Since the early 1980s, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) supported projects to evaluate the benefits of AFVs. These efforts focused on relieving some of the uncertainties surrounding the use of alternative fuels in motor vehicles. In 1989, NYSERDA, under the guidance of the State's Alternative Fuel Vehicle Coordinating Council, greatly expanded the State's exploration of alternative fuels by initiating the Alternative Fuels for Vehicles Fleet Demonstration Program (AFV-FDP). The objective of the AFV-FDP was to place large numbers of AFVs in service in state, municipal and private fleets to provide “real-world” answers to the questions about their benefits.
The AFV-FDP was implemented recognizing two possible conflicting needs (1) to act quickly to meet increasingly stringent emission standards, and (2) to resolve uncertainties concerning the air quality benefits achievable using alternative fuels. The AFV-FDP participants included 21 fleet operators across New York State operating a mix of 257 AFVs that have logged 7 3 million miles through September 1995. These fleet operators have generated considerable real-world emission and vehicle performance data that can be used to formulate effective and consistent policies and regulations to improve air quality and reduce reliance on imported petroleum.
This paper provides an overview of the AFV-FDP, summarizes the information gathered, and provides generalized observations about each of the alternative fuels tested. More specific information about each alternative fuel is presented in companion papers (1)1(2)(3)(4)