Green Fleet Roundup: Ford, Rolls Royce, Nissan, Nestle

Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid vehicles (pictured) are hitting Europe’s roads in support of a Ford-led €13.2 million ($17.25 million) study into electric vehicles in urban areas. Seventeen C-MAX Energi vehicles form part of a fleet of 66 Ford EVs that will be integrated into the transport infrastructure of Cologne, Germany, to support the “colognE-mobil” research project that could offer a template for the potential further roll-out of EV infrastructures in other cities across Germany.

Rolls Royce is developing a hybrid cargo vessel — with a 180-foot sail augmented by bio-methane engines — that can carry 4,500 tons while curbing emissions, Bloomberg reports. Rolls Royce will provide a back-up power-plant based on its Bergen model that’s able to burn methane produced from municipal waste by a unit of B9 Energy Group.

Nissan will conduct a field test of the 100 percent electric compact van, e-NV200, in cooperation with DHL Japan in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Nissan will provide DHL Japan with a test model, which will be used to deliver packages to companies and commercial facilities prior to the commercial launch of the e-NV200 in 2014.

South Korea’s SK Innovation Company, state-owned Beijing Automotive Industries Holding Co. and LCD maker Beijing Electronics Holding Co. have formed a joint venture to make batteries for electric vehicles, Asian Power reports. The joint venture will invest $166.4 million to build a battery pack plant that will have an annual production capable of powering 10,000 EVs by the second half of 2014, and 30,000 EVs by 2017.

Ryder System has opened the first natural gas fueling stations in its North American network to serve both the general public and Ryder lease and rental customers. The liquefied to compressed natural gas (LCNG) stations are located at two of Ryder’s maintenance and fueling facilities in Orange and Fontana, Calif., part of a larger project that will displace more than 1.5 million gallons of diesel annually with 100 percent domestically produced low-carbon natural gas.

Nestle USA has switched to EcoPower engine oil in its private fleet of Class 8 tractors, says Safety-Kleen, which manufacturers the re-refined engine oil. Every 100 million gallons of re-refined engine oil used avoids more than 650 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the company says.

Axion Power International has received an order from ePower Engine Systems for PbC batteries and management systems required to convert 10 Class 8 trucks from standard internal combustion engines to series diesel electric hybrid drive train systems utilizing ePower’s proprietary technology. Axion values each truck conversion battery order at in excess of $20,000.