CleanFuel CNG Blog

NGVAmerica reports that this week, four US Senators introduced the Streamline Alternative Fuel Vehicle Conversions Act. (S. 1809 and HR 3431). The legislation would simply and streamline EPA’s emissions certification process for aftermarket fuel conversion systems. It is a bill “To amend the Clean Air Act to promote the certification of aftermarket conversion systems and thereby encourage the increased use of alternative fueled vehicles.” (S.1809)

During the bill’s introduction, Sen. Inhofe noted that the bill “makes critical changes so that vehicle conversions can become a commonplace option for all Americans. By simplifying this compliance process, we will not only incentivize conversion manufacturers to offer more systems for additional vehicle makes and models, but will eventually reduce the costs of these conversion systems for interested car owners – perhaps by hundreds and even thousands of dollars”.

Specifically the bill would:

• Eliminate the need for subsequent yearly recertification after a system has already been certified, making it no longer necessary to resubmit data to EPA for a system that has not changed;
• Direct the EPA to establish criteria that would cover several different yet similar vehicle makes, models and model years on a single certificate of conformity using the test data from a single vehicle;
• Instruct the EPA to allow the submission of previous testing data if a vehicle or the conversion system has not changed in a way which would affect compliance;
• Direct the EPA to promulgate regulations to help conversion system manufacturers comply with potentially difficult on-board diagnostics (OBD) requirements and compatibility; and
• Clarify the treatment of vehicles which are beyond their useful life as defined by the EPA as long as the conversion system manufacturer or the converter is able to demonstrate that the emissions would not worsen due to a conversion.

Source: NGVAmerica

The State of Oklahoma’s Department of Central Services Fleet Management Division recently entered into an agreement with Oklahoma based Tulsa Gas Technologies, Inc. (TGT), and CNG conversion technology manufacturer NaturalDrive Partners, LLC  to provide Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified OEM-style compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion technology for use in its vehicle fleets. TGT will provide the equipment and training necessary for fleet conversion.
DCS Fleet Management is projected to perform 60 conversions to run as dedicated natural gas vehicles for participating State agencies during the next year. Using NaturalDrive conversion technology, these full-size alternative fuel vehicles will be utilized in a variety of state government applications.

Oklahoma’s government entities with formalized CNG vehicle conversion targets in this group include the Oklahoma legislative branch, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and Oklahoma Department of Central Services.

Laboratory results for the State’s “first in class” model year 2008 CNG Impala showed a 75% reduction in oxides of nitrogen, the primary cause of smog and haze in metropolitan areas as well as a 66% reduction in carbon monoxide for a combined reduction of harmful environmental pollutants of 222 pounds over the life of the vehicle.

NaturalDrive design innovations include an advanced fuel injection control system that works in concert with the vehicle’s OBD-II (onboard computer system) to ensure emissions and fuel efficiency meet or exceed both environmental protection agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration CAFE standards.