Starting this April, Hillsborough County residents can climb aboard and experience the newest HARTPlus paratransit van which is engineered with cleaner-burning and quieter Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) technology.
According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CNG-powered vans can produce approximately 25% fewer carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) than similar gasoline and diesel-powered vans. Also, Made-in-America CNG reduces the nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy.
“CNG technology is important to HART because it helps us reduce our fleet-based carbon emissions,” explains HART Chief Executive Officer Philip Hale. “Our continued investment in a clean fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles and proven green technologies has made us a leader in our industry in the state of Florida.” CNG has additional benefits of significantly greater fuel economy and lower maintenance costs.
The delivery of the new, more environmentally friendly paratransit vans represents the first step in transitioning the agency’s aging fleet of diesel-powered vehicles. By the end of March, HART plans to take delivery of 20 CNG HARTPlus paratransit vans and eight CNG HARTFlex vans, all of which will be operational during April 2014.
For more information, contact Sandra Morrison at 813.384.6610 or morrisonS@goHART.org