Ryder System has opened the first natural gas fueling stations in its North American network to serve both the general public and Ryder lease and rental customers.

The Liquefied to Compressed Natural Gas (LCNG) stations are located at two of Ryder’s maintenance and fueling facilities in Orange, Calif., and Fontana, Calif., two key facilities serving the Southern California region.

Each Ryder fueling location has three pumps – two Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and one Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Ryder’s contractual customers will be able to access the LNG and CNG pump areas of Ryder’s facilities specifically configured for large commercial vehicles. Passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks will also be able to access CNG pumps in a separate area easily accessible to the general public.

LCNG stations rely on LNG delivered via tanker trailers. As a cryogenic liquid, and due to the extremely cold temperatures of liquefied natural gas, LNG is stored on-site in specially insulated cryogenic tanks. The liquid is then either dispensed as an on-highway fuel for LNG vehicles, or warmed, vaporized, and compressed for fueling of CNG vehicles. Not only does this process produce the cleanest CNG fuel, Ryder says, it also keeps the fuel colder and therefore results in a better fill and faster dispensing – both crucial for efficient fueling and operation of commercial fleet applications.

The two facilities are part of a larger project which will displace more than 1.5 million gallons of diesel annually with domestically produced low-carbon natural gas.

“The completion of these two LCNG fueling stations is a critical milestone demonstrating Ryder’s commitment to the deployment of alternative fuel vehicles,” says Robert Sanchez, chairman and CEO for Ryder. “As a provider of full service lease, commercial rental fleet, and third party logistics services, our business model puts us in a unique position to enable more fleets to convert to natural gas and realize the benefits of this cost-effective, clean, and domestic energy source. We are proud to make this investment in fueling infrastructure, which will further support the wider adoption of natural gas vehicles for commercial transportation.”

The opening of these stations is the culmination of a commitment under the Ryder/SANBAG Natural Gas Vehicle project, a $38.7 million project funded as part of a joint public/private industry partnership between the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission, and Ryder.

The Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) also provided $350,000 toward the new fueling stations in the form of grants.

In addition to the fuel stations, the Ryder/SANBAG project included upgrades to three Ryder maintenance facilities – in Rancho Dominguez, Orange, and Fontana – as well as the deployment of 202 heavy-duty natural gas vehicles in the region.

Ryder has deployed more than 300 CNG and LNG vehicles into the fleets of more than 40 Ryder customers in California, Michigan, Arizona, and Louisiana.