Browse Articles By:

| ACT News

August 4, 2022

NGVs Well Positioned for a Clean Fleet Revolution

Trillium natural gas pump in front of a Love's Travel Stop

A fundamental shift to clean vehicles and fuel is already well underway and natural gas vehicles (NGVs) are uniquely positioned to replace baseline diesel fleet operations easily and cost-effectively. Several factors are aligning to make NGVs an obvious choice for fleets motivated to maintain cost effectiveness while making immediate progress towards both their and their customers’ sustainability goals. The clear cost advantage of fueling with compressed natural gas (CNG) as compared to diesel, the availability of a new lighter and more powerful natural gas engine, and the growing national availability of renewable natural gas (RNG) set the stage for a clean fleet revolution powered by NGVs.

Heavy-Duty, Infrastructure, NGVs

| Heavy Duty Trucking

August 1, 2022

RNG Is Decarbonizing Trucking Today

Coca Cola truck parked at a Clean Energy fueling station

Trucking companies, and the shippers that hire trucking companies, are making bold commitments to cut their carbon footprint—such as becoming net zero by 2030. Yet achieving net zero or better requires more than operational improvements. Alternative technologies are needed to move beyond even the cleanest diesel platform. Renewable natural gas (RNG) has emerged as the leading pathway for low carbon, clean air trucking. There are three compelling reasons why RNG is helping sustainable companies decarbonize their transportation today.

Alt Fuels, Heavy-Duty, RNG

| Cummins Inc.

July 28, 2022

Natural gas engine insights for truck and bus fleets

Arial view of a warehouse with many tractor trailers parked at the docks.

Fleets can’t afford major disruptions to their business model. They need to maintain similar performance and range they get from diesel engines to effectively run their business, while taking steps to run cleaner and more efficiently. Cummins is developing a wide range of low carbon solutions to help fleets begin the journey to zero emissions without causing major disruption to the day-to-day operation of the business.

Emission Reduction, Heavy-Duty, NGVs

| CNGVC

July 27, 2022

Air Resources Board Data Confirms – NGVs Fueled with Natural Gas in California are the ONLY Carbon Negative Transportation Option

As expected, the average carbon intensity (CI) value for California’s natural gas fuel supply remained negative in 2021 and became even more so.

Fourth quarter data now confirms that for the whole of 2021, all the renewable natural gas (RNG) dispensed in California as a transportation fuel was CARBON-NEGATIVE (on a lifecycle basis) based on data reported under the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program. This is the first time for ANY transportation fuel in a full calendar year!

Alt Fuels, Emission Reduction, RNG

| Heavy Duty Trucking

July 25, 2022

Cummins’ X15N: The Right Engine at the Right Time?

Red Cummins engine , the Cummins logo and the Future of Natural Gas Power

Cummins is currently developing a new natural gas engine, the X15N, which the company believes will resolve the industry’s current unease about natural gas. Cummins says it received more than 400 demonstration requests from fleets immediately after it announced plans for a 15L natural gas engine.

CNG, Heavy-Duty, NGVs

| NGVAmerica

July 21, 2022

NGVAmerica Applauds Senate Introduction of RNG Motor Fuel Tax Credit Bill

graphic image of money sticking out of a gas tank

NGVAmerica applauds the introduction of the Renewable Natural Gas Incentive Act by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Mark Warner (D-VA), a bipartisan effort to provide a tax credit for heavy-duty vehicles that use renewable natural gas (RNG) to further support clean and efficient transportation across America.

Funding, NGVs, Policy

| Biomass Magazine

July 20, 2022

SoCalGas: Kore begins commissioning of RNG, hydrogen system

Blue SoCalGas logo

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) announced that Kore Infrastructure has successfully begun testing and demonstrating its carbon-negative, waste-to-energy modular system at the utility’s Los Angeles facility. The innovative technology is designed to divert organic waste from California landfills and convert it into carbon-negative hydrogen and renewable natural gas (RNG).

Alt Fuels, Infrastructure, RNG

| Commercial Carrier Journal

July 20, 2022

Bezos backed climate group shuns biofuels, Cummins and others push back

Truck with blue Amazon trailer is parked by an orange traffic cone.

A climate action group’s negative outlook on truck biofuels has industry leaders sounding the alarm over what they see as a narrow approach to emission reduction. Not all carbon-cutting players in transportation agree and say they see biofuels playing a much greater role in decarbonization than what is projected in the years ahead.

However, the report makes no mention of RNG’s negative carbon intensity value, the lowest of all transportation fuels according to CARB. Biofuels like renewable natural gas continue to attract fleets that are looking to more quickly and affordably improve their emissions profile through familiar and proven technologies.

Alt Fuels, NGVs, RNG

| Agg Net

July 19, 2022

CEMEX USA adds low-emission natural gas trucks to Southern California fleet

Cement truck with red and blue stripes

CEMEX USA has added close to 40 low-emission natural gas-powered trucks to replace diesel powered vehicles in its Southern California fleet as part of efforts to achieve carbon neutrality throughout its value chain by 2050.

Emission Reduction, Heavy-Duty, NGVs

| Commercial Carrier Journal

July 6, 2022

Test drive: Peterbilt Model 536 with Cummins L9N natural gas engine

Gray heavy duty truck parked in a garage

Fleets bemoaning the current cost of diesel fuel – and feeling pressure from customers’ environmental, social and governance plans – already have a relief outlet with compressed natural gas (CNG). Peterbilt offers two natural gas powertrain options in its medium-duty line: the Cummins B6.7N (as of March this year) and the L9N.

The engine responds and sounds exactly like you’d expect from its diesel counterpart. Worth noting: the L9N – certified to the California Air Resources Board and Environmental Protection Agency’s Optional Low NOx emissions standard of 0.02 g/bhp-hr – has 90% fewer NOx emissions than the current North American EPA standard.

CNG, Emission Reduction, Sustainability

| Heavy Duty Trucking

June 29, 2022

Meet Cummins’ New Natural Gas Truck Engine [Video]

Screenshot of a Video with the title Introducing Cummins' All New X15N

Cummins is betting its new X15N 15-liter natural gas engine is going to change the market for natural-gas-powered trucks. HDT’s Jim Park stopped by the Cummins booth at ACT Expo recently to learn more.

CNG, Heavy-Duty, NGVs

| Heavy Duty Trucking

June 28, 2022

Cummins, Hyliion to Optimize Natural-Gas Engine for Hypertruck ERX

Green Hyliion truck with no trailer on the road

Cummins and Hyliion are joining forces to optimize the Cummins natural gas engine as the generator for the Hypertruck ERX powertrain, an electric range extender semi-truck powertrain solution using onboard power generation to recharge the batteries.

Alt Fuels, CNG, Heavy-Duty

| Fleet Equipment

June 14, 2022

Decarbonization Starts Today: Quick Thoughts From Our Visit With Cummins

Puneet Jhawar, general manager, global natural gas, Cummins highlights diesel like power of the natural gas engine.

Cummins isn’t going to wait for a single, perfect solution, quite possibly because there is no one zero-emissions powertrain technology to rule them all. There are many options that enable decarbonizing today so that tomorrow will truly be a zero-emissions future including natural gas with the X15N engine.

CNG, Heavy-Duty, Technology

| SacTown Talks

June 13, 2022

A Conversation with SacTown Talks – Hosted by Jarhett Blonien

Screenshot of video discussing renewable natural gas

CNGVC President Nicole Rice sits down with Jarhett Blonien, host of SacTown Talks, to discuss how RNG-powered trucks support the state’s decarbonization and air pollution reduction goals.

NGVs, Policy, RNG

| S&P Global Market Intelligence

June 13, 2022

PG&E executes on renewable gas strategy with latest pipeline interconnection

Forest fire

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. commissioned its latest renewable natural gas pipeline interconnection project as the multi-utility followed up on a recently announced renewable natural gas strategy, part of a plan to be “climate positive” by 2050.

Infrastructure, RNG, Sustainability

| NGV Journal

June 9, 2022

Walmart plans to decarbonize its fleet with renewable natural gas

Two Walmart branded heavy duty trucks parked in a row

Chevron U.S.A. Inc., announced definitive agreements to supply fuel linked to renewable natural gas for a Walmart Inc. demonstration of Cummins Inc.’s new 15-liter natural gas engine for heavy-duty trucks. As part of the agreements, Walmart will provide heavy-duty trucks for Cummins to integrate with the new 15-liter engine, the X15N™, which runs on CNG. After taking delivery, Walmart will field-test the finished trucks at its distribution center in Fontana, California, with Chevron supplying the trucks with renewable natural gas.

Emission Reduction, Heavy-Duty, RNG

| Cummins Inc.

June 8, 2022

When to switch to natural gas engines

Arial view of trucks on a highway

Natural gas engines can be a great option for commercial vehicles. They’re quieter than diesel engines, they reduce air pollution, and they can help fleets save a lot of money on operating costs, especially when it comes to fuel.

Are natural gas engines a good fit for your business or mission profile? Cummins lays out some of the key benefits of natural gas engines, and some of the drawbacks, to help you decide where natural gas is a viable option for your fleet.

| Reuters

June 8, 2022

WalMart expands transportation partnerships with electric, hydrogen vehicle pilots

Walmart logo on the outside of a store

Walmart will provide heavy-duty trucks for Cummins to integrate with the new 15-liter natural gas engine, the X15N™, which runs on compressed natural gas (CNG). After taking delivery, Walmart will field-test the finished trucks at its distribution center in Fontana, California, with Chevron supplying the trucks with CNG linked to renewable natural gas.

Emission Reduction, Heavy-Duty, RNG

| NGT News

June 1, 2022

California Bills Supporting Clean Transportation Move Through State Assembly

The California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition says two important clean-transportation measures have passed the state assembly and are now in the state senate awaiting a hearing – AB 2836, sponsored by Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) and AB 2058 from Assembly Member Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach).

CNG, Funding, Policy

| NGV Journal

May 23, 2022

Aemetis and Trillium join forces to expand bio-NGV supply in California

Man in a hat and lanyard getting ready to fill up at a Trillium RNG station

Aemetis, Inc., a renewable fuels company focused on negative carbon intensity products, announced that its Aemetis Biogas Services subsidiary has signed a six-year supply agreement with Trillium to provide an estimated 600,000 MMBtu of renewable natural gas to be used as transportation fuel in California. The biomethane replaces up to the equivalent of 4.3 million gallons of diesel fuel, primarily used in heavy duty passenger and cargo vehicles.

Heavy-Duty, RNG, Sustainability

| Cummins Inc.

May 20, 2022

Three key take-aways from ACT Expo 2022 | Cummins Inc.

Tom Swenson from Cummins address the media at ACT Expo for the CNGVP press conference in the Cummins booth.

Leading global engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. highlighted their main takeaways from ACT Expo 2022 including the fact that “the decarbonization challenge in transportation is too great for a single solution.”

The industry needs multiple solutions including natural gas to meet the needs of all on- and off-highway customers and all applications considering the variety of duty cycles and operating environments. At  ACT Expo, CNGVP helped spotlight Cummins’ near-zero emissions X15N 15-liter natural gas engine for the North American freight transportation market. Cummins confirms that natural gas is an immediate and cost-effective solution to achieve not only net-zero carbon operations, but negative carbon emissions.

Alt Fuels, Emission Reduction, NGVs

| FleetOwner

May 13, 2022

Hexagon expands clean-fuel options for commercial trucks

Press conference at ACT Expo in Hexagon Agility's booth.

In liquid form, renewable natural gas has a high energy density. A new Hexagon and Cryoshelter partnership will industrialize Cryoshelter’s existing LNG technology and production capability to leverage this energy density to better utilize vehicle frame rail space and provide a driving range that is comparable to diesel.

Heavy-Duty, LNG, RNG

| NGV Journal

May 11, 2022

SoCalGas renews program to deliver bioCNG to fuel stations in California

Natural Gas fueling station with people at a press event with

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has renewed a program to supply renewable natural gas to all 32 of the company’s fueling stations, along with six in the San Diego area, signing three-year contracts with suppliers U.S. Gain and Element Markets as demand continues to grow. In April 2019, SoCalGas began replacing traditional CNG at fueling stations with biomethane to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet California’s climate goals.

Emission Reduction, Infrastructure, RNG

| Today's Trucking

May 11, 2022

Larger engine displacements, renewable fuel, increase promise of natural gas trucks

Clean Energy natural gas fueling station with two heavy-duty trucks fueling

Supporters of natural gas vehicles continue to point at their fuel of choice as a natural option in the drive to reduce unwanted emissions.

Electric grids still need to be updated to support battery-electric vehicles. But renewable natural gas (RNG) can be produced from waste — delivering a negative carbon intensity score that betters renewable diesel, biodiesel, and electric power alike…

Emission Reduction, NGVs, RNG

| FleetOwner

May 11, 2022

Cummins details 15-liter natural gas engine at ACT Expo

Split image of a white natural gas truck and a red Cummins natural gas engine

Two-thirds of the long-haul truck market today is served by diesel-powered 15-liter engines, noted Todd Swenson, manager of global regulatory affairs at Cummins Inc. And to help fulfill immediate sustainability needs for the long-haul segment, Cummins unveiled a new 15-liter natural gas engine during the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo here.

A team effort with the California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership (CNGVP), the near-zero emission X15N natural gas engine will offer ratings up to 500 horsepower and 1,850 lb.-ft. of torque, enabling fleets to achieve powerful performance when hauling 80,000-lb. loads or more. The range of a truck with a Cummins X15N 15-liter natural gas engine will allow for at least 750 miles of driving between refueling.

CNG, Heavy-Duty, NGVs

| Fleet Equipment

May 10, 2022

Cummins, California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership highlights natural gas-related decarbonization opportunities

Attendees gathered at a press event.

During a press event at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, the California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership (CNGVP) collaborated with Cummins Inc. to display its near-zero emissions X15N 15-liter natural gas engine for the North American freight transportation market. In tandem with the announcement, CNGVP announced that in 2021 the energy weighted carbon intensity value of all natural gas used for transportation fuel in California was below zero at negative 33.36 gCO2e/MJ, according to recently released data from the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program.

Heavy-Duty, NGVs, RNG

| Green Fleet

May 10, 2022

On the Glide Path to Net Zero

Thumbnail of the cover of the State of Sustainable Fleets report

The State of Sustainable Fleets 2022 report includes key findings on CNG and highlights that users continued to see significant fuel savings over diesel and have a demonstrated ROI.

Compressed natural gas fuel is priced just right. Among surveyed fleets, 79% report that fuel cost savings is a primary advantage for deploying natural gas units. Transit buses, straight trucks (including refuse), and Class 8 tractors are the dominant sectors driving CNG vehicle sales, leading growth in registrations of natural gas vehicles by 3% from 2020 to 2021. Most fleets that have piloted or purchased CNG trucks in the past two years additionally reported equal or better performance on emissions (96% of fleets), noise (87%), fuel supply (67%), and total cost of ownership (57%) as compared to diesel.

Alt Fuels, CNG, Heavy-Duty

| CNGVP

May 10, 2022

North America’s Long-Haul Freight Trucks Can Now Go Beyond Carbon Neutrality and Save Significant Money

Split image of a white natural gas truck and a red Cummins natural gas engine

“In California, a heavy-duty truck with a Cummins’ 15-liter natural gas engine can provide the greatest GHG emissions benefit compared to all commercially available options, all while significantly outperforming diesel trucks on a cost-per-mile basis,” said Tom Swenson, manager of global regulatory affairs at Cummins and president of CNGVP. “Cummins has received significant fleet customer interest in the X15N, as it provides a very viable and competitive option to reduce the environmental impact for traditional over-the-road long-haul applications.”

Heavy-Duty, RNG, Sustainability

| ACT News

May 6, 2022

RNG’s Direct Cost, Emission Benefits Continue to Improve

Row of white heavy-duty natural gas trucks

Whether you are looking to cut costs or emissions, the path to both is clear — RNG can help fleets transition from diesel to a cleaner and more cost-effective fuel quickly and without the growing pains of some currently developing technologies.

NGVs, RNG, Sustainability

| Cummins Inc.

May 4, 2022

Natural Gas Engines vs. Diesel Engines

Natural gas HD truck refueling station with a Cummins truck refueling

From tractor trailers and transit buses to delivery trucks and terminal tractors, fleets have traditionally relied on diesel engines to provide the torque, reliability and durability needed by heavy-duty commercial applications. Natural gas engines, however, have emerged as a great alternative to diesel. Drivers, mechanics, and fleet managers appreciate natural gas engines for a variety of reasons.

Drivers find that natural gas engines have similar performance and drivability as diesel engines. The leading difference between natural gas and diesel engines is noise; natural gas engines are quieter.

Heavy-Duty, NGVs, Technology