North American Council for Freight Efficiency: Collaboration Is the Key to Change By Falana White, AFVi Staff
“Freight trucks carry almost everything you need in your life and trucking is the backbone of [our] growing economy,” said Hiroko Kawai, Principal of Transportation Practice at Rocky Mountain Institute. As the U.S. moves toward cleaner, sustainable and renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, trucking efficiency is even more imperative. Solar and wind can’t be considered truly cleaner forms of energy, “if the trucks that carry [the components to build them] aren’t clean and efficient,” Kawai explains.
One huge hurdle to the accomplishment of this is the fact that the trucking industry is extremely fragmented – from OEM’s to NGO’s to all the many levels of government to R&D and to the fleets themselves. This fragmentation was clearly demonstrated during the North American Council for Freight Efficiency session at the Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference + Expo 2010 in May. The session brought together four panelists offering different industry perspectives. Panelists included moderator, Hiroko Kawai, Gary Gaussoin, Vice Chairman of Silver Eagle Manufacturing, Mike O’Connell, Director of Fleet Capability of Frito Lay and Andrew Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of ATDynamics. Gaussoin and O’Connell offered perspective of the fleet managers’ dilemma, while Smith offered the perspective of an innovative technology company trying to accelerate the market adoption of their R&D efforts. Gaussoin’s presentation title summed it up best, “Buy Diesel Oil or Snake Oil?” The lack of a “consolidated trustworthy information source” hampers efficiency in the trucking industry, said Kawai.
With fuel costs cited as a major challenge facing fleets, fuel efficiency is recognized as a major driver of competitive advantage for carriers. But achieving fuel efficiency comes at a cost and who do you trust to make sure you are getting the most efficiency for your dollar? On top of costs, calculating true ROI’s and maintenance issues, the bottom line for a fleet manager is “how do I avoid a mistake,” said Gaussoin. A mistake not only can make you look dumb, but it can also cost you your job.
ATDynamics’ TrailerTail® and Skirt technology is proven to reduce fuel consumption by 9-11%. So “why aren’t all trailer fleets using aerodynamic [technology] at this point?” asked Smith. He points to four factors. First, maintenance departments are not compensated for fuel efficiency. “More stuff equals more headaches,” agreed Gaussoin. Second, fleets want to test it themselves. O’Connell concurred by saying that no matter what numbers or models ATDynamics presented to him, he would always want to test it on his own fleet. He also wanted to understand how it worked in “reality” and not just by looking at models. Third, “if California is requiring it, it must be bad,” said Smith. It doesn’t bode well that ATDynamics is a California-based company and it could be misconstrued that they are capitalizing on California’s stricter regulations. Fourth and finally, Smith points to the “wait and see” effect. Many fleets wait until technology costs go down or regulations mandate the technology. “In a low margin business [like trucking], decisions are risky with a low margin for error,” said Gaussoin.
So how does the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) help? NACFE was born out of a trucking industry stakeholders’ meeting in April 2009 that met to discuss barriers to and opportunities to increasing the efficiency of trucking throughout North America. NACFE’s mission is to “drive the development and adoption of efficiency-enhancing, environmentally beneficial and cost-effective technologies, services and methodologies in the North American freight industry by establishing and communicating independent and performance-based benefits.” Or as Kawai summed it up, “it’s the Consumer Reports for the trucking industry.”
With federal money in hand, “the trucking industry has woken up,” said Kawai. “We need to raise awareness about the issues of the market and efficiency, operations and freight mobility optimization, so the investment is made in a consistent manner.” NACFE’s goal is to make sure the industry makes “a calculated, coordinated, yet transformative change,” said Kawai, adding “collaboration is the key to change.”
While the NACFE intends to involve all key players in the collaboration effort, it recognizes that it is most important to involve the “value chain” players. This is composed of tractor OEM’s, engineering firms, including innovation start-ups and design firms, and the ‘mega fleets.’ It designates OEM’s and mega fleets as the primary influencers in the value chain, as they have the greatest ability to drive change. Engineering firms are also influencers due to the influx of federal money received for research and development.
To establish itself as “an acceptable, credible source” for the performance and reliability of efficiency solutions, NACFE will leverage studies from testing agencies, laboratories, fleet managers and drivers. According to NACFE’s background document, it will also collect marketing and user data and share it with technology developers to guide the innovation of more efficient systems. In a sense it will remove the “snake” from the “snake-oil salesman approach to technology,” as Kawai has referred to the technology-side of the trucking industry in the past.
Serving as the independent information link between fleets and technology, it will help to close the gap between testing and adoption. In effect it will speed up adoption of technology and help fleets realize efficiency and financial benefits sooner.
Still in its infancy, NACFE recently elected its first Board of Directors and is in the process of developing its first phase of analysis service offering. It will be open for membership soon and hopes to have representation from all stakeholders in the freight trucking industry including truck OEMs, component suppliers, technology providers, innovation engineering firms, policy makers, NGO’s, and research institutes. For more information, visit www.nacfe.org.
Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE 100 MPGe Challenge Update
In December 2009, AFVConnection reported on the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE 100 MPGe Challenge in our storyPublic-Private Partnerships Brings the Future to Us Sooner. The X PRIZE Foundation, formed in 2005, is an educational, non-profit institute that “uses the incentive prize competition model to stimulate radical technology breakthroughs that benefit humanity,” said Automotive X PRIZE‘s Senior Director & Prize Lead, Eric C. Cahill, during his presentation at the Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference + Expo 2010 in May. The ‘incentive prize model’ works because it “[leverages] the competitive human spirit to achieve a needed goal,” he explained.
“The prize targets a market failure where technological innovation has stalled,” said Cahill. In the case of the Automotive X PRIZE, Cahill attributes the ‘market failure’ as the lag of fuel economy in relation to automotive innovation. Cahill calls the Automotive X PRIZE “a historic endeavor” as it hopes to “[inspire], through a $10 million cash prize, the next generation of super efficient cars that achieve at least 100 MPGe (Miles Per Gallon Equivalent) while being safe, affordable and desirable.” He emphasized that “these are not concept cars, but real cars that people want to buy.”
Another goal of the Automotive X PRIZE is to advance MPGe as the standard for comparing this new generation of cars, using a variety of fuels and energy sources, to the conventional cars of today. The vehicles in the competition represent a wide array of alternative fuels and advanced technologies including battery-electric, electric and plug-in hybrids, B20 biodiesel, CNG and ethanol as well as conventional internal combustion engines and gasoline.
In late April, the remaining 28 teams (36 vehicles), out of over 100 initial entries, started the first of three on-track testing stages in the next level competition at Michigan’s International Speedway designed to reflect real-world driving conditions. While vehicles can be conversions or purpose-built cars, they must be designed to meet federal motor vehicle safety standards, US EPA Tier II Bin 5 emission limits and use fueling and energy infrastructure that may be reasonably expected to be in place by the end of 2014. The multi-stage on-track performance testing, as well as formal Department of Energy testing, will occur until August. The fastest car in each class that meets these requirements wins. The $10 million prize purse will be presented to the winners in each class in September 2010 in Washington, D.C..
“Entire industries have been transformed by disruptive technologies. The car business is not immune. Many call it impossible. We say it’s inevitable,” said Cahill. “In fact, it is happening now.”
“We aim to raise global awareness of cleaner and more fuel efficient vehicle options, accelerating their development and stimulating market place demand,” said Cahill. But he cautions “the success of this competition will not be gauged by whether or not we award the $10 million purse in September, but whether these technologies successfully reach the market.” Will we see these vehicles in a show room near you soon? Only time will tell.
All pictures courtesy Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE
AFVi is committed to drawing industry attention to those who have done outstanding work to advance the sale and/or use of alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles. The following awards were presented at the General Session of the Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference + Expo 2010 in Las Vegas, May 9-12. Congratulations to all the receipients!
24/7 Blend Award Robert White, Director of Market Development for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), accepted the award for his leadership in industry-wide education about social media. Mr. White has excelled in generating interest in alternative energy among new demographic groups. Under his leadership, RFA and other fuel advocacy groups were awarded a $1.6 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to provide training that includes social media for national Clean Cities Coalitions and their stakeholders. Mr. White was awarded the 24/7 Blend Award for his dogged determination and leadership in delivering the alternative fuel story.
EV-angelism Award Electric vehicles (EV) have enjoyed a meteoric rise of late, but the prize for EV momentum goes to Chrysler Group Global Electric Motorcars (GEM). GEM product first hit the roads twelve years ago. The Fargo, North Dakota based manufacturer is known for versatility and innovation – two reasons why there are over 40,000 of their neighborhood electric vehicles on the roads worldwide. Their six available models can be seen everywhere from cities and universities to master planned communities. The EV-angelism Award was presented to President and COO Rick Kasper for his early and lasting success in manufacturing electric vehicles.
Golden Bullet Award When the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities Program announced 25 awards totaling $300 million in federal funding last fall, it was an unprecedented victory for an industry familiar with challenges. The recipients of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds will add 9,000 vehicles and more than 500 refueling stations by the time the projects are completed. The Golden Bullet Award was presented to National Clean Cities Director Dennis Smith for his leadership in overseeing the process that will profoundly impact the alternative fuels market.
Green Fleet Award When AT&T reaches out and touches someone, they don’t mess around. In 2009 the communications giant touched the alternative fuels industry in a big way by announcing the replacement of 15,000 vehicles over the next ten years with alternatively fueled and powered models. Their actions will displace 2.5 million barrels of oil, reduce carbon output by 211,000 metric tons, and will create or save 5,500 jobs. The Green Fleet Award was presented to Jerome Webber, Vice President of Fleet Operations as the chief strategist behind this bold new direction.
Lifetime Achievement Award As the President of his government relations consulting firm and Director of Government Affairs for NGV America, Paul Kerkhoven received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless advocacy of natural gas. Mr. Kerkhoven’s efforts aren’t limited to one fuel. He is highly regarded industry-wide for educating fleet managers, policy makers, and Clean Cities Coordinators about federal funding and incentives. Mike Gallagher, Westport Innovations Senior Adviser said it best. “There is no one who has labored longer or smarter to bring about the new, forward thinking legislation to help build our new alt fuel industry.”
Magic School Bus Award Twenty-four million American children ride school buses each day that travel more than 4 billion miles each year. Diesel pollution from older buses is a widely acknowledged problem and Napa Valley Unified School District Transportation Director Ralph Knight is a widely heralded solution. In 1997, Knight’s alternative energy enthusiasm was launched when he got an electric school bus and his is the only district in the nation still running true electric buses. Over 15 years he replaced all of the old diesel buses, and he has the first and only plug-in hybrid school bus in California. Knight, the recipient of the Magic School Bus Award, is a one man tour de force PR machine as he advocates for clean transportation for school children.
There’s a Ford In Your Future Award The mettle of auto manufacturers has been tested recently in ways once thought unimaginable. Ford Motor Company, though, is ascending, having just posted net income of $2.1 billion in the first quarter fueled by a 32% rise in U.S. sales. In true “One Ford” fashion, the Ford Fleet Team is driving America through its fleet business with the company’s full line of alternative fuel power trains and advanced technologies. That’s why AFVi borrowed their prophetic slogan from the 1940’s. “There’s a Ford in Your Future” Award was presented to Fleet Marketing Manager Gerald Koss, part of the team whose steady, relentless focus and strong leadership has riveted international attention.
Whipple’s Peak Award Tom Whipple was a CIA analyst for 30 years. Upon retirement he turned his attention to the looming problems facing the world as oil supplies dwindle. For thirteen years he has devoted his time to researching and writing about the issues surrounding peak oil. His writing is carried in daily and weekly publications for the Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas - USA and in the Falls Church News-Press. His clearly conveyed storytelling is all the more compelling because of his immense passion. Tom Whipple accepted AFVi’s first Whipple’s Peak Award.
Cutting Petroleum Dependence, Reduction Idling: School Buses Make a Big Impact By Greater Lansing Area Clean Cities
Modified from its original version by Falana White, AFVi
Core to each Clean Cities Coalition's mission is an effort to reduce petroleum consumption in the United States. The mission of Greater Lansing Area Clean Cities (GLACC) focuses on the mid-Michigan area. Our aim is to decrease petroleum dependence and improve air quality at a local level. We promote alternative fuel and vehicle usage and fuel economy practices.
A big benefit to reducing petroleum consumption is the opportunity to reduce air pollution that results from using petroleum fuels. Engine idle reduction is an easy method for reducing both petroleum consumption and air pollution.
In this issue of Greater Lansing Area Clean Cities’ Clean Transportation Awareness Campaign, we’ll explore the role school buses play in petroleum reduction and air quality through idle reduction policies. GLACC's “Clear the Air for Schoolkids” program helps school districts take action to reduce fuel use and emissions from buses on school property. While some of the tenets are specific to Michigan, the lessons learned can be applied across the United States. In fact, they are being applied through your local Clean Cities Coalition. Click here to find your local Clean Cities Coalition.
Learn More
What is engine idling? Engine idling is simply the act of running a vehicle's engine when the vehicle is not in motion, but parked in one place. Many of us are guilty of unnecessary engine idling, and may have not yet realized that reducing idle time saves fuel, engine wear, and money while reducing emissions and noise. Idle reduction is typically used to describe technologies and practices that reduce the amount of time vehicles idle their engines.
Why are school buses a key idle-reduction group? School buses are key for two primary reasons. 1.) School buses transport children, who are at a greater health risk than adults when exposed to pollutants in diesel fuel exhaust. This is because children have a higher rate of respiration, and take in more exhaust than do adults during the same exposure time. 2.) School buses, like all vehicle fleets, are key because the impact of fuel use and emissions is greater when many vehicles stop idling as opposed to one or two vehicles. (That's not to say that we all shouldn't worry about our own idling, too!)
How much petroleum can be saved from school bus idle reduction? A lot - for example, if a school district has a fleet of 50 buses that reduce their idling by 45 minutes per day, that district will save 3,375 gallons of fuel each year! That's just one example fleet - if every school district reduced their idling fuel savings would be huge! Calculate your school district’s idle reduction savings by using EPA’s Fuel Savings Calculator.
Is there ever a good reason for school buses to idle? In the morning, school bus drivers often idle to use the vehicle's engine to warm the inside of the bus and defrost the windows in cold weather. However, as noted by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus USA website, "With today's school bus engines, bus and engine manufacturers routinely suggest an [engine] warm up time of less than five minutes. In fact, running an engine at low speed (idling) causes significantly more wear on internal parts compared to driving at regular speeds." Many school transportation departments time routes so children and driver time on the bus is minimized, reducing the need to maintain onboard temperatures for long periods.
What's the bottom line - does school bus engine idling impact me? If you know a school age child, especially a child with asthma, you are impacted through the negative health effects of diesel exhaust exposure. Unless your area school buses run on a cleaner fuel than ultra-low sulfur petroleum diesel (which most use), you or a child you know is exposed to harmful levels of pollutants. If you drive a school bus your own health is impacted by exposure to diesel exhaust.
On another front, we all support our public schools with tax dollars, which can be stretched further by reducing idling. For example, a typical school bus burns approximately one-half gallon of diesel fuel for each hour it idles. So, for 50 buses, if each bus driver reduces idling time by 45 minutes per day, assuming $4.00 per gallon for diesel fuel, the district would save $13,500 per school year in fuel costs. (Currently, in the US, diesel fuel costs often are between $2.00 and $3.00/gallon, but in 2008 prices spiked up to $5.00/gallon!)
Are mid-Michigan school districts a part of the solution? Yes! GLACC is working with school districts in the capital region through our Clear the Air for Schoolkids (CAS) program to help them learn about and use cleaner fuels, and to implement idle reduction policies and/or "idle-free zones". The 2009 CAS program received EPA funding to install auxiliary heaters on Dean Transportation school buses, which eliminate the need to idle to heat the inside of buses during colder months.
Tips
School Bus Idle Reduction is Easy! School transportation directors and bus drivers can use these warmer months to get used to idle reduction. If you're a parent who drives kids to/from school - you can reduce your own idling, too!
Notice: How much do your district's school buses idle? Drivers - take note of when you're idling and for how long. We can only reduce idling if we notice we're doing it.
Connect the Dots: Does your district have a large student population with asthma or lung problems? How much can your district save in the fuel budget by reducing idling? Connect the dots between actions and their impacts - you can reduce pollutants that aggravate asthma and save on fuel costs by not wasting fuel by idling.
Act: Knowing when bus idling is likely to happen, and connecting the dots that reducing idling has benefits that matter to you, brings us to the next step - just stop idling. Talk to your school district officials about what they're doing to reduce school bus idling - and don't forget to reduce your personal vehicle idling, too!
Clean Cities Technical Response Service Question of the Month: Incentives and Laws by The Clean Cities Technical Response Service
Question of the Month: Where can I find information on incentives and laws/regulations related to alternative fuels, advanced vehicles, fuel economy, and idle reduction?
Answer: The federal government and many states provide incentives to encourage individuals and organizations to reduce petroleum consumption through the use of alternative fuels and advanced vehicles. Likewise, these entities also have laws and regulations ensuring that transportation fuels will be used in a safe and efficient manner. The Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicles Data Center (AFDC) Incentives and Laws Website (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/laws/) contains information on these incentives and laws/regulations. This database features short summaries of relevant incentives or laws with a Web link, legislative reference, and/or point of contact for additional information. The federal information in the Incentives and Laws database is updated on an ongoing basis to include new or updated information resulting from legislation enacted by Congress and signed into law by the president, as well as new and updated regulatory programs. The state information is updated on an annual basis after each state legislative session ends. Information about incentives offered by private companies/utilities is also included.
The Incentives and Laws Website was recently redesigned to make it more user-friendly. Check out the updated format and search tool (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/laws/search).
Other useful resources for incentives/funding information include:
AF&V 2010 Conference + Expo a Huge Success! Seen & Heard at AF&V 2010 www.afv2010.com
Click here for pictures on our Facebook page. Click here for video on our YouTube page.
RFS2 is a common sense policy.
–Job Jobe, National Biodiesel Board at Eco-Smackdown: Game Changing Policy Debates session
I've got a mission to inform America that we've got a very serious security problem.
–T. Boone Pickens at the Town Hall Meeting on Sunday
We're going to replace dirty foreign oil with clean, cheap natural gas.
–T. Boone Pickens at the Town Hall Meeting on Sunday
Anything domestic is good with me.
–T. Boone Pickens at the Town Hall Meeting on Sunday
The “cheap gas forever” myth is a dangerous one to buy into.
–Annalloyd Thomason, Executive Director of AFVi, at the Monday general session
Recent study predicts that AFV's will have 50% of market share by 2035.
–Annalloyd Thomason, Executive Director of AFVi, at the Monday general session
Who is funding the war with hostile countries? Look in the mirror the next time you pump gas.
–James Woolsey, Venture Partner and Senior Advisor at Vantage Point at the Monday general session
EPA is working hard to streamline the conversion certification process.
–Margo Oge, Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, US EPA, at the Monday general session
Renewable Diesel--animal waste, soybean oil--reduces emissions by 56%.
–Heard at Greener Pastures: Diesel Developments session
8 out of 10 Monroe County New York E20 test fleet drivers say they would use E20 in their personal vehicles, if available.
–Heard at Foreign Oil Redux: The Promise of Domestically Produced Ethanol session
Propane has a positive ROI without government incentives.
–Todd Mouw, ROUSH Performance, at the Gas Is Always Greener: Propane Transportation Solutions session
Oklahoma to become fourth retail market for Honda’s natural gas-powered Civic GX.
–Steve Ellis, Manager of Fuel Cell Vehicle Marketing, American Honda Motor Company, announced at Tuesday’s general session
Westport projects 1000 LNG trucks at the Long Beach and Los Angeles Ports by summer.
–Mike Gallagher, Senior Advisor, Westport Innovations said at Tuesday’s general session
Toyota’s Prius Plug-In Hybrid will charge in 1 hour 20 minutes on a 220-volt plug.
–Greg Glander, Government Sales and Advanced Technology, Toyota Motor Sales said at Tuesday’s general session
Ford Transit Connect electric van available at the end of 2010 and the Plug-In Hybrid version will come in 2012.
–Gerald Koss, Fleet Marketing Manager, Ford Motor Company said at Tuesday’s general session
GM announces Oahu to be made hydrogen ready in cooperation with utility.
–Mary Beth Stanek, Director of Environment and Energy, General Motors, LLC announced at Tuesday’s general session
Mark your calendars for AF&V 2011, in Fort Worth, Texas, May 15-18, 2011.
DVD of AF&V 2010 General Sessions and Presentations Now Available
Revisit the cutting-edge information presented by industry and government experts at AF&V 2010 from the convenience of your computer. This DVD features video of the general sessions, plus nearly 100 AF&V 2010 presentations, covering topics related to fuels, vehicles, technologies, funding, policy and market trends.
For a list of presentations available on the DVD, click here.
Special Offer: With the purchase of this DVD, you will receive a complimentary copy of the 2009/2010 AFV Buyers’ Guide (while supplies last).*
To order your DVD and complimentary copy of the 2009/2010 AFV Buyers' Guide at the special rate of $79,click here.
*International Shipping is available for an extra charge. For more information contact us at customerservice@afvi.org.
Coming soon: 2010/2011 AFV Buyers' Guide!
Introducing the new and improved, continuously updated AFV Buyers’ Guide for Model Year 2010/2011. Created by AFVi in response to fleets’ requests. The Guide is designed to be the one reliable and complete source of currently available alternative fuel and advanced technologies to help make purchasing decisions easier. Available exclusively online!
“Freight trucks carry almost everything you need in your life and trucking is the backbone of [our] growing economy,” said Hiroko Kawai, Principal of Transportation Practice at Rocky Mountain Institute. As the U.S. moves toward cleaner, sustainable and renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, trucking efficiency is even more imperative. Solar and wind can’t be considered truly cleaner forms of energy, “if the trucks that carry [the components to build them] aren’t clean and efficient,” Kawai explains.
In December 2009, AFVConnection reported on the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE 100 MPGe Challenge in our story
“The prize targets a market failure where technological innovation has stalled,” said Cahill. In the case of the Automotive X PRIZE, Cahill attributes the ‘market failure’ as the lag of fuel economy in relation to automotive innovation. Cahill calls the Automotive X PRIZE “a historic endeavor” as it hopes to “[inspire], through a $10 million cash prize, the next generation of super efficient cars that achieve at least 100 MPGe (Miles Per Gallon Equivalent) while being safe, affordable and desirable.” He emphasized that “these are not concept cars, but real cars that people want to buy.”
In late April, the remaining 28 teams (36 vehicles), out of over 100 initial entries, started the first of three on-track testing stages in the next level competition at Michigan’s International Speedway designed to reflect real-world driving conditions. While vehicles can be conversions or purpose-built cars, they must be designed to meet federal motor vehicle safety standards, US EPA Tier II Bin 5 emission limits and use fueling and energy infrastructure that may be reasonably expected to be in place by the end of 2014. The multi-stage on-track performance testing, as well as formal Department of Energy testing, will occur until August. The fastest car in each class that meets these requirements wins. The $10 million prize purse will be presented to the winners in each class in September 2010 in Washington, D.C..
“Entire industries have been transformed by disruptive technologies. The car business is not immune. Many call it impossible. We say it’s inevitable,” said Cahill. “In fact, it is happening now.” 
Robert White, Director of Market Development for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), accepted the award for his leadership in industry-wide education about social media. Mr. White has excelled in generating interest in alternative energy among new demographic groups. Under his leadership, RFA and other fuel advocacy groups were awarded a $1.6 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to provide training that includes social media for national Clean Cities Coalitions and their stakeholders. Mr. White was awarded the 24/7 Blend Award for his dogged determination and leadership in delivering the alternative fuel story. 
Electric vehicles (EV) have enjoyed a meteoric rise of late, but the prize for EV momentum goes to Chrysler Group Global Electric Motorcars (GEM). GEM product first hit the roads twelve years ago. The Fargo, North Dakota based manufacturer is known for versatility and innovation – two reasons why there are over 40,000 of their neighborhood electric vehicles on the roads worldwide. Their six available models can be seen everywhere from cities and universities to master planned communities. The EV-angelism Award was presented to President and COO Rick Kasper for his early and lasting success in manufacturing electric vehicles.
When the U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities Program announced 25 awards totaling $300 million in federal funding last fall, it was an unprecedented victory for an industry familiar with challenges. The recipients of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds will add 9,000 vehicles and more than 500 refueling stations by the time the projects are completed. The Golden Bullet Award was presented to National Clean Cities Director Dennis Smith for his leadership in overseeing the process that will profoundly impact the alternative fuels market.
When AT&T reaches out and touches someone, they don’t mess around. In 2009 the communications giant touched the alternative fuels industry in a big way by announcing the replacement of 15,000 vehicles over the next ten years with alternatively fueled and powered models. Their actions will displace 2.5 million barrels of oil, reduce carbon output by 211,000 metric tons, and will create or save 5,500 jobs. The Green Fleet Award was presented to Jerome Webber, Vice President of Fleet Operations as the chief strategist behind this bold new direction.
As the President of his government relations consulting firm and Director of Government Affairs for NGV America, Paul Kerkhoven received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his tireless advocacy of natural gas. Mr. Kerkhoven’s efforts aren’t limited to one fuel. He is highly regarded industry-wide for educating fleet managers, policy makers, and Clean Cities Coordinators about federal funding and incentives. Mike Gallagher, Westport Innovations Senior Adviser said it best. “There is no one who has labored longer or smarter to bring about the new, forward thinking legislation to help build our new alt fuel industry.” 
Twenty-four million American children ride school buses each day that travel more than 4 billion miles each year. Diesel pollution from older buses is a widely acknowledged problem and Napa Valley Unified School District Transportation Director Ralph Knight is a widely heralded solution. In 1997, Knight’s alternative energy enthusiasm was launched when he got an electric school bus and his is the only district in the nation still running true electric buses. Over 15 years he replaced all of the old diesel buses, and he has the first and only plug-in hybrid school bus in California. Knight, the recipient of the Magic School Bus Award, is a one man tour de force PR machine as he advocates for clean transportation for school children.
The mettle of auto manufacturers has been tested recently in ways once thought unimaginable. Ford Motor Company, though, is ascending, having just posted net income of $2.1 billion in the first quarter fueled by a 32% rise in U.S. sales. In true “One Ford” fashion, the Ford Fleet Team is driving America through its fleet business with the company’s full line of alternative fuel power trains and advanced technologies. That’s why AFVi borrowed their prophetic slogan from the 1940’s. “There’s a Ford in Your Future” Award was presented to Fleet Marketing Manager Gerald Koss, part of the team whose steady, relentless focus and strong leadership has riveted international attention.
Tom Whipple was a CIA analyst for 30 years. Upon retirement he turned his attention to the looming problems facing the world as oil supplies dwindle. For thirteen years he has devoted his time to researching and writing about the issues surrounding peak oil. His writing is carried in daily and weekly publications for the Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas - USA and in the Falls Church News-Press. His clearly conveyed storytelling is all the more compelling because of his immense passion. Tom Whipple accepted AFVi’s first Whipple’s Peak Award.
Core to each Clean Cities Coalition's mission is an effort to reduce petroleum consumption in the United States. The mission of 
Introducing the new and improved, continuously updated AFV Buyers’ Guide for Model Year 2010/2011. Created by AFVi in response to fleets’ requests. The Guide is designed to be the one reliable and complete source of currently available alternative fuel and advanced technologies to help make purchasing decisions easier. Available exclusively online!
