AFVs.

The ICTC project team is already

pursuing a legislative agenda at the

federal, state, and local levels that

will favor the use of alternative fuels.

The agenda includes: (1) developing

a tax structure that is advantageous 

to alternative fuels; (2) creating tax

credits for heavy-duty AFVs; and 

(3) pursuing weight exemptions for

interstate AFV trucks. The project

team is also investigating opportunities for creating mobile-source airemission-credit trading and using

clean transportation efforts as part 

of general mitigation efforts for the

region.

"Alternative fuels are not a luxury,” asserted Gladstein. “They are 

a critical component of our strategy 

to meet clean air goals and lessen 

our reliance on foreign oil."

Congressional Task Force Addresses Natural

Gas Vehicle R&D Concerns

by Heather Rowe, Legislative Assistant, The Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition

Congressman Ralph Regula

(R-OH), chairman of the House

Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, held a hearing on May 

15 to discuss natural gas vehicle

(NGV) R&D initiatives. NGV task

force members Joe Barton (R-TX),

Brian Bilbray (R-CA), and Mac

Thornberry (R-TX) also attended.

The following people testified:

Tom Gross, deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of

Energy; Robert A. Bell of ConEd,

representing the gas industry R&D

initiative; Terry Cupp, representing

USCAR-NGVTP; Michael Lutgen

of MVE, Inc.; Vinod Duggal of

Cummins Engine Company;

and William Peerenboom 

of the American Trucking

Association Foundation.

They identified their top priorities for NGV R&D funding

as on-board storage, n a t u r al gas

engine efficiency,

and fueling 

infrastructure.

Representative Bilbray

expressed support for more 

NGV R&D to address current 

air quality and energy security

issues. Bilbray explained that,

even though funding for hybrid/

electric R&D is important, the

federal government should

see the “here and now”

potential of NGV technologies and seek to eliminate

regulations and obstacles

that prevent it from maturing

as a viable market alternative.
Can an ethanol-fueled heavy-duty

truck stand up to highway maintenance work? In early 1993, the

Nebraska Department of Roads and

the American Trucking Association

(ATA) Foundation, under the direction of its vice president William

Peerenboom, entered into a 3-year

program that should help answer 

that question. Various grain boards

are sharing the costs of the project

(estimated at $471,808) with the

Department of Energy’s (DOE)

National Renewable Energy

Laboratory (NREL), the ATA

Foundation, and the Nebraska

Department of Roads.

The program compares emissions,

mileage, and durability data from 

two Navistar International Model 

F-5070 trucks powered by Detroit

Diesel 5V92 engines that have been

converted to operate on E95, a blend

of 95% gasoline and 5% ethanol,

with data from a similarly configured

diesel truck. 

The two ethanol trucks were used

in 1995 for snow removal and other

road maintenance. The fuel cost an

average of $1.52 a gallon, and

mileage averaged 2.27 miles per 

gallon. The most persistent problem

was fuel filter plugging, which stalls

the engines without warning. 

Each week, highway maintenance

truck operators fill out a log sheet

showing miles driven, fuel and oil

consumed, and general performance

for each day the trucks were used.

These sheets are submitted monthly

to ATA and forwarded to NREL for

comparison with all trucks in DOE's

On-Road Development Program.

Information about ethanol-powered

trucks is especially relevant in

Nebraska, because it is located in 

a region that is a primary source of

ethanol feedstocks. 

When not at work, the trucks

were displayed at several parades 

and shows, such as Nebraska City’s

Midwestern Biomass Conference 

and Grand Island’s farm-oriented

Cornhusker Harvest Days.

Midwest Ethanol Demonstration Project

Continues down the Road

Ethanol fueled heavy-duty

trucks perform highway

maintenance in Nebraska

Mileage accumulated on

the trucks since October

1994
Caterpillar Introduces New Dual-Fuel Engines

by Jim McNamara, Staff Reporter, American Trucking Association

Caterpillar Inc., and Power Systems Associates (PSA), a leading

California heavy equipment and

engine seller, have introduced the

first in a line of alternative fuel 

truck engines that use a diesel pilot 

to burn natural gas or propane. The

engines are designed for regional

truck operations and trucks and 

buses that operate in urban and 

emission-sensitive areas. Other

potential uses include public works

vehicles and refuse trucks. The

engine combines the best features of

diesel and alternative fuels and provides operators with great flexibility.

The dual-fuel technology offers

operators performance similar to

diesel power and the emissions 

benefits of burning natural gas or

propane, and has the potential for

lower operating costs compared to

those of most dedicated alternative

fuel configurations, according to

Caterpillar. Instead of using spark 

plugs to ignite natural gas or propane

as many alternative fuel engines do,

the Caterpillar dual-fuel engines use

a small amount of diesel to ignite a

large amount of another fuel in a

compression ignition or diesel 

ignition setting. Electronically 

controlled, multipoint, sequentialport injection valves are installed to

deliver the natural gas or propane.

The standard electronic diesel fuel

system remains, so the engine actually has two fuel injection systems.

Special components also include an

air:fuel ratio control valve and sensors. Of course, the vehicle will

require separate tanks for the diesel

and the alternative fuels. Local Caterpillar dealers will handle the warranties for the electronic dual-fuel

system components.

The gas or propane is injected on

the piston downstroke or expansion

stroke. The diesel pilot charge is

injected near the top of the 

compression stroke. In typical situations, 85% of the fuel burned is 

natural gas, with somewhat lower

substitution rate for propane.

The 3176B now available with

the dual-fuel setup is a 10-liter

engine that weighs 1,985 pounds, 

is rated at 275–350 horsepower,

and has up to 1,050 foot-pounds of

torque. Other dual-fuel Caterpillar

engines available are the 7.2-liter

mid-range 3126G and the 10-liter 

C-10. The 12-liter C-12 will be available in late 1996, and the 14-liter

3406EG is under development and

will be unveiled in 1997.

The engines share a number of

characteristics with diesels, which

make them easier to fit into vehicle

applications and fleet operations.

They have the same heat rejection 

as diesel, which means cooling is not

a big problem, and they are compatible with engine compression brakes.

They also use Caterpillar's electronic

engine diagnostics and fleet management information systems.

In areas where methane or

propane costs are low, dual-fuel

engines are economically attractive,

and initial capital costs are low compared to other dedicated alternative

fuel vehicles. Also, if the operator

should ever run out of natural gas—

or propane—he will be able to drive

the vehicle ho me using full dual

diesel backup. The engine also uses

100% diesel when it is warming up. 

The engine can be converted back 

to 100% diesel for resale, which

enhances resale value in some 

markets.

Torque and Power Curves for the 3176B Dual-Fuel Engine
For more information regarding

these engines, call Kevin Campbell,

PSA's North American alternate fuels

business manager, at 800-344-5333,

or visit Caterpillar's World Wide Web

home page at http://www. cat.com

In research sponsored by the Gas

Research Institute, the Institute of

Gas Technology (IGT) has issued a

topical report entitled Gas Composition Issues and Implications for

Natural Gas Vehicles and Fueling

Stations, which overviews gas composition issues related to natural gas

for vehicles, recent research, and

field experience. The report will help

fuel providers, original equipment

manufacturers (OEMs), and other

members of the industry formulate

responses to emerging challenges and

issues.

Cost-effective solutions have been

identified for most technological

challenges that face natural gas as 

an engine fuel. Remaining issues 

can be resolved through the active

collaboration of all stakeholders,

including transporters, distributors,

fuel providers, and OEMs, in the 

natural gas vehicle market. Gas 

distributors and fuel providers need

to ensure acceptable fuel quality;

manufacturers of engines, vehicles,

and components must design products that can anticipate and tolerate

variations.

Research sponsored by the natural

gas industry and others is the basis

for resolving gas composition issues,

which include developing fuel composition specifications and technical

guidelines for fueling station designers and operators. This research has

documented regional and seasonal 

gas composition variations, evaluated

the implications of variations in gas

composition for fueling station and

vehicle systems, and supported development of component improvements

and other cost-effective solutions.

OEMs and fuel providers must compromise to arrive at the most costeffective solutions.

The report also examines compressor oil carryover, moisture 

content, and elevated levels of hydrocarbons, and provides economic analyses and general guidelines to help

evaluate alternative approaches to

and relative costs of fuel issues.

For a copy of the report, call IGT

at 312-890-6448.

Report Details Gas Composition Issues for

Natural Gas Vehicles and Fueling Stations

by Scott Schaedel, Marketing and Planning Analyst, Institute of Gas Technology

CNG Substitution

10 Liter, 350 hp

2.5 g NOx Calibration
NGVC Testifies before House Oversight and

Investigation Committee

by Heather Rowe, Legislative Assistant, The Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition

Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Task

Force chair Joe Barton (R-TX) held 

a hearing on May 30

before the House

Oversight and Investigation Committee

on the federal government's role in implementing the Clean Air 

Act Amendments of 1990 

and the Energy Policy Act

of 1992. The purpose of the

hearing was to identify, for the

record, the legislative and regulatory barriers that impede growth in

NGVs, and to suggest how the federal government might accelerate NGV

use. The following members of

Congress attended the hearing: Brian

Bilbray (R-CA), Sonny Bono (RCA), Michael Crapo (R-ID), Jim

Greenwood (R-PA), Ron Klink (DPA), Mac Thornberry (R-TX), and

Bob Wise (D-WV).

Witnesses who testified included

Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition chair

Fred Abrew, Ken Kelley of Jack B.

Kelley Inc., Tina Vujovich of

Cummins Engine Co., Kyle Simpson

of the U.S. Department of Energy,

and representatives from United

Parcel Service, and the auto leasing

industry. There were obvious differences in each testimony, but there

were also surprising similarities—

especially with respect to the need 

for reduced cost and expanded

infrastructure and the need

for clear, definitive incentives as opposed to mandates. In his testimony,

Abrew recommended that the following practices be adopted:

• General economic incentives such 

as creation of a market for NGV

emissions credits

• Targeted, temporary tax incentives

that focus on credits rather than

deductions

• Enactment of H.R.

3315, which would tax 

liquefied natural gas at the

lower compressed natural 

gas rate for purposes of fede r a l motor fuels excise tax.

Kyle Simpson announced

the Administration's support of

H.R. 3315, which will improve

the bill's chances of enactment

this year.

Representative Barton and others

expressed their support for incentivebased solutions to the problems that

face the NGV i n d u s t r y, and continued

to assert their opposition to mandates.

The U.S. Department of Energy's

(DOE) Office of Fuels Development

(OFD) is responsible for developing

an alternative fuels program that 

will lead to the displacement (and

eventual substitution) of imported

petroleum-based liquid fuels with

fuels derived from domestic renewable resources such as biomass. Oil

must be displaced to insulate the

trucking industry from price shocks

and supply uncertainties that stem

from foreign control of petroleum

resources. The trucking industry is

the prime mover of goods and is, 

like the rest of the transportation 

sector, completely dependent on

petroleum-based fuels. 

DOE Biodiesel Research and Development

Program: Next Steps Include Seeking Industry

Partnerships in the Heavy-Duty Sector

Dr. Raymond Costello, Office of Fuels Development, U.S. Department of Energy and Janine Finnel, Senior

Energy/Environmental Analyst, Dyncorp
To remedy this situation, OFD is

examining the use of biodiesel in

heavy-duty trucks. Biodiesel is made

from vegetable and waste oils, oil

sludge, and animal fats. It can be

used either as a neat fuel or as a

blending agent. Compared to petroleum diesel, it has the potential to

improve performance in safety,

health, and environmental protection.

It contains no sulfur, is low in particulate emissions, is more biodegradable, and contributes no net carbon

dioxide to the atmosphere. Furthermore, its use requires few modifications to conventional diesel vehicles,

provides power similar to diesel, and

can be distributed through the diesel

fuel infrastructure.

Some issues still need to be

resolved, especially biodiesel's 

relatively higher cost (to a trucking

industry with narrow profit margins),

but an increased demand for biodiesel

will increase the economies of scale

and significantly reduce costs. Biodiesel can be used as a neat fuel, but

current economics favor its use as a

blended fuel. Additionally, conventional diesel engines and emissions

systems will need to be modified to

reduce oxides of nitrogen emissions.

Through the National Renewable

Energy Laboratory (NREL), DOE 

is working to expand biodiesel 

production in the United States.

Currently the high cost of feedstocks remains the greatest obstacle

to market penetration, as about 75%

of the production cost is associated

with the feedstock itself. (The cost 

of biodiesel produced from virgin

soybean oil in the United States is

$2.50–$3.50 per gallon.) NREL is

examining several conventional 

technology options such as waste

grease for producing biodiesel from

low-cost feedstocks at the pilot scale.

In addition, NREL is studying new

conversion processes, such as the

development of enzymatic catalysts,

which promise to reduce costs even

further.

DOE is developing partnerships

with other government agencies, 

the private sector, and other organizations to gather additional research

data and demonstrate the potential

for biodiesel as an alternative fuel.

For example, a Biodiesel Working

Group has been formed: it comprises

NREL, the National Biodiesel Board,

the American Petroleum Institute, the

Energy and Environmental Studies

Institute, and biodiesel producers.

The group is examining the total fuel

cycle effects of biodiesel versus

petroleum diesel with regard to net 

energy balance and environmental

emissions. DOE is also cost-sharing

biodiesel development testing with

industry and is expanding efforts to

include Cooperative Research and

Development Agreements. A demonstration project funded through DOE's

Sustainable Technology Energy

Partnership Program in Chicago will

produce biodiesel from food waste

oils and greases for use by the

Chicago Transit Authority and the

American Sighting Bus Company.

In addition, DOE's Regional Biomass

Energy Program has funded numerous educational biodiesel projects

that demonstrate highway (trucks,

buses), non-highway (marine, rail)

and off-road (farm, construction)

uses of biodiesel.

One of the most positive signs for

the biodiesel industry is the emergence of several private firms that

distribute biodiesel to the marketplace. As this industry grows, DOE 

is interested in collaborating with

trade associations in the heavy-duty

trucking industry to examine potential biodiesel refueling sites along

“clean corridors” for heavy-duty

vehicles, particularly in states that

have developed or are developing

incentives for the use of clean fuels.
Volume 5, Number 2

René Texeira, Editor

Jim Miller, Graphic Designer

Alternative Fuels in Trucking is published quarterly

by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

(NREL), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 

national laboratory. The newsletter is written by 

the American Trucking Association Foundation’s

(ATAF’s) Trucking Research Institute.

The aim of Alternative Fuels in Trucking is to

inform fleet owners and operators, equipment suppliers, government officials, and other interested parties

about important developments in the use of alternative

fuels in heavy-duty trucks. Suggestions and comments

are welcome and may be directed to the National

Alternative Fuels Hotline at 800-423-1DOE. Views

expressed by guest authors are their own, and not

those of ATAF, DOE, or NREL.

NREL/TP-425-21635

December 1996

Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper

containing at least 50% wastepaper, including

20% postconsumer waste

U.S. Department of Energy

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Office of Transportation Technologies

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has prepared a 

case study on heavy trucks for the U.S. Department of Energy,

included as a bonus with this issue of Alternative Fuels in

Trucking. The case study, Running Refuse Haulers on Ethanol:

The Archer Daniels Midland Experience, describes the results

from the demonstration of these line-haul trucks. Stay tuned for

more case studies as results continue to become available.

with this Issue!

How to Reach Us

• To speak to a human being, call the

National Alternative Fuels Hotline at 

800-423-1DOE.

• The AFDC World Wide Web address is 

http://www.afdc.doe.gov

• The Alternative Fuels in Trucking

newsletter is available on the WWW at

http://www. afdc.doe.gov/1/trknews It

is available on-line 2 or 3 weeks before

the newsletter is mailed.