American Power Group Inc. (APG), Fitzgerald Glider Kits and the WheelTime Network are partnering to offer heavy-duty trucking fleets dual-fuel natural gas gliders.
Through the partnership, an APG V5000 Turbocharged Natural Gas system can be added to a glider through Fitzgerald, which takes a Freightliner Columbia or Coronado cab and pairs it with a rebuilt Detroit Diesel Series 60 12.7-liter engine from WheelTime Network and a remanufactured Fuller (Eaton) transmission. Fitzgerald attaches a three-year/300,000-mile warranty on the engine and transmission in its gliders.
APG says its system typically delivers net annual fuel savings of 20% to 30% compared to all-diesel operation. The system uses either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) to enrich the air flow to the turbocharger, so Class 8 trucks can still use normal diesel oil and stick to diesel maintenance cycles.
The glider option, the companies say, offers the primary benefit of an up-front acquisition cost that is approximately 25% less than what a standard truck commands.
‘In addition to providing fleet owners the opportunity to convert and upgrade their existing diesel fleet to APG's dual-fuel technology, we now offer fleets a viable path to new natural gas vehicles,’ says Lyle Jensen, American Power Group Corp.'s president and CEO.
