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| AAA Oklahoma has a fleet of 23 natural gas vehicles, including this CNG-powered Westport WiNG™ Ford F-650. Fleet Manager Dana Storey says the association saves around $400,000 annually on fuel by using natural gas vehicles. |
Dana Storey, AAA Oklahoma’s fleet manager, says the association started converting its fleet to natural gas in 2011, and over the past two years has purchased or converted a total of 23 natural gas vehicles (NGVs). Ten of the fleet’s vehicles are bi-fuel Ford F-250s featuring the Westport WiNG™ Power System with service bodies, operating on CNG and gasoline, and twelve are dedicated Westport WiNG™ Ford F-650s operating solely on CNG.
Initially the decision to convert the fleet was driven by potential fuel savings. Dana says the current monthly fuel savings range from $1,400 to $1,500 per truck on the bi-fuel F-250s and $1,500 - $1,600 per truck on the dedicated F-650s. That’s an annual overall savings of about $400,000.
She notes her NGVs are being driven in Oklahoma weather conditions, ranging from over 100 F (38C) to single digit temperatures in the winter. Finding fuel stations is no problem in Oklahoma.
She notes her NGVs are being driven in Oklahoma weather conditions, ranging from over 100 F (38C) to single digit temperatures in the winter. Finding fuel stations is no problem in Oklahoma.
“Oklahoma’s CNG infrastructure is nicely developed,” Dana says. “We have many options available in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City.”
The dedicated CNG Ford F-650s are used for towing and light service needs; the F-250s have service bodies and are used by AAA’s mobile battery technicians to carry a large inventory of automotive batteries. The association is primarily dedicated to servicing Tulsa, Oklahoma City and the surrounding suburbs daily.
She says the association’s NGVs have comparable mileage to their diesel vehicles.
“There have been zero complaints regarding truck performance,” she says. “In fact our drivers have been very positive about the capability of the trucks.”
Dana adds the fleet initially experienced a higher frequency of fuelling stops, but alleviated the issue by ordering units with additional CNG tank capacity.
“We’re very pleased with our CNG fleet,” she says.
About AAA Oklahoma
AAA Oklahoma, the Oklahoma affiliate of AAA, was founded in 1920 with 289 members and has grown to more than 360,000 members statewide. The club's 250+ employees operate 12 full service and 32 insurance and membership offices throughout Oklahoma.
Visit AAA Oklahoma’s website: http://www.ok.aaa.com/
1 comment:
Wow, sounds like a really great truck! $40,000 is a lot of money to save annually! My company does a lot of deliveries and is considering using fleet trucks in the future to cut down on costs. I know that it can help us to better manage mileage and fuel and I'm excited to see just how much we end up saving.
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