American Power Group Inc. (APG) says it is working with Valley Truck Parts and the University of Houston's Texas Diesel Testing and Research Center (UH-TDTRC) to secure validation of its natural gas dual-fuel technology under the EPA's Clean Alternative Fuel Vehicle and Engine Conversion rules.
The standard requires engines to be tested outside of the vehicle on an engine dynamometer. Valley Truck, an APG authorized dealer and certified installer, will be responsible for securing and delivering the targeted ‘intermediate useful life’ (IUL) engines to UH-TDTRC for testing.
APG and UH-TDTRC are targeting September to begin formal testing, and they expect to test nine to 15 engine families during the initial term of the agreement. APG is seeking to secure the first EPA IUL approval before the end of the year.
‘The IUL market is comprised of heavy-duty trucks with engines two model years old or older and less than 435,000 miles. Many of the larger corporate fleets fall in this addressed market due to their ability to frequently replenish their fleets with newer trucks,’ says Lyle Jensen, president and CEO of APG parent company GreenMan Technologies Inc. ‘We believe there are more than 400,000 trucks in the 2007 to 2010 model year age category that would be IUL conversion opportunities.’
