SmartWay Transport

SmartWay Transport News

• March 30, 2009
  $300 million of Recovery Act funding for clean diesel activities now available, including SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program funding

  The Environmental Protection Agency released its Request for Applications (RFA) for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) passed by Congress earlier this year. Information and the RFAs are available at Recovery Act Funding for clean diesel activities.

  The $300 million funding package includes the following four programs:

• The Recovery Act Funding for the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program will receive approximately $156 million. This funding will be awarded on a competitive basis to support diesel emission reduction programs.
• The Recovery Act Funding for the National Clean Diesel Emerging Technology Program will receive approximately $20 million. This funding will support the use, development and commercialization of emerging technologies that reduce emissions from diesel engines.
• The Recovery Act Funding for the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program will receive approximately $30 million. This funding will support the creation of national, state or local innovative clean diesel financing programs.
• The Recovery Act Funding for the State Clean Diesel Grant Program will receive approximately $88 million. This funding will be available to support clean diesel grant and loan programs administered by states and the District of Columbia.
  
• February 19, 2009
  Conference Call on SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program Request for Applications, February 26, 2009
  As part of the stimulus bill, the U.S. EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality is issuing a Request for Applications (RFA) for the development of a low-cost loan or lease program to finance the purchase of clean diesel trucks and diesel equipment.  Funding for the program would be approximately $10 to $40 million, but may change. Our goal is to create national, state, or local level low-cost loan or lease programs that would encourage the purchase of vehicles and equipment retrofitted with verified emission control retrofit devices and idle reduction devices for highway, nonroad, marine and locomotive fleets.  
  
  In a previous RFA issued September 2008, EPA awarded $3.4 million in grants to three recipients to provide low cost loans and leases for diesel trucks, which have been retrofitted to reduce diesel emissions. These innovative loans will help small trucking firms lower their fuel costs and their emissions footprint by purchasing newer used trucks and idling and emissions reduction technologies. Click to see additional information about the requirements of the existing loan program. Eligible entities can partner with financial companies that have experience managing loans and leases for diesel trucks and equipment.
• February 9, 2009
  SmartWay featured in NBC Philadelphia news story
  EPA's SmartWay Certified Vehicle label was highlighted in a story featured on a local news affiliate of NBC in Philadelphia. The story explains how consumers can use the SmartWay Certified label as a way of identifying the most fuel efficient cars and light trucks on the martket. Click here to view the story.
  
• December 2 through 4, 2008
  SmartWay hosted representatives from 12 countries at the 2008 SmartWay International Summit
  On December 2 through December 4, 2008, EPA hosted representatives from 12 countries in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The SmartWay International Summit - Transforming the Global Supply Chain, convened leaders from government, NGOs, and multinational companies to discuss more collaborative ways to reduce greenhouse gases from goods movement.
  More information about the summit
• October 7, 2008 SmartWay announces 27 winners of the 2008 SmartWay Excellence Awards
  On October 7, 2008, EPA honored 27 businesses and organizations for their outstanding contribution to improving fuel efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving air quality at the 2008 SmartWay Excellence Awards in Denver, Colorado.
  2008 SmartWay Excellence Award Winners
• September 24, 2008 EPA Awards $3.4 Million in Grants for Innovative Financing of Fuel-efficient Trucks and Equipment
  Today, $3.4 million in grants was awarded to help small trucking firms lower their fuel costs and their carbon footprint through innovative loans by purchasing idling and emissions reduction technologies. 
  
  Details of Grantees and Access to funding
• July 17, 2008 SmartWay Announces Partner Networking Forum: "Same Roads - New Challenges" in October, 2008
  The Same Roads - New Challenges Forum is being co-hosted by Natural Resources Canada’s ecoENERGY for Fleets (FleetSmart) and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership.
  
  This two day event, scheduled for October 1 & 2, 2008 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, will provide transportation industry professionals an opportunity to explore practical solutions to today's fuel efficiency challenges.

  Program Brochure
  Event Summary

• July 3, 2008 Driving the SmartWay:  EPA Debuts New Campaign to Help Drivers Save Fuel, Money and Protect the Environment.
  To learn more about the campaign, click here.

• August 24 , 2007 - Great American Trucking Show Highlights First SmartWay Trucks to Use Renewable Fuels - Also Showcases Big- Rigs Reducing Fuel Consumption Up to 20 Percent
  The first group of SmartWay Grow & Go truckers to use renewable fuels were recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency's top air official at the Great American Trucking Show in the Dallas Convention Center. The agency showcased a new fleet of SmartWay-certified tractors and trailers that could reduce fuel consumption by as much as 20 percent.

• SmartWay Grow & Go program helps launch first E85 pump in the District of Columbia
  The District of Columbia’s first public E85 pump went into service today thanks to a collaborative effort between the SmartWay Grow & Go program and other private and public organizations. These efforts will help pave the way for other E85 pumps planned for the metropolitan Washington area.
• March 20, 2007 - TV Truck Designers Partner With EPA to Help Truckers Save Money, Reduce Emissions
  Chrome Shop Mafia (a group of truck designers that star on Country Music Television’s “Trick My Truck” program) and 4 State Trucks (a truck equipment retail outlet and service center in Missouri that is home to the Mafia crew) are marketing and selling SmartWay Upgrade Kits.
• March 13, 2007 - The West Coast Collaborative Partnership Meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 28, 2007, at the Doubletree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. For more information, contact Trina Martynowicz at (415) 972-3966 or martynowicz.trina@epa.gov, or visit their web site.
• November 14, 2006 - SmartWay announces new loan initiative for the trucking industry.
  Smartway is partnering with several lenders to make loans available to small trucking companies to help pay for technologies that will save fuel and money while reducing pollution.
• October 30, 2006 - SmartWay announces 24 winners of the 2006 SmartWay Excellence Awards.
  On October 25, 2006 and October 30, 2006, EPA honored 24 businesses and organizations for their outstanding contribution to improving fuel efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving air quality at the 2006 SmartWay Excellence Awards ceremonies.
• October 6, 2006 - SmartWay awards grant to evaluate truck fuel savings and emission reductions from SmartWay Upgrade Kits on the road.
  SmartWay awarded a $300,000 grant to the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), a voluntary association of local governments, to evaluate SmartWay technologies with trucking companies.  Energy- and emissions-saving technologies such as an engine idle reduction technology, low rolling resistance tires, improved aerodynamics, and exhaust after-treatment devices will be combined into Upgrade Kits (PDF) (2 pp, 167 KB, EPA 420-F-06-016, February 2006) and installed in fleets operating routine delivery routes.
• June 2006 - EPA released SmartWay Transport:  Helping the Freight Industry Save Fuel, Money, and the Environment.  This 2005 annual progress report (PDF, 24 pages, 844K) (EPA 420-R-06-010, June 2006) projects that SmartWay activities since the program’s inception will eliminate more than 3.2 million tons of CO2, reduce diesel fuel consumption by nearly 300 million gallons, and save participating partners $850 million in fuel costs annually.
• June 2006 - SmartWay released Motor Coach Idling Field Observation Study for Washington, DC, Metro Area, a report on the amount and duration of tour bus idling at tourist attractions in and around Washington, DC, in the summer of 2005.
• June 22, 2006 - West Coast truckers to get fuel savings help.
  Small-to-medium trucking firms in Oregon, California, and Washington states have a new way to become more environmentally-friendly while saving money.  SmartWay, the West Coast Collaborative, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Oregon's Departments of Transportation and Energy, and Cascade Sierra Solutions are partnering to upgrade trucks traveling along the I-5 Corridor with Upgrade Kits (PDF) (2 pp, 167 KB, EPA 420-F-06-016, February 2006). These kits pair fuel-saving and pollution-reduction technologies with financial assistance to dramatically cut fuel use and increase profits.  Oregon's DOT is financing this project through its state infrastructure bank.  Oregon is the first state to use this source of financing for truck upgrades.  More information about financial assistance.
• June 8, 2006 - Clean Technologies Forum Workshop:  Save Fuel & Improve your Bottom Line (PDF) ( 1 pp, 157 KB).  EPA, state, and industry representatives will meet in Sacramento, CA to discuss fuel saving technologies and practices to help fleets reduce their emissions and operating costs.
• June 2, 2006 - Latest Partner e-Update issued.  This e-Update (PDF) (7 pp, 613 KB) highlights the June 1st start of cleaner-burning diesel fuel production.  By using this fuel in new, redesigned trucks and buses with aftertreatment, fleets will become 90% cleaner.
• May 31, 2006 - SmartWay issued technical bulletins for reducing emissions from drayage fleets.  Intermodal drayage fleets move goods over short distances between transportation hubs, such as ports, airports, rail yards, and truck distribution centers.  They typically consist of the oldest trucks on the road.  SmartWay has issued a series of publications about clean freight strategies for drayage.
• May 18, 2006 - EPA is providing answers to questions about the first SmartWay Excellence Awards (PDF) (3 pp, 45 KB) posed during the two Partner nomination process teleconferences.
• May 4, 2006 - EPA released a model for a state idling law.  In 2005, EPA held a series of five public workshops around the country to bring together representatives from the trucking industry, states, and environmental and health groups to develop a model for a state idling law and better understand each other’s needs. For a listing of the state and local idling laws, the workshops summaries, and the resulting model for a state idling law, see the state idling laws page.
• May 2, 2006 - Tools for Cleaning Up Illinois Diesel:  Technology, Funding and Collaboration.   EPA, state, and industry representatives met in Naperville, IL, to discuss the various tools available to help Illinois fleets reduce fuel usage, decrease emissions, and save money. 
• March 22, 2006 - Michigan Clean Fleet Conference:  Driving Technologies, Fuels, and Funding for Cleaner Air.  EPA, state, and industry representative will meet in Detroit, MI, to discuss examples of fleets using alternative fuels and technologies and available funding opportunities.  
• February 13, 2006 - EPA, freight industry save fuel and help the environment - nominations sought for excellence awards.
  As part of SmartWay's second anniversary celebration, EPA announced that it is accepting nominations for SmartWay Excellence Awards through June 30, 2006.
• November 1, 2005 - SmartWay test program demonstrates that NOx emission reductions can be achieved using strategies that decrease fuel use and save truck operators money.  Effect of Single Wide Tires and Trailer Aerodynamics on Fuel Economy and NOx Emissions of Class 8 Line-Haul Tractor-Trailers (PDF) (9 pp, 221 KB) also is available for purchase from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), which sponsored the 2005 SAE Commercial Vehicle Engineering Conference at which this paper was presented.
• EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson announces $5 million in grant awards to reduce truck engine idling.
  These grant awards will support a first-of-its-kind initiative to conserve fuel and reduce emissions by deploying a wide variety of idle reduction technologies on trucks and at truck stops across the nation.   More information about Idling Reduction Demonstration Project.
• U.S., Canada Join to Cut Freight Industry Emissions and Save Fuel.
  EPA and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) officials sign a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize cooperation between EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership and NRCan's FleetSmart program. These complimentary programs are partnering to engage the international freight industry in undertaking voluntary actions to achieve measurable fuel savings, verifiable emission reductions, energy security and improved public health.

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