MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R), a leader in commercial transportation and supply chain management solutions, announced today that it has begun to take delivery of 39 light and medium duty compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, the first of their kind in North America available for lease or rent. The vehicles include 20 Greenkraft cab-over vehicles with 6.0-liter GM natural gas engines and 19 Navistar® International® TranStar® trucks with Cummins Westport ISL G engines.
“We are very pleased to work with Ryder to develop these CNG-powered truck chassis,” said Kevin Keene, Sales Director for Navistar. “By offering CNG-powered trucks in a medium duty configuration, Ryder is demonstrating its dedication to making natural gas commercial vehicles available for this important market segment.”
The CNG trucks range in gross vehicle weight from 16,000 to 33,000 pounds and are available for lease or rent from Ryder in California. The new light and medium duty natural gas vehicles are ideal for metro/city delivery applications. Unlike heavy duty natural gas vehicles, which require fueling stations designed to accommodate large commercial tractor-trailers, these lighter vehicles are able to access much of the existing retail CNG fueling infrastructure, which will increase their usability to a broader range of commercial fleet customers in California. These initial 39 vehicles will be maintained at Ryder’s natural gas compliant California maintenance facilities in Orange, Fontana, Rancho Dominguez and West Sacramento, but these vehicle configurations are now available as part of Ryder’s growing portfolio of offerings in all markets where Ryder services natural gas vehicles.
“This latest offering reinforces Ryder’s leadership in commercial natural gas vehicle solutions and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to find innovative ways to meet our customers’ transportation needs,” said Robert Sanchez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Ryder. “Ryder’s natural gas vehicle program in California is also a model of public/private collaboration that is helping to develop a long-term and sustainable growth trajectory for cleaner, cheaper, and cost-effective natural gas.”
Funding for the incremental cost of the vehicles was provided by the California Energy Commission and the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC). These grants enable Ryder to make the cost of renting or leasing CNG vehicles more comparable to traditional diesel trucks.
The 39 new light and medium duty vehicles represent an expansion of Ryder’s 300 plus heavy duty natural gas vehicle fleet. Ryder became the first outsourced fleet provider to offer heavy duty natural gas vehicles for the leasing and rental industry through a groundbreaking natural gas vehicle project with San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) in Southern California. Ryder’s partnership with SANBAG and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Clean Cities Coalition includes the deployment of 202 heavy duty natural gas-powered vehicles, made available to customers for rent or lease or through Ryder’s Dedicated logistics services. As part of the project, Ryder has built two natural gas refueling stations and has equipped three maintenance facilities for the indoor servicing of natural gas vehicles in the California communities of Fontana, Orange, and Rancho Dominguez. The $38.7 million project has been funded as part of a joint public/private industry partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission, and Ryder. Ryder’s natural gas fleet includes both compressed and liquefied natural gas vehicles that are currently deployed in customer operations in California, Arizona, Michigan and Louisiana. To learn more about Ryder’s commitment to alternative fuels visit www.ryder.com/alternativefuels.
About Ryder
Ryder is a FORTUNE 500® commercial transportation, logistics and supply chain management solutions company. Ryder’s stock (NYSE:R) is a component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. Inbound Logistics magazine has included Ryder in its “Green Partners” listing for five years in a row, and Newsweek has included Ryder for three years in a row in its ranking of the top 500 green U.S. companies. Ryder is a charter member of the NGV Fleet Forum and a member of the Department of Energy’s National Clean Fleets partnership. Ryder is also a recipient of the 2011 NGV Achievement Award and has been recognized by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) in the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index. A member of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, Ryder is proud to support national and local disaster preparedness and response efforts. For more information, visit www.ryder.com and follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.
About Navistar®
Navistar International Corporation (NYSE: NAV) is a holding company whose subsidiaries and affiliates produce International® brand commercial and military trucks, MaxxForce® brand diesel engines, and IC Bus™ brand school and commercial buses. The company also provides truck and diesel engine service parts. Another affiliate offers financing services. Additional information is available at www.Navistar.com.
About Greenkraft
Greenkraft – located in Santa Ana, California – is a manufacturer and distributor of alternative fuel commercial vehicle products. Greenkraft was created to introduce clean, green, and efficient vehicle products that bring a price advantage along with superior American performance and safety qualities. Greenkraft has become an industry leader in the products it offers as it is a company dedicated to providing innovative alternative fuel trucks, alternative fuel systems, and alternative fuel engines for businesses in the US. For more information please visit www.greenkraftinc.com.
About MSRC
The Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) was formed in 1990 when Assembly Bill AB 2766 was signed into law authorizing a $4 motor vehicle registration fee. Thirty percent of the $4 fee or approximately $12 million annually is used for programs administered by the MSRC. All of the programs eligible for funding must reduce air pollution from mobile sources. Membership of the MSRC is made up of representatives from the transportation agencies of Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange County, as well as the Southern California Association of Governments, Southern California Rideshare, California Air Resources Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements and information included in this news release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Federal Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on our current plans and expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Accordingly, these forward-looking statements should be evaluated with consideration given to the many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including those risks set forth in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors or to assess the impact of such risks on our business. Accordingly, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
