The new Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) fleet can now be seen driving Philadelphia’s roadways. Adding 24 NGVs is the equivalent of removing six vehicles from the roadway each year, according to PGW. (Photo: PGW)
Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW), along with Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary E. Christopher Abruzzo, recently introduced its new fleet of 24 natural gas-powered Honda Civic sedans.
PGW held a special event to unveil the new units on June 18, where the utility was joined by energy and fleet operations experts, customers, and leaders in the drive to develop Philadelphia’s natural gas vehicle (NGV) market.
Designed and built to run solely on compressed natural gas, the NGVs join the utility’s existing fleet of approximately 600 vehicles, which includes a wide array of vehicle types, from mid-size sedans and minivans to pickup trucks, dump trucks, and maintenance walk-in and utility vans. PGW also operates a handful of Toyota Prius models.
Fleet vehicles typically remain in use for approximately seven years, depending on the type of vehicle and how it’s used, according to Barry O’Sullivan, director of corporate communications for PGW.
PGW made the announcement about the new NGV additions in October 2013. Most of the NGVs will be made available to PGW’s marketing department, but will also be assigned to a variety of other departments, Sullivan told UF last October.
Founded in 1836, PGW is owned by the City of Philadelphia and is the largest municipally owned gas utility in the country. It manages a distribution system of approximately 6,000 miles of gas mains and service pipes supplying approximately 500,000 customers. PGW's operations are managed by a nonprofit corporation, the Philadelphia Facilities Management Corporation (PFMC).
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