Allegheny Co. unveils its first two CNG vehicles

PITTSBURGH — Allegheny County executive Rich Fitzgerald and county officials unveiled the county’s first two compressed natural gas vehicles at a press conference recently.

The Silverado 2500 HD, four-wheel drive, extended cab pick-up trucks contain specially designed 6.0 liter Vortec V8 engines and have a gross vehicle weight of 9,500 pounds.

Advantages

Fitzgerald said, “Natural gas vehicles have a number of advantages — nearly 87 percent of US natural gas is domestically produced.

There 60-90 percent less smog-producing pollutants and 30-40 percent less greenhouse gas emissions. And natural gas is less expensive than gasoline, which contributes to our bottom line.”

The trucks are factory-built with hardened valves and seals, which are critical for CNG vehicles. After manufacture, the CNG components are added.

The final vehicle is bi-fuel, meaning there are two complete fueling systems and either can be used.

Fueling

There are two publicly-available CNG fueling stations within the county — one in the Strip District and one in Crafton.

The two trucks are also California EPA Air Resources Board certified. Natural gas burns cleaner than conventional gasoline or diesel due to its lower carbon content. When used as a vehicle fuel, it can offer life cycle greenhouse gas emissions benefits and may reduce some types of tailpipe emissions.

Natural gas, a fossil fuel comprised mostly of methane, is one of the cleanest burning alternative fuels. It can be used in the form of compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas to fuel cars and trucks.