Rush to Offer New Lightweight Compressed Natural Gas Fuel System
The system, announced at the ACT Expo here, will by midsummer offer side-mount and back-of-cab mount fuel systems.
The side-mount systems will include a 40-diesel gallon equivalent (DGE) tank with a range of 176-220 miles and a 45 DGE tank with a range of 198-248 miles. The back-of-cab mount system will offer a 110 DGE tank with a range of 506-633 miles.
Rush CEO W.M. “Rusty” Rush said the system, more than a year in the planning stages, was designed after extensive input from customers.
“This system was designed for truck people, by truck people and fuel systems experts,” said Mike Zimmerman, Momentum’s general manager. “Our thorough research resulted in a system that is light, fills fast, is aerodynamically styled and designed for durability.”
The tanks will use 3M nanoparticle-enhanced matrix resin technology, making it 25% lighter than similar-size tanks, Zimmerman said.
Rush said he is confident that the natural-gas truck market will continue to grow in upcoming years, despite a decline in diesel oil prices. From 10% to 15% of the company’s Class 8 truck sales have been natural-gas vehicles over the past four years, Rush said.
Rush Enterprises, which has truck dealers at 112 locations in 20 states, this year already has sold 3,783 natural-gas trucks, Rush said.
Rush said the company has invested millions in the new venture so far and that Rush Enterprises has the “balance sheet and wherewithal” to compete in the CNG fuel systems market.
