During the first day of ACT Virtual, a digital conference held August 18 through November 19, 2020, Agility Fuel Solutions hosted a press conference titled “New CNG Fuel Systems Meeting Fleet’s Needs.”

Ian MacDonald, director of sales, introduced a video presentation about the latest developments in compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel systems. The video focused on Agility’s fifth-generation side-mount CNG ProRail fuel systems and how they can address the needs of fleet operators looking for greater flexibility when configuring vehicles, lighter fuel storage systems, and peace of mind for truck drivers.

With fuel capacity options ranging from 17 to 60 diesel gallon equivalent, and the ability to be installed on one or both sides of the vehicle, the ProRail can be configured to meet a wide range of fuel capacity requirements. It can also be combined with the ProCab behind the cab CNG fuel system for significantly extended range.

The ProRail is built around Agility’s carbon fiber composite tough shell Type 4 CNG cylinders. The new generation ProRail is at least 30 pounds lighter than the previous generation, remaining the lightest CNG side-mount fuel system available on the market, up to 25% lighter than competitive systems.

Agility’s engineers strove to minimize the ProRail's impact on frame rail space, reducing the length of the system by up to 10 inches, thus allowing fleet managers maximum flexibility when configuring their vehicle.

In addition, the systems now have an improved integrated fuel management module that provides a fast-fill receptacle with an improved plumbing suite of tools, including Cummins INSITE and connected diagnostics. It can be integrated with most major telematics providers to support data driven fleet management.

Blue iQ, which integrates communication between Agility CNG fuel storage systems and Cummins-Westport natural gas engines, is now standard on the ProRail. The system comes with built in temperature sensors that provide early warning of potential thermal events.

With Blue iQ, Agility has integrated a smart gauge that directly communicates with the Cummins controller. This way, the driver gets an accurate distance to empty reading. Agility has also implemented an hours remaining reading for any fleet that does not go by actual miles, but rather hours remaining for the day.

This is in addition to other features for added protection, such as Agility’s patented integrated bumper bar, which provides tested and proven side impact protection.

The ProRail has been put through rigorous crash testing and fire safety testing, using Agility’s robust testing program developed over two decades working with leading commercial vehicle OEMs and regulatory authorities.

The ProRail's OEM-quality painted aluminum covers can be matched to any fleet's color requirements to help ensure a first-class presentation, and several options for the integrated sidesteps can be fitted to suit a wide variety of vehicles and applications.

Depending on the application, the expected range one can get using the ProRail system is around 300 miles. These systems are applicable for any type of CNG truck, from medium- to heavy-duty.

Common applications are cement mixers, sweepers, yard trucks, and more.