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Kansas City Adding New CNG Trucks to Fleet
In case you haven't seen it, there's a great article on Government-Fleet.com about KCMO's new CNG trucks.
Kansas City Fleet Administrator Sam Swearngin, along with other fleet operations staff, recently received training for the new CNG truck.
KANSAS CITY, MO - The City of Kansas City recently took delivery of
one of the first of a total of 19 heavy-duty compressed natural gas
(CNG) trucks being placed into service this year.
The city received a federal grant through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
(CMAQ) Program to help pay for the CNG system, according to Sam Swearngin,
fleet administrator for Kansas City. The CNG truck is an International
4300 storm water utility truck application.
Though the fleet also uses other available alternative fuels including
propane, ethanol, biodiesel, hybrid-electric, and plug-in electric,
CNG "displaces more foreign oil derived fuels than all the others
combined," said Swearngin.
"We use CNG for a number of reasons. First of all, we want vehicles
that are safe and perform as well as traditional vehicles. Secondly,
we want the lowest emissions possible, and finally, we want a secure,
domestically produced fuel that will be affordable over the long haul
and offer price stability, to get us off the roller coaster of petroleum
fuels. For us, the move to CNG has proven to be a good choice," Swearngin
explained.
City fleet technicians, supervisors, and superintendents recently
received training for the new truck from the National Alternative
Fuels Training Consortium. The training involved three full days of
class and hands-on learning.
The training covered:
- Understanding the properties of compressed natural gas and how it compares to other fuels.
- Purpose and function of compressed natural gas vehicle components.
- Recognizing the proper installation guidelines and identifying component damage.
- Compressed natural gas safety.
- Cylinder inspection.
While the CNG truck is similar to traditionally fueled models, Swearngin
said there are two noticeable differences between CNG trucks and traditional
trucks. "First, the CNG fuel tanks are bigger, heavier and required
more space on the vehicle. Second, filling the CNG truck's fuel tank
is different. It's like a heavy-duty air chuck that snaps on the truck's
inlet nozzle," Swearngin explained.
Kansas City was pleased to have worked with truck body company Mobile
Hydraulics Equipment Co. (MHE) on the new trucks. "As with just about
all 'first of vehicles', there are usually delays. And there was with
this project, but MHE rolled with the flow and was very supportive,"
noted Swearngin.
CNG Truck Specs
- Cab and Chassis Make and Model: International 4300
- CNG Engine Make and Model: ESI Phoenix 7.6L 265HP, 820ft.lb @ 1400 RPM
- CNG Fuel Tank Package: Enviromech -60 dge (diesel gallon equivalent) minimum (dge = scf /139); 4-cylinder system
- Application: Storm Water Utility Truck
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