Ryder System Inc (NYSE:R) has begun to take delivery of 39 light- and medium-duty compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, the first of their kind in North America forlease or rent. The vehicles include 20 Greenkraft cabover vehicles with 6.0-liter GM natural gas engines and 19 Navistar International TranStar trucks with Cummins Westport ISL G engines.
The CNG trucks range in gross vehicle weight from 16,000 to 33,000 pounds and are available for lease or rent from Ryder in California. The new light- and medium-duty natural gas vehicles are ideal for metro/city delivery applications. Unlike heavy-duty natural gas vehicles, which require fueling stations designed to accommodate large commercial tractor-trailers, these lighter vehicles can access much of the existing retail CNG fueling infrastructure. These initial 39 vehicles will be maintained at Ryder’s natural gas-compliant California maintenance facilities in Orange, Fontana, Rancho Dominguez, and West Sacramento. These vehicle configurations are now available as part of Ryder’s portfolio of offerings in all markets where the firm services natural gas vehicles.
Funding for the incremental cost of the vehicles was provided by the California Energy Commission and the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC). These grants enable Ryder to make the cost of renting or leasing CNG vehicles more comparable to traditional diesel trucks.
To learn more about Ryder’s commitment to alternative fuels, visitwww.ryder.com/alternativefuels.
