Republic Services, a waste and recycling hauler, is adding 226 compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquified natural gas (LNG) trucks to 10 facilities in its Western region.
About 20 percent of the trucks it's adding to its fleet in 2010 will run on natural gas.
Republic’s Allied Waste divisions in Gardena, Sun Valley, Anaheim, Long Beach, Pacheco and Chula Vista, Calif.; Bellevue and Kent, Washington; and Boise, Idaho, will be receiving the vehicles.
To support the fleet upgrade, Republic Services is constructing compressed natural gas fueling stations at Gardena, Sun Valley and Chula Vista, California, and Bellevue, Washington.
Clean Energy, a provider of natural gas fuel for transportation, is facilitating design and construction of the new fueling infrastructure.
Republic says it operates one of the largest private fleets in the country. The addition of 226 natural gas vehicles will bring the total number of Republic’s alternative fuel vehicles to more than 459.
Of the 226 NGVs, 173 are compressed natural gas and the remaining 53 are liquefied natural gas.
The vehicle's chassis are built by Autocar and the engines by Cummins Westport.
Using CNG helps decrease emissions like nitrogen oxides and particulate matter in the air.
In California, the new trucks will help meet the state’s “Diesel Risk Reduction Plan” and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
Other companies are building infrastructure to support their CNG fleets.
For instance, Yellow Cab Chicago will add 100 new CNG taxis, and is building an infrastructure to support them.
In January, UPS deployed 245 new delivery trucks fueled with CNG to cities in Colorado and California.