Will Showcase a Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Vehicle At “NGVs Take the Hill” Event In Washington, D.C.

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE: R), a leader in commercial transportation and supply chain management solutions, today announced that it will participate in the “NGVs Take the Hill” public display event on Wednesday, April 13, 2011, a few blocks from the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. The event, sponsored by NGVAmerica, will showcase educational exhibits and a display of heavy-duty trucks and other vehicles powered by natural gas.

“Participation in this event underscores our commitment to bringing cost-effective, environmentally-sound commercial transportation solutions to market that help businesses reduce both fleet fuel costs and emissions.”
.The purpose of the event is to educate the public, media, and policy- and decision-makers about the use of natural gas as a clean, domestic and abundant transportation fuel that is a viable and available alternative to foreign oil. Demonstrating the Company’s commitment to and leadership in the natural gas heavy-duty truck market, Ryder will exhibit a vehicle from its heavy-duty natural gas fleet offering at the event.

“Providing leadership to promote the use of natural gas in heavy-duty commercial fleets is a key initiative for Ryder,” stated Robert Sanchez, President, Global Fleet Management Solutions for Ryder. “Participation in this event underscores our commitment to bringing cost-effective, environmentally-sound commercial transportation solutions to market that help businesses reduce both fleet fuel costs and emissions.”

Ryder has ordered 202 heavy-duty natural gas trucks as part of an agreement with the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG). The heavy-duty natural gas truck rental and leasing project in Southern California is a $38.7 million project funded as part of a joint public/private industry partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission, and Ryder. The project is expected to displace an estimated 1.5 million gallons of diesel fuel with 100 percent domestically produced natural gas. Ryder will begin taking delivery of the trucks in April and expects to integrate the full order into its fleet by September. Ryder has also begun work to upgrade the first of three existing maintenance facilities in its network to be properly equipped for the indoor servicing of natural gas vehicles and will soon commence construction of two natural gas fueling stations.

In addition to reducing emissions, businesses that incorporate natural gas vehicles into their fleets can realize additional cost savings because natural gas fuel prices are lower than diesel fuel prices, which are currently on the rise. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration Annual Energy Outlook 2010, natural gas costs as much as 42 percent less per equivalent gallon of diesel today, and with oil prices rising at a significantly faster rate than U.S. natural gas prices, the gap is projected to widen to 50 percent or more in the future, enabling customers to dramatically reduce total fuel expenses. Natural gas also runs cleaner than diesel – ultra-low-emission natural gas vehicles can reduce total well-to-wheel CO2 emissions by as much as 25 percent. Natural gas is a domestic, U.S. energy source that provides a cost-effective alternative to foreign oil and a pathway toward energy independence.

About NGVs Take the Hill

The “NGVs Take the Hill” event, sponsored by NGVAmerica, is intended to raise visibility around natural gas as a viable alternative to diesel and other fossil fuels. The event, which will run from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern on April 13, 2011 will feature both natural gas vehicles and educational booths, as well as an appearance by T. Boone Pickens, in an open air exhibit located a few blocks from the Capitol building (300 block of Maryland Avenue, SW, between 3rd Street and Independence Avenue).

Buck