|
Silver Eagle Among NGV Award Winners |
|
Monday, 13 October 2008 |
NGVAmerica and the Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF), two organizations dedicated to increasing use of natural gas-powered vehicles to improve air quality, lessen dependence on foreign oil and reduce fleet operator costs, have announced the 2008 winners of the prestigious National NGV Achievement Awards. The awards, presented Oct. 5 at the National NGV Conference-Summit in San Diego, are given to persons and organizations in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the advancement of natural gas as a vehicular fuel.
Among award winners was Silver Eagle Distributors for its Natural Gas Beverage Fleet and Public Outreach Program. Silver Eagle Distributors (SED), which is the world's largest Anheuser-Busch distributor, operates nearly 1,250 vehicles including hundreds of medium- and heavy-duty delivery trucks. An active and visible business leader in the communities it serves, SED has taken continual steps to improve its fleet's performance, efficiency and emissions profile over the past decade.
In June 2006, SED Fleet Manager Ed Pritchard repowered two 1999 International-Navistar delivery trucks with Emission Solution Inc.'s natural gas powered Phoenix NG7.6 engines. Data collected during the 18-month evaluation period that followed showed that the CNG trucks had better performance than SED's diesel units, e.g., increased torque, horsepower, and acceleration, better fuel economy, lower noise levels, and—most important—drivers liked the reliable powerful performance. The successful test prompted Pritchard to start replacing his diesel fleet with natural gas. SED has ordered 10 more Phoenix NG 7.6L repowers for their Houston location and an additional 22 units are scheduled to be deployed next year at SED's San Antonio location, where an on-site CNG station is to be constructed. With the backing of SED President and Chairman John Nau, Pritchard has shared his results with countless other fleet managers at educational seminars and displayed his CNG vehicles at trade expos.
"SED's decision to move forward with additional CNG engine change-outs validates the reliability, performance and cost-effectiveness of ESI’s technology," says NGVAmerica President Richard Kolodziej. "As a respected and well known beverage industry leader, SED’s public outreach extolling the benefits of their CNG truck testing and deployment program is deserving of this award," said CVEF President Doug Horne.
|
