March 9, 2016 Vol. 13 No. 5

 The falling price of diesel made this year’s version of the Green Truck Summit in Indianapolis a somewhat predictable affair last week. The financial case for natural gas and other alternate fuels and power sources has essentially disappeared, leaving proponents of the various green motive-power options with little to say except to praise their favorite non-diesel fuel’s limited impact on the environment. Time and again, speakers said we’ve entered into an era in which incentives — which only barely exist in Canada — are more necessary than ever if fleets are going to leave diesel behind.

 That’s not to say there was any doom or gloom evident because these folks have always focused on the emissions case anyway. Mind you, not a soul uttered a prediction that oil prices would rise in the near future and make their sales pitch easier. No surprise there.

 Held just in advance of the National Truck Equipment Association’s Work Truck Show, the Summit was nonetheless well attended so it would seem that alt-fuel interest hasn’t waned entirely. And the show floor was abuzz with displays of electric and propane-powered vehicles. Not so much natural gas. 

 In fact, natural gas vehicle production and sales declined in 2015 compared to 2014, according to Matthew Godlewski, president of NGVAmerica. The light-duty segment fell sharply, he said, the medium-duty market less so. U.S. sales were flat in the heavy-duty world in spite of lower oil prices, which represents a victory of sorts. That result is due largely to ongoing growth within the refuse and transit markets, which are the primary buyers of natural gas vehicles, according to Godlewski. He added that there is still steady growth in natural gas infrastructure.

THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES ON DISPLAY at the Work Truck Show intrigued me most, and for what it’s worth I think this option is a long-term winner for urban/suburban P & D applications.

 Among them, California’s Motiv Power Systems and Morgan Olson used the show to announce a collaboration on an all-electric option for the latter’s Route Star walk-in van, built on the Ford F59 chassis.

 It features up to 20% gradeability, 85 miles of range, and a 50% battery charge time of 1.5 to 2 hours — using a simple automotive-style, 3-phase, 24-kw/hr charger. A full charge needs 8 hours. Like most electric systems, it’s pretty much maintenance-free, but it does add some 2200 lb.