Ultimate CNG’s FuelMule™ “Flawless” in Initial Testing

Ultimate CNG’s FuelMule™ “Flawless” in Initial Testing

7 September 2012 (CHARLOTTE, NC) — An innovative, mobile fueling station developed by Ultimate CNG, LLC (UCNG) to fuel equipment powered by clean natural gas came through its initial testing stages with flying colors, meeting challenges that ranged from hurricane Isaac to Secret Service security measures.

CNG Shuttle makes its way through the
convention area during the Democratic Convention
n Charlotte, NC earlier this week.

The FuelMule™, a prototype machine that takes natural gas refueling directly to the customer, performed flawlessly refueling a dozen shuttle buses transporting delegates at the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, FL and again this week at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

“I just could not be more pleased with how the FuelMule™ has performed in its initial operations, both this week and in Tampa,” said UCNG’s Brian Fimian, Chief Operating Officer. “We learned some things and there are areas we want to tweak, but the unit did everything we asked it to do without any problem.”

In fact, as Tampa and the Florida Gulf Coast braced for Hurricane Isaac, the FuelMule™ was on standby to go beyond expected duty at the behest of emergency management agencies. “As requested, we were ready, willing and able to refuel equipment with compressed natural gas (CNG)  in the event of power outages that would disable the area’s conventional fill stations,” said Dennis Pick, Chief Executive Officer of UCNG. “The FuelMule™ has no need for commercial electrical power since it is powered entirely by its own natural gas engine..”

Following the GOP wrap-up in Tampa, the FuelMule™ and the CNG powered shuttles made the trip to North Carolina and set up for the Democratic event. The industry buzz surrounding the FuelMule™ and its proprietary technology had preceded the UCNG entourage.

Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition, a part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Clean Cities initiative, spread word to companies and agencies in the Charlotte region that the mobile fueling station was available for their representatives to see in operation. Centralina Coordinators Jason Wager and Emily Parker escorted officials from Frito-Lay, the City of Charlotte, Freightliner, Duke Energy, PSNC Energy and others to the Charlotte convention refueling site.

“We are kind of testing the waters with CNG and have purchased 10 new Class 8 trucks that run day routes from our production facility here in Charlotte,” said Frito-Lay Traffic Manager Scott Becker. “The company has a fleet of more than 1,500 Class 8 trucks, and a tremendously larger fleet of smaller vehicles, route trucks and such, that could ultimately look at CNG.” He said there is interest in looking at ways to save time and money refueling those vehicles or a larger contingent.

FuelMule™ delivery “in tank” can save $1 or more per gallon equivalent compared to diesel, depending on the cost of diesel. Re-fueling is done on-site by Ultimate CNG specialists, saving the customer cost for drivers’ time and travel to refuel, Ultimate’s COO Fimian said. The FuelMule™ has a compressor that delivers 8 GGE (gas gallon equivalents) per minute of CNG at 3,600 psi (pounds per square inch), and stores up to 700 GGE – capable of fueling 30 to 50 medium/heavy-duty vehicles, two at a time, he said.

A gas transfer module purchased by UCNG effectively adds another 1,000 GGE of CNG fuel storage capacity for the FuelMule™. Natural gas is American produced and significantly less costly than diesel, and the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) projects that by 2035 natural gas will cost 50% less than primarily imported diesel.

Added CEO Pick: “The FuelMule™ can directly service entire fleets easily, on site and on large scale, with savings and convenience. CNG is cleaner than diesel, quieter than diesel, and cheaper than diesel with reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and tailpipe particulate.”

“The obvious economics of diesel and gasoline prices, and the fraction it costs for a GGE of natural gas, make the change for fleets from diesel to natural gas not only viable, but hugely profitable. The FuelMule™ is a market driven innovation that gives vehicle fleets CNG fueling capability at their home base or elsewhere, without the need to build a fueling station,” Pick said. “It is giving more fleets access to cheaper, cleaner natural gas.”

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For more information, contact: Carla R. York (423) 802-6190 or Carla@InnovationDrive.net 

For more information about Ultimate CNG and the FuelMule™, please visit www.UltimateCNG.com.