Ryder System, Inc., has begun taking delivery of 39 light and medium duty compressed natural gas vehicles -- the first of their kind in North America available for lease or rent.  The vehicles include 20 Greenkraft cab-over vehicles with 6.0-liter GM natural gas engines and 19 Navistar International TranStar trucks with Cummins Westport ISL G engines.

Ryder's new CNG trucks range from 16,000 lb GVW to 33,000 lb GVW, and are available for lease or rent from Ryder in California.

“We are very pleased to work with Ryder to develop these CNG-powered truck chassis,” said Kevin Keene, sales director for Navistar. “By offering CNG-powered trucks in a medium duty configuration, Ryder is demonstrating its dedication to making natural gas commercial vehicles available for this important market segment.”

The new light and medium duty natural gas vehicles are ideal for metro/city delivery applications. Unlike heavy duty natural gas vehicles, which require fueling stations designed to accommodate large commercial tractor-trailers, these lighter vehicles are able to access much of the existing retail CNG fueling infrastructure, which will increase their usability to a broader range of commercial fleet customers in California. 

These initial 39 vehicles will be maintained at Ryder’s natural gas compliant California maintenance facilities in Orange, Fontana, Rancho Dominguez and West Sacramento, but these vehicle configurations are now available as part of Ryder’s growing portfolio of offerings in all markets where Ryder services natural gas vehicles.

“This latest offering reinforces Ryder’s leadership in commercial natural gas vehicle solutions and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to find innovative ways to meet our customers’ transportation needs,” said Robert Sanchez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Ryder. “Ryder’s natural gas vehicle program in California is also a model of public/private collaboration that is helping to develop a long-term and sustainable growth trajectory for cleaner, cheaper, and cost-effective natural gas.”

Funding for the incremental cost of the vehicles was provided by the California Energy Commission and the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee. These grants enable Ryder to make the cost of renting or leasing CNG vehicles more comparable to traditional diesel trucks.

To learn more about Ryder’s commitment to alternative fuels visit www.ryder.com/alternativefuels.