The MSBOA Newsletter had a nice article about the hybrid bus we had at our Open House. Just click on the link below to read it.
Filed under: Green, Hoglund Bus, Hybrid, IC, Mark Your Calendars, Minnesota, Open House, Training
Hoglund Bus would like to invite you to see and drive our new IC Conventional Electric Hybrid. This bus will be in Minnesota, at our Monticello location on 10/7 with a training class scheduled and a ride and drive to follow. The presentation will begin at 1:00 p.m. by Keith Kladder, Marketing Manager, IC Bus. If you are concerned with your carbon footprint or high diesel costs, come find out what our bus has to offer. Lunch will be provided and other exciting things happening, as this is happening during our Open House, call Linda at 763-271-2952 to get registered and find out what else we have to offer.
Filed under: Commercial Buses, Green, Hoglund Bus, Hybrid, Minnesota, Turtle Top
OAK PARK, MI, July 22 /CNW/ – Azure Dynamics Corporation (TSX: AZD – News) – (“Azure”) or (the “Company”), a leading developer of state-of-the-art green technologies that address environmental and cost issues for the commercial transportation industry, today announced a partnership with Turtle Top, a leading body manufacturer specializing in small to mid-sized buses and specialty vehicles. The agreement provides Turtle Top customers and dealers the opportunity to select Azure’s Balance(TM) Hybrid Electric drivetrain system on the Ford E-450 chassis.
“Although the relationship with Turtle Top is relatively new, it has already brought us success,” said Jay Sandler, Azure Dynamics Vice President of Sales. “Our recent 15 unit sale to Metro Mobility was a collaborative effort among Azure, Turtle Top and Hoglund Bus, a dealership in Monticello, Minnesota. Together, we can create the ideal transportation solution to meet and exceed customers’ needs.”
“Turtle Top has worked aggressively in the production and distribution of environmentally friendly vehicles over the past several years,” said Phil Tom, Vice President of Sales for Turtle Top. “Customers are demanding alternative energy sources to comply with anti-idle regulations and fuel efficiency standards. Our partnership with Azure Dynamics will allow us to offer the fuel efficient and environmentally friendly products that customers are demanding.”
With its electric-launch assist, engine-off at idle and regenerative braking, the Azure Balance(TM) Hybrid Electric is ideally suited for the tough start and stop conditions endured by shuttle buses. As a result, Turtle Top customers who select the Balance(TM) Hybrid Electric can expect up to 40% improvement in fuel economy and up to 30% reduction in maintenance costs. Importantly, the hybrid drive train also reduces greenhouse emissions by up to 30% thereby reducing the owner’s carbon footprint and improving air quality.
With the addition of Turtle Top, Azure has now partnered with seven of the leading bus body manufacturers in the US and Canada. Additionally, Azure has partnered with 27 Ford commercial truck dealerships in key markets across North America. These partnerships give Azure significant market presence and expanded sales and service capabilities.
Turtle Top began manufacturing automotive products in 1962 and is well known in the automotive industry for its quality, service, longevity and integrity. Turtle Top’s facility is located in New Paris, Indiana.
For more information about Azure Dynamics and its products, please visit www.azuredynamics.com.
About Azure Dynamics
Azure Dynamics Corporation (TSX: AZD – News) is a world leader in the development and production of hybrid electric and electric components and powertrain systems for commercial vehicles. Azure is strategically targeting the commercial delivery vehicle and shuttle bus markets and is currently working internationally with various partners and customers. The Company is committed to providing customers and partners with innovative, cost-efficient, and environmentally-friendly energy management solutions. For more information please visit www.azuredynamics.com.
Fleets interested in purchasing hybrid vehicles can take advantage of several government grants and tax credits available this year to help offset the additional costs associated with the vehicles.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 included several programs that can benefit fleets, including the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA), a voluntary grant and loan program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, and tax credits from the Internal Revenue Service.
Enesta Jones, EPA spokeswoman, said EPA has already awarded millions of dollars in grants through DERA and more funding opportunities will be announced in June. “It is intended to help fund efforts to reduce diesel emissions from the existing fleet,” she explained.
The program awarded $50 million in 2008, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — the February stimulus plan — added another $300 million, but that money will have been committed by the time this issue is read. To ensure the ARRA’s goals were reached quickly, the EPA accepted grant applications only from March 17 to April 27.
Where to Go for Funds
Under DERA, private and public fleets can apply for funding in partnership with regional, state or local agencies with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality, such as a Department of Natural Resources or Air Pollution Control.
Fleets also can partner with nonprofit organizations that provide pollution reduction programs or education, such as the Environmental Defense Fund. Funding covers up to 25% of the cost of a new hybrid truck, and fleets can purchase multiple trucks.
To help simplify the application process, industrial manufacturer Eaton Corp. established a program to assist fleet owners in applying for DERA grants. Dontia Warren, market development manager for Eaton’s Hybrid Power business unit, told Light & Medium Truck there was significant fleet interest in the most-recent round of DERA grants.
“We are seeing a mix of current and new customers as well as large and smaller fleets,” she said.
The Environmental Defense Fund also is working directly with fleets. “We know fleet managers are busy folks, so we’ve hired an additional consultant who is aggregating fleet [requests] and we will help with the application process,” said Rachel Beckhardt, project manager for EDF. She added that this is a perfect opportunity for smaller fleets.
“It seems very complicated, but it’s not,” she said.
Both the EDF and Eaton were successful in getting DERA funding for fleets in 2008. “We want to continue to offer this service to fleets interested in purchasing hybrids moving forward,” Warren said.
DERA funding does come with additional steps. Grant recipients file quarterly mileage and fuel reports with EPA for several years and have to take one truck out of service for each grant they receive. And, they must destroy the engine.
“Fleets can sell the chassis, they can sell the scrap metal, but they have to scrap the engine,” Beckhardt said. “The point is to reduce diesel emissions, not to export them somewhere else.”
The savings could make it worth the extra steps involved. Warren explained that by combining the DERA funding with an IRS tax credit and the fuel and operating savings of a hybrid versus a conventional diesel truck, the cost of a new diesel hybrid truck could be about the same as a conventional new truck over a five-year period.
Through the IRS’s Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit program, fleets can receive tax credits for qualified alternative fuel motor vehicles and heavy hybrids over 8,500 pounds. Tax credits range from $3,000-$12,000, depending on the vehicle, and are available until Dec. 31. Eligible vehicles may be either new, original equipment or used vehicles that are repowered to use an alternative fuel.
Several manufactures’ vehicles are eligible for the tax credit, including Azure Dynamics, Freightliner Trucks, International Truck & Engine Corp., Kenworth Truck, Navistar, Peterbilt Motors Co. and Workhorse Custom Chassis.
Beckhardt said the EDF has been working to extend the tax credit, and would like to see Congress established a fixed credit that would eventually phase out as more hybrids are produced, just as it did with passenger vehicles.
For more information on tax credits for hybrid vehicle purchases, visit www.irs.gov/businesses/article/0,,id=175456,00.html.
To learn more about the Diesel Emission Reduction Act and additional funding opportunities, visit www.epa.gov/cleandiesel or www.edf.org/hybridincentives.
To contact Eaton directly, e-mail DERAFunding@Eaton.com.
Article by Mindy Long in Light & Medium Truck, May 2009
The truth is MaxxForce® Advanced EGR is the 2010 emissions compliant technology that is less cost, less hassle, better for the environment and takes the burden of compliance off of the bus customer. Yet, there are myths and misconceptions circulating in the marketplace that call into question those facts. Let’s clear the air with the truth.
SCR MYTH: SCR is greener.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: MaxxForce engines are greener. Navistar chose to make its engines cleaner than EPA emissions as early as 2004. So, Navistar has been making cleaner engines for years. Unfortunately, our competitors didn’t reduce their engine emissions as much as we did, so their engines have been putting out more emissions than ours, for years.
Additionally, because SCR engines can continue to run for periods of time without appropriate urea, SCR buses can pollute the environment in excess of EPA emissions requirements unless the urea tank is properly maintained or filled.
SCR MYTH: SCR will yield a 5% – 9% fuel economy advantage.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: This has not been proven or tested. Since IC Bus is the only bus manufacturer using an Advanced EGR engine for 2010, we would have had to loan our competitors a MaxxForce Advanced EGR engine for testing. Since we did not do that, this myth is completely unsupported.
Based on SAE fuel economy tests, our MaxxForce engines already enjoy a fuel economy advantage (by as much as 12.9%) over competitive engines today. So the competition has a lot of ground to make up with their coming 2010 engine designs just to get comparable to the fuel economy of our MaxxForce engines. And even if competitive engines did make up that ground, bus customers would still be left with the complexities of dealing with urea.
Additionally, even if SCR buses do have a fuel economy advantage, bus owners still have to consider their total cost of operations increase with SCR which will include urea purchase, handling, storage and maintenance, as well as driver and service technician training. All of this should be taken into account when considering any potential fuel economy advantage which is yet unproven.
SCR MYTH: SCR is proven.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: SCR is proven in Europe. European emission standards are not as strict as EPA 2010 so the hardware is not simply “plug and play” in North America.
Also, in Europe there is no governance for managing engine compliance when urea is not used. In other words, they use the honor system. Vehicles with no urea in Europe are completely drivable at full power. However, in North America, EPA 2010 guidelines regulate a vehicle’s drivable distance and speed when there is no urea in the system.
Keep in mind that SCR is unproven in North American road conditions and climates. As noted in the table above, average temperatures between the two continents vary significantly, so making an apples to apples comparison is inaccurate.
Alternatively, Advanced EGR is an evolution of the current technology that almost all North American engine manufacturers are using on the road today. You can count on knowing that MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines have been thoroughly tested and proven in North America.
SCR MYTH: An SCR bus will not shut down if the urea tank is empty.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: An SCR bus will not shut down, but it will derate to 5 mph after a period of time. With Advanced EGR engines you do not have to worry about a 5 mph derate. Ever. You are compliant when you turn the key. Period. With Advanced EGR, drivers do not have to worry about what to do with your passengers in a bus that will only travel at 5mph.
SCR MYTH: An SCR bus will maintain current service intervals.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: There is information to suggest that testers of of 2010 SCR systems in Canada have experienced an increase in service intervals. Reports claim that SCR test vehicles are being serviced more often to remove crystallized urea build-up on the doser nozzle. This is another example of how SCR components can create additional maintenance requirements.
SCR MYTH: Once derated and the urea tank is filled, full power of an SCR engine will resume.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: This depends on the engine manufacturer. Although the EPA does not appear to require a reset, it is our understanding that at least one engine manufacturer using SCR, will require an engine reset that can only be performed through a service call. With MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines you do not have to worry about a vehicle derate or engine reset — our engines are always 2010 compliant and all you have to do is turn the key.
SCR MYTH: DEF is expected to cost the same as diesel fuel.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: There is no evidence in the marketplace to support this. It’s too early for anyone to predict what the cost of urea will be in 2010 and beyond. We’ve seen containers of urea sell for around $12 per gallon in Europe and as high as $35 per gallon in America. And while some have claimed that prices will come down with bulk sales, early plans for bulk sales have been vague at best.
It is important to note that urea is subject to fluctuations in natural gas prices, which swing wildly. Buying urea in small containers might be a simple way to avoid handling and testing complications, but the prices are expected to be higher for smaller-sized containers. Buying urea in bulk might bring the price down, but this method requires purification testing as well as the cost of a storage infrastructure ($50,000 – $1 million).
SCR MYTH: Urea will be readily available everywhere.
ADVANCED EGR FACT: Urea will be available in jugs for sale at a limited number of truck stops. Do you have easy access to a truck stop? If not, do you plan to install the infrastructure (costing $50,000 or more) on your own property to store and dispense it on site? Remember that with urea’s need to be temperature controlled, it is not as simple as keeping a jug or two in a cabinet in your shop.
SCR MYTH: Advanced EGR reduces engine life by 20-25%
ADVANCED EGR FACT: False. MaxxForce Advanced EGR engines will maintain their current service life.
The America’s Greenest School Contest has it’s finalists! There are 10 schools that you can vote for – and one of them are from Iowa! Congratulations to Carolyn (Age 11) from Crawfordsville, IA for being one of the finalists! She is one of the youngest finalists in the contest. You can vote every day between now and May 17th, and also have a chance to win $200 to spend at a green website! By voting, you’ll help choose the lucky winner of a hybrid bus for their school district and a $5,000 scholarship! Good luck to all of the finalists! And go here to vote!
HOGLUND BUS AND TRUCK KICKS OFF NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR AMERICA’S GREENEST SCHOOL, WINNING SCHOOL TO RECEIVE HYBRID SCHOOL BUS
Students, Teachers, Parents Encouraged to Help Improve Environmental Impact of Schools Through New Campaign
Students returning to school from Winter Break can start the New Year off with a resolution for their schools to be more environmentally responsible. Hoglund Bus and Truck and the nation’s largest school bus manufacturer, IC Bus, is looking for America’s Greenest School – and Minnesota and Iowa students can help.
Students can enter by visiting www.AmericasGreenestSchool.com. On the site, they can learn more about making their school more environmentally friendly and submit a 500-word essay that describes what makes their school “green”. Activities such as setting up in-school recycling programs, keeping lights turned off when not in use, using environmentally smart landscaping and encouraging students to ride school buses instead of driving to school are all ideal solutions for creating a greener school.
The submission should describe how the school shows its commitment to going green, how it teaches its students the value of green living, how it shows its dedication to green transportation, or how it embodies the spirit of a greener planet.
“This program can help students, teachers and parents learn that they do have the power to make greener choices that will positively affect the environment,” said Terra Wellington, the author of the new book “The Mom’s Guide to Growing Your Family Green: Saving the Earth
Begins at Home” and one of the judges of the essay contest. “Making America’s schools greener is a winning lesson plan for everyone.”
Finalists will be announced after Earth Day and the public will be able to vote to choose who wins the title of America’s Greenest School. The winning school will receive a plug-in hybrid school bus from IC Bus, which can the fuel efficiency of standard school buses by 65% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40 percent. The hybrid school bus has an estimated retail value of $200,000. Sponsoring teachers have the chance to win $3,000 to use toward educational materials. The student who submits the winning essay will win a $5,000 scholarship. Hoglund Bus and Truck is excited to help local schools enter for a chance to win a hybrid school bus.
