Natural gas vans help clear the air in Denver

SuperShuttle purchased the 10 compressed natural gas vans to transport passengers around the Boulder area and between Boulder and Denver International Airport

May 18, 1999
Web posted at: 11:45 AM EDT

Passengers looking for a ride to and from the Denver International Airport may want to try a natural gas vehicle on their next trip.

In a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Denver's SuperShuttle, scientists will test natural gas vans and collect data on fueling, maintenance, emissions and overall performance over the course of the next year. NREL will also conduct surveys of van passengers, drivers and service personnel to record their experiences and their opinions on the alternative technology.

NREL's participation is through a cooperative research and development agreement with the Gas Research Institute. NREL officials expect the test to yield information that can be used by private or public fleet managers considering the clean-burning alternative to gasoline vehicles.

SuperShuttle purchased the 10 compressed natural gas vans to transport passengers around the Boulder area and between Boulder and Denver International Airport. Half of the new vans are dedicated fuel vehicles, which means they run only on natural gas. The other half are bi-fuel vehicles, which are equipped to run on either CNG or gasoline. The AFV's performance will be compared with that of the gasoline-only vans already in SuperShuttle's fleet.

Natural gas fuel currently costs about 25 to 40 percent less than gasoline and is considered the cleanest burning alternative fuel available.

The Ford vans will be serviced by Sill-Terhar Ford in Broomfield, an authorized Ford AFV dealership, which purchased special equipment to work with CNG vehicles. The Natural Fuels Corporation is providing driver training and emergency service.

For more information, contact Patrick Summers, NREL, (303)275-4050, email: patrick_summers@nrel.gov.

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