UPS outlines plans for increasing the number of alternative fuel vehicles in its fleet in its latest Corporate Sustainability Report. By 2020, UPS wants 25 percent of its new vehicles purchases each year to be alternative fuel or advanced technology vehicles. By 2025, the company expects 40 percent of its ground fuel to be from sources other than gasoline and diesel. Also, it hopes to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of its global ground operations 12 percent by 2025.
Last year, UPS added 11 CNG fueling stations across the U.S. for a total of 44 CNG and LNG stations in 21 states, and the company plans to open another eight CNG stations in 2017. According to the report, this infrastructure has allowed UPS to start using RNG, making it the largest user of RNG in the shipping industry.
“Natural gas remains one of the foundational fuels of our alternative fleet, thanks to its ability to meet our diverse needs—especially the demands of the heavy-duty, over-the-road trucks that connect our regional hubs. These big rigs travel an average of 400 to 600 miles per day and require strong pulling power. CNG and LNG have proven to be the best alternatives to diesel for these trucks, meeting their required range and performance criteria while burning cleaner than diesel or gasoline,” according to the report.
Cummins Westport has developed a new website, Natural Gas Playbook, to provide guidance on evaluating and operating vehicles powered by the manufacturer’s natural gas engines. It includes information on assessing, specifying, preparing for, implementing, and operating NGVs. The site also has two calculators: one that provides the greenhouse gas emissions reductions possible with natural gas or RNG, and the other to determine fuel savings, average fleet speed, service intervals, and fuel system capacity requirements.