Natural gas-powered transport truck rivals diesel, but with near-zero emissions, N.B. dealer says
Bayview Kenworth rolled out new, more powerful, natural gas model
You may see a transport truck on the highway with no smoke billowing out of its tall chrome pipes.
That's because the fuel the truck runs on is natural gas, not traditional diesel fuel that the trucking industry is accustomed to.
Bayview Kenworth, which has locations throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, just put the final polish on its new T880 model, claiming its Cummins X15N engine rivals its diesel counterpart.
The single truck was sold in Fredericton and will be the first one east of Montreal to hit the road.
"This is a great alternative to get you as close to zero emissions as possible, but still have all the same characteristics as diesel — similar range, same power, same capabilities," said Chris Nagle, vice-president of sales for Bayview Kenworth.
The truck's emissions are 90 per cent below thresholds currently set by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and Environmental Protection Agency, according to Nagle.
The CEPA and EPA governs emissions in Canada and the U.S. respectively. With trucks moving between borders couriers need to be compliant with both sets of regulations.
The new model has a single exhaust pipe below the truck that is more comparable in size to a pickup truck.
Lower emissions don't mean a sacrifice in power, Nagle says, noting the truck still produces 500 horsepower.
In comparison, one of Bayview Kenworth's diesel T880s makes 565 horsepower and the same amount of torque.
"Currently one of the most feasible options out there, for especially our long haul members for alternative fuels, would be compressed natural gas," said Chris McKee, the executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association.
The diesel and natural gas models also have the same engine block, which is helpful for repair. The only hardware difference is the engine head and fueling system.
Its fuel comes from five compressed natural gas cylinders that are stacked horizontally behind the cab of the truck. The fuelling system costs $70,000, bringing the truck's total price tag to around $400,000, which is about $100,000 more than the diesel equivalent.
Truckers can refuel those tanks in other parts of Canada and the U.S., but there aren't any refuelling stations in Atlantic Canada.
The truck, which is being purchased by Irving Oil, can only be refuelled at the Lincoln natural gas station, which sits between Fredericton and Oromocto.
McKee said that couriers would have to either set up their own refuelling station or have a mobile refuelling service travel to them, which would be an additional cost.
The cost of just the fuel would be cheaper than diesel, and the range is also similar, he said.
Nagle hopes refuelling becomes easier and more of these state-of-the-art trucks can roll off his lots.
"It's almost like the chicken or the egg. If we go back to the automobile industry 100 years ago, you know what came first, the car or the gas station. So as we go down this footpath with, you know, the initiative to go green, you're going to see more and more."
Past and future of natural gas power
The new truck isn't the first to run off natural gas. Cummins made a previous model on the X12 engine block, but its power wasn't sufficient to rival diesel trucks.
"X12 is a great engine, but you couldn't get the power that this one delivered, which would limit you to the application of what you can haul," said Nagle.
Irving Oil has four X12s in its fleet and is looking to buy more new natural gas trucks that offer more power.
McKee said that natural gas power has grown in "considerable popularity" as an alternative to diesel over electric and hydrogen.
Both McKee and Nagle said that the range of fuel sources work for different applications, such as electric for short-haul deliveries.
"There's no real one-size-fits-all from what we can determine in terms of what alternative fuels could be. So you know, I don't think we're going to ever have a clear winner," said McKee.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
