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, Hoglund Bus, Hybrid, Scott Gretsch, Turtle Top
One local company’s hybrid vehicles have been drawing the attention of government entities across the country.
Turtle Top Inc., a New Paris-based specialty vehicle manufacturer, hosted Hoglund Bus Co. representative Scott Gretsch this week. Gretsch was checking on an order he helped to coordinate for 15 hybrid buses for Metro Mobility, a regional transportation service for people unable to use fixed-route buses due to disabilities or health conditions. The service is administered by the Metropolitan Council of Minnesota. Metro Mobility’s fleet manager accompanied Gretsch on the trip.
“This order has been in the making for quite some time,” Gretsch said. “It was placed this spring, and the reason that Metro Mobility chose Turtle Top is just because of their high quality.”
He also pointed to what he saw as a pioneering aspect of the purchase.
“It’s one of the first orders of that size, if not the first made for hybrid buses in the country,” Gretsch said.
While visiting the plant he and the fleet manager performed pilot inspections on the buses under construction.
Interest tied to fuel cost Turtle Top Vice President Phil Tom said he is happy about the order, but not surprised. “We’ve been working on the deal for a while,” Tom said. “We’re also building a hybrid vehicle for the state of Florida.”
Tom explained that while interest in the company’s products was high when fuel was topping $4 per gallon, as the price dropped, so did that interest. So over the last two years, the company has been working on its hybrid program, not only prototyping and testing, but exposing the products to large vehicle fleets, the federal government and several car rental agencies.
“There is definitely interest at all the various levels. I think people are just trying to get themselves educated and see if it would work for them and their duty cycles,” Tom said. “The strongest interest level definitely has been with municipalities and government at the state level. Hotel shuttles, the limousine market, those segments really aren’t interested, at least at this time.”
Turtle Tops’ new hybrid vehicles require more construction lead time than its normal buses, and take about 120 days to be built and shipped. Part of that time increase is due to the chassis required by the hybrid systems. Each chassis has to be special ordered.
Another option
In addition to hybrid systems, Turtle Top also offers a bi-fuel system that runs on liquid propane and gasoline, as well as a compressed natural gas system. Tom said company officials have been in conversations with a company offering a liquid propane injection system that runs exclusively on propane.
“We’re working with a lot of different types of technology these days when it comes to alternative fuels, and we try to provide our clients with a system that works best for their individual segment as well as help improve our environment,” Tom said.
One such new development is a pollution-control technology coming out in 2010. The system scrubs the exhaust in a diesel vehicle.
“Once it’s done with the conversion, the air coming in the front will be dirtier than the air coming out of the tailpipe,” Tom said.
By Jesse Davis THE GOSHEN NEWS NEW PARIS
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.
From IC Bus
Hello Friend of the Environment,
We’re very happy to announce that Alexander Chen of Irvington High School in Fremont, CA has won the America’s Greenest School Contest! Alex’s essay “Irvington Vikings Sail Toward Sustainability” (one of nearly 2,000) won his school district an IC Bus plug-in hybrid electric school bus. He also won a $5,000 scholarship for himself. Way to go, Alex!
We created the contest as part of our effort to promote how school bus ridership can make the world a greener place. The response to the contest shows how much younger generations care about a green planet. Alex’s essay demonstrated an in-depth understanding of the many ways energy efficiency can be achieved at school, from installing timers on light fixtures to pursuing an effort to paint the school’s rooftop white. Alex and Irvington High School clearly have a profound interest in a greener world. As classes come to an end and we prepare for summer vacation, IC Bus wants to help everyone stay involved with the drive for a greener world.
In this spirit, we’d like to share some tips from author Terra Wellington. Her recent book, The Mom’s Guide to Growing Your Family Green: Saving the Earth Begins at Home, is a comprehensive real-person’s guide on how to help the planet and protect your family.
GO ORGANIC — Use organic food for your child’s meals whenever possible. Easy and widely available ideas include organic fruits, drinks, peanut butter, jelly and carrot sticks.
REDUCE WASTE — When going on outings, pack your lunches in reusable containers. This is more environmentally friendly than using disposable paper bags and plastic baggies.
RECYCLE — Use recycling bins for paper, cans and bottles. If your neighborhood doesn’t have recycling bins, work with your like-minded parents to get some.
BE PROUD TO RIDE THE BUS — Help the environment and clean up your air by using mass transit. This keeps additional cars off the road and helps you save gas, avoid traffic jams and cut down on greenhouse gases. The last tip is obviously one that’s close to our heart. Through increasing bus ridership, IC Bus hopes to help families and communities reduce their carbon footprint.
Did you know:
• Every school day, almost half a million school buses carry 26 million children to and from school — that’s a little more than half of America’s school children.
• According to the American School Bus Council, one full school bus takes 36 cars off the road.
• Every year, 3.1 billion gallons of fuel are saved by students riding school buses, and if school bus ridership were to rise just 10%, another 300 million gallons of fuel could be saved annually.
We hope this gives you some ways to extend your green efforts while school is out. Enjoy your summer. We’ll be in touch before school starts with more information on school bus ridership and other insights on how we can all make the world a greener place for our families and future generations. In the meantime, to learn more about IC Bus and our community sustainability efforts, go to ICBus.com/Community.
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 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!
IC has received some common questions which we would like to use as an opportunity to reinforce some points about the grant:
The DERA Grant is Competitive
· The EPA will receive many times more requests for funding than is available. Applications such as marine diesel projects, DPF retrofit projects, new school bus purchases, off highway retrofits, municipal trucks, offset to the cost of alternative fuels, locomotives, etc are all eligible for funding. We are hearing from across the country of organizations pursuing DERA funds. As such, this is a competitive grant and it is possible that not everyone will receive funding. We need to ensure our customers understand this.
Focus Your Efforts on 25% Funding Level
· Due to the competitive nature of the grant, the key for you to educate your customer on is presenting a winning application. Focusing on the 25% level will help with a winning bid. Why? A major factor in determining the grant award is Cost per Emissions Reduced. Here’s an example of what this means:
Customer A. Submitting for 25% funding level to replace a 1994 school bus with a 2009 school bus w/
MaxxForce DT
Emission reduction
EPA 1994 level 2009 level Total Reduction
NOx 5.0 1.2 3.8
PM 0.10 0.01 0.09
Customer B . Submitting for 50% funding level to replace same 1994 school bus with a 2009.5 CE school bus w/ high HP MXF DT produced after August 1, 2009.
Emission Reduction
EPA 1994 level 2009.5 level Total Reduction
NOx 5.0 <0.5 4.5+
PM 0.10 0.01 0.09
Probable Result:
EPA may likely choose to fund customer A over customer B. The incremental NOx reduction is not double, yet it would cost the EPA twice the funding. The EPA.s goal is to have the greatest impact in reducing diesel emissions. They would likely prefer to fund (2) 25% proposals instead of (1) 50% proposal.
Another note, please keep in mind, the new bus must have a similar horsepower rating to the old bus. The EPA may not allow you to replace a 210 hp engine with a 245 hp engine.
Minimum Grant Requests
· For customers interested in only purchasing a few buses, we have aligned with a national, non for profit organization that will collate similar customers from their EPA regions and submit a combined grant request meeting the minimum award levels on their behalf. Please contact Jason Anderson at salesmanager@hoglundbus.com for more information.
· To complete the grant through the national organization, each dealership must fill out one excel document, collating all customer information onto the excel spreadsheet. In addition, on a Microsoft Word document, each district should provide the following information (One MS Word document per customer):
o Short description of applicant organization
o High level description of the vehicles involved (Number and Type
of Vehicles)
o Project start date if awarded money (Order date and date vehicle
would be put into service)
o Positive impact the project could have on the environment in the
customers area
o If applicable, how this grant can help overcome financial hardship by
a school district
o Any past experience the customer has with diesel emission reduction
projects
o Any potential economic impact of this proposal, including number of jobs retained or created (IC Bus will provide impact from factory manufacturer view)
To view information on the DERA Grant, please visit this website. You can download the presentation or email it to someone. Applications for the DERA grant are due by April 28, 2009. If you are interested in this grant, you need to move quickly. You can also get more information on our previous post about this topic, found here. If you have any questions, please contact Jason Anderson at salesmanager@hoglundbus.com or Nicole Crum at busadmin@hoglundbus.com.
Filed under: 2010 Emissions, Commercial Buses, EPA, Grant, Hybrid, IC, Iowa, Minnesota
Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Grant Environmental Protection Agency
Overview:
The EPA DERA grant provides funding to reduce emissions from existing diesel engines through a variety of strategies including funding the purchase of new vehicles. Grants will focus on promoting economic recovery, preserving and/or creating jobs, and reducing diesel emissions. Approximately $156 million of funding will be offered for competitive funding. More information can be found at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/diesel/prgnational.htm.
Available funding:
• The EPA grant will fund 25% of the entire cost of each vehicle (body and chassis).
• School buses that meet 2010 emissions in 2009 may qualify for 50% funding
Eligibility:
• Both hybrid and non-hybrid vehicles are eligible. Commercial\school buses and medium\ heavy trucks qualify.
• A vehicle that is currently operating must be taken out of service. The purchase of the new vehicle(s) must be accompanied by the fully-documented scrapping of the vehicle(s) being replaced.
o The replacement vehicle must perform the same function as the new vehicle.
o The replacement vehicle must be of the same type and similar gross vehicle weight rating or horsepower as the vehicle being replaced.
Who can apply:
o A regional, state, local or tribal agency or port authority with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality.
o A nonprofit organization or institution that represents or provides pollution reduction or educational services to persons or organizations that own or operate diesel fleets.
• Private companies and municipal entities should plan to apply for the grant in partnership with an organization that is described above.
Application Process
• Applications must be submitted by eligible organizations listed above. Private companies and municipal entities may apply in partnership with these organizations.
• Navistar will help interested customers partner with organizations that are eligible to apply for the grant.
• Customers interested in applying for the grant should complete a Letter of Intent and Customer Information Worksheet.
Timing:
• The request for proposal from the EPA is expected to be announced on March 17
• The due date for submissions is yet to be announced. It is expected that submissions will be due Late-April 2009.
For submission support (including Navistar emissions and funding eligibility information) please contact:
Mark Schumacher
Construct Marketing and Business Solutions
TEL: 773-857-3346
MSchumacher@ConstructMBS.com
The best ‘green’ essay will win a yellow hybrid bus
Warrenville, Ill.-based IC Bus, which describes itself on its website as the only manufacturer of hybrid school buses, says its bus reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 40% and improves fuel economy compared with a regular diesel school bus. The company created an essay contest to encourage students from kindergarten through 12th grades to start environmentally friendly programs in their schools.
“We feel strongly about the fact that every school bus takes 36 cars off the road, about the billions of gallons of gas that it saves per year for every school bus we have on the road,” says IC Bus president John McKinney.
Students who enter the contest, which is open until April 30, should write 500-word essays on the ways their school seeks to become green.
Christian Laskaros, a junior at Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, N.Y., entered a few weeks ago. He described how small eco-friendly programs at his school, including a paper recycling program, fliers with energy-saving tips in classrooms and ceiling lights with timers, add up to make a big difference.
“I really hope (the judges) grasp the entire gist of the essay, how you can see nothing being eco-friendly one day, and the next day you’re looking at the bus you’re riding on in the city and how eco-friendly it actually is,” Laskaros says. “And you look at your water bottle, something so small, and realize how much damage it can do.”
For contest judges McKinney and Terra Wellington, author of the upcoming book The Mom’s Guide to Growing Your Family Green: Saving the Earth Begins at Home, the contest is all about who is the most excited about going green.
“I’m looking for that passion and emotion in the essay,” Wellington says. “I would love to see children who write these essays show how maybe they got their school involved. Children have a capacity to influence.”
Students can enter their essay at AmericasGreenestSchool.com, where they can read about hybrid buses and learn ways to create a more eco-friendly school, such as shutting off unnecessary classroom lights and packing “litterless lunches” in reusable containers.
Ten finalists will be posted on the website May 11-17, and the public will vote on who should win. In addition to the hybrid bus prize, the winning student will get a $5,000 scholarship, and a faculty sponsor can win $3,000 for educational materials.
From USAToday.com
