Is Your Fleet Utilizing the Benefits of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)?

Throughout our conversations with Dealers, Fleets, and Strategic Partners across the United States, one question that often arises is “What is Renewable Natural Gas or RNG?” It’s certainly a good question and one that deserves some further clarification as to how it differs from the traditional natural gas we’re more familiar with.

The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas serves as the public policy advocate and education platform for the Renewable Natural Gas industry in North America. We found a very helpful article that gives a great overview of RNG.

http://www.rngcoalition.com/what-is-rng/

Recently, UPS announced an Agreement to purchase 11.5 million gallons of RNG which will be used at various locations throughout the US. In an article by Greenbiz.com released today, it’s stated that “burning RNG instead of conventional diesel reduces lifecycle greenhouse-gas emissions by 90%”.
Additionally, this article indicates that since 2014, RNG has really taken off. US production for RNG vehicles reached 189 million gallons in 2016 – nearly SIX TIMES the volume produced in 2014. Its consumption is continuing to grow and RNG is all the buzz.

(Infographic: www.rngcoalition.com)

Are you looking to learn more about RNG and the deployment of Natural Gas Vehicles within your fleet?

Landi Renzo & Clean Energy Fuels Enter Merger Agreement Between SAFE and Clean Energy Compression

BREAKING NEWS: Landi Renzo has signed an Agreement with Clean Energy Fuels for the merger between SAFE (Landi Renzo subsidiary) and Clean Energy Compression. This Agreement showcases Landi Renzo’s continued demonstration of leadership in the CNG market.

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Market Update: CARB Certifications for Landi Renzo USA in MY2018

Landi Renzo is pleased to announce that we will be offering the F-250/350, E-350, and E-450 for MY2018 as CARB certified products.

For years, Landi Renzo has obtained CARB certification on various vehicle platforms. Looking ahead to the next model year vehicles, Landi Renzo is pressing forward for MY2018 and expect certifications to arrive in Q1.
With the addition of the E-350 for MY2018, Landi Renzo continues to aggressively expand new product for the Shuttle Bus market by adding this additional line to our portfolio of EPA and CARB certified products.

Exclusively for the California market, the F-250/350 is offered through our Certified Ford Dealer network for Drop Ship directly into our Ford QVM installation facility located in Torrance, CA. Nationally, Landi Renzo has both Ship-Thru or Certified Installers options to accommodate our network of dealers and customers.

Stay tuned for more announcements in the future related to CARB Low NOx offerings that are currently in development.

http://mailchi.mp/landiusa/followup-is-crash-testing-required-for-cng-vehicles-718813?e=7954b53dbf

High Costs of Certification in California Hurting Natural Gas Vehicle Industry

For years, government officials in California have been rallying to reduce emissions on the well-traveled highway corridors of the Golden State and point to studies that have found that residents in these areas face greater health risks.

So, you would think that the future of natural gas vehicles is strong in the nation’s most populated state where infamous traffic jams and smog alerts are a part of daily life, right? No. In fact, the future of natural gas vehicles in California is looking pretty bleak.

We discussed this topic recently with our colleagues over at Hard Working Trucks. You can read more about it by clicking here.

FORD MY2017 and MY2018 Update

It’s important to keep tabs on Ford’s Order Open / Final Order dates as they have direct implications to build dates, certifications, and delivery of product. Landi Renzo USA has compiled the dates for the appropriate vehicles that we offer with CNG conversions.

 

F-150 5.0L MY2017 – order bank closed in May; MY2018 order bank is now OPEN. We are working to complete the necessary development and certification work for MY2018. Ford has moved to a PFDI (Port Fuel / Direct Injection) engine. This will be an additional product for Landi Renzo USA in MY2018 and comes with the same quality and reliability you expect from Landi Renzo.

 

F-250/350 6.2L MY2017 and F-450/550 6.8L MY2017 (Super Duty) – final order date is September 1, 2017. Landi Renzo USA has certification and continues to fulfill orders. The MY2018 order bank opens on September 13, 2017 with Job 1 scheduled for November 20, 2017. Please note: If you plan on deploying any F-250/350/450/550 product in CY2017, you need to get your orders placed asap. It is questionable, given Ford’s build schedule for MY2018, whether there will be enough time to receive the vehicles, convert and ship to your location before the end of the year.

 

F-650/750 6.8L MY2017 (Medium Truck) – order bank closed in early June; MY2018 order bank is now OPEN. Job 1 is scheduled for October 2, 2017.

 

Please note these dates can and do change – particular if Ford balances out early. If you want to make sure, you should reach out to your Ford dealer to confirm. Our goal is to provide general timing for planning purposes.

 

Landi Renzo USA is available to discuss your specific situation and will work to deliver the highest quality product within the timelines of your specific requirement. And, when comparing pricing, you’ll find Landi Renzo USA is the most aggressively priced product in the market. High quality and competitive pricing is a winning combination. Give us a call or email today.

Is Crash-Testing Required for CNG Vehicles?

It’s a good question with a very simple answer.

You may hear many different opinions about crash testing, depending on who you ask in the CNG industry. But there’s just one definitive answer – Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Title 49 Part 571.303; Fuel system integrity of compressed natural gas vehicles. It’s only three pages long and easy to understand.

The FMVSS Standard says that any CNG vehicle (dedicated or bi-fuel) weighing under 10,000 lbs. GVWR – the F-150, F-250, F-350, or Transit, for example – is required to undergo physical crash testing of a representative vehicle. That’s right – physical crash testing. There’s no allowance for an engineering “white paper” or a judgment call from the engineering group. Federal law requires the safety of the CNG system to be demonstrated.

Is Crash-Testing Cheap? No. Is it necessary and required? Yes. Do we do it? Yes!

Landi Renzo USA ensures that we are in full compliance with FMVSS 571.303 because, as stated in the regulation, the purpose of the test “is to reduce deaths and injuries occurring from fires that result from fuel leakage during and after motor vehicle crashes.” Protecting the lives of drivers and passengers is critically important for us.

We complete three individual tests – frontal barrier crash, rear moving barrier crash, and lateral moving barrier crash. That’s right, we take a perfectly good Ford truck equipped with our CNG system and crash it to ensure compliance with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements.

What Does Crash Testing Actually Achieve?

The layman’s explanation is that the test measures the drop-in fuel system pressure over a 60-minute period. If the pressure exceeds a certain threshold, there was a CNG leak, which could lead to catastrophic results in the case of a fire. If the fuel pressure drop is under the threshold, the CNG system complies with FMVSS 571.303.

This isn’t an area we play around with. Nor should you. Whether you are responsible for selling CNG vehicles to end users or you’re the fleet manager specifying trucks, there is too much liability, and potentially lives, at stake to not buy CNG vehicles that are compliant with Federal law.

With so much inaccurate information in the market, we believe it’s our duty to ensure that customers understand what Federal law requires. If you are purchasing a CNG product under 10,000 GVWR, ask the CNG vehicle manufacturer to provide a written declaration they have complied with FMVSS-303, to include the location of the test, date of the test, and the outcome. Anything less, and you may be dealing with a non-compliant vehicle.

Landi USA is preparing to complete our physical crash test this coming month. The date is locked in and we’ll be sharing more as the time approaches. We are also gearing up to ensure our MY2018 5.0L will be fully FMVSS-303 compliant as well. We’ll tell you more on that at a later date.

MY2017 F250/350 EPA CNG Certification Received

Torrance, Calif., March 20, 2017 – Landi Renzo USA is pleased to announce receipt of our natural gas bi-fuel & dedicated EPA certifications for the MY2017 Ford F-250/350 6.2L engine with gaseous prep engine package.
With over 1 million systems sold globally each year, the Landi Renzo Group continues to be a world leader in alternative fuel systems sales and development.

Continuing with a tradition of quality products available from Landi Renzo USA, our 6.2L bi-fuel & dedicated CNG systems have been developed by some of the world’s leading alternative fuel engineers and is available exclusively through Landi Renzo USA’s distribution network.

Landi Renzo USA receives an Advantage Award from the City of Torrance


The Quality of Life Community Investor Award recognizes businesses whose products, systems, methods and services contribute significantly to the improvement of the quality of life for the Torrance community. Moreover, the Award recognizes businesses that take the extra step and serve the community.

We are very proud to be acknowledged in the business community of Torrance.

This is to say thank you for everyone’s hard work and dedication. Well done, all!

What's Cheaper than a Full Tank of CNG?

Our New Ship-thru Option on F-450/550/650/750.

Landi Renzo USA is excited to announce our newest channel for customers to take delivery of a CNG vehicle utilizing Ford’s existing distribution network – Ship-thru for Natural Gas Trucks out of Ford’s Ohio Assembly Plant (OHAP).

In collaboration with a Landi Renzo preferred ship-thru installer located in Avon Lake, OH, ordering a CNG equipped F450/550 or F650/750 Super Duty truck is a simple as selecting the ship-thru option on a dealer order form.

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Paul Shaffer Joins Landi Renzo

Torrance, Calif., February 27, 2017 – Landi Renzo USA today announced Paul Shaffer will join the organization as Executive Vice President of Business Development. He will oversee the sales, marketing, and service departments beginning on February 27, 2017.

Shaffer served as Vice President and Managing Director for Westport’s North American DOEM business. He oversaw the integration of Westport and BAF Technologies and most recently, managed the integration of two DOEM businesses – Westport Dallas and IMPCO Automotive. “With his deep expertise in the alternative fuel vehicle market, I am pleased to welcome Paul to the helm of our executive team,” said Andrea Landi, President and CEO of Landi Renzo USA. “As we push forward into new and exciting areas, Paul’s experience working with industry, government, and fleets will enable him to provide valuable leadership and growth to our company.”

Shaffer started his alternative fuel vehicle career in 1997 as an Air Force Captain, managing a program involving more than 800 vehicles deployed to 37 Air Force military bases. He later joined Bachman NGV, which became BAF Technologies, where he was instrumental in securing the first Ford QVM designation for CNG in 2010. He has overseen well over 20,000 AFV conversions, and was instrumental in the AT&T business that converted over 4,000 vehicles to CNG.

Shaffer holds a B.S. in Industrial Technology from Southern Illinois University.

Read the full announcement here.

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