Advanced clean diesel passenger vehicles will be highlighted at this week’s “Future of Fuels Showcase” at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) annual show in Las Vegas, which kicked off Tuesday and runs through Friday.
The Diesel Technology Forum is representing the diesel industry at the “Future of Fuels Showcase.” The forum exhibit also will showcase the new 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel pickup truck with the highest estimated EPA highway fuel economy of all light-duty pickups at 28 mpg. Motor Trend selected the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel as its “2014 Truck of the Year.”
“We’re extremely pleased to be participating in the ‘Future of Fuels Showcase’ to exhibit the latest technologies in advanced clean diesel passenger vehicles along with the growing availability of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel with NACS members,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum.
“We are here to highlight to the NACS membership the growing popularity of clean diesel cars and pickup trucks in the U.S. This message is important to convey here because the 126,000 convenience stores that sell motor fuels account for 80 percent of all the fuel purchased in the U.S.
“Diesel fuel is currently available at more than 50 percent of all service stations in the U.S. and this number is increasing every week. We hope that the consistent growth in the clean diesel vehicle market will encourage even more convenience stores to add diesel pumps to their fueling stations.”
According to NACS, convenience stores sold $491.5 billion in motor fuels in 2013. This week’s NACS Show will have more than 1,000 exhibitors and is expected to attract more than 22,000 people from more than 60 countries.
Diesel fuel use expected to increase to 38.8 percent of liquid fuels market by 2040
In addition, according to NACS’ “Future of Fuels 2014” report, which analyzed how the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s projections for the energy markets through 2040 would affect the retail fuels market, “gasoline gallons consumed will decline by 24 percent, while diesel fuel gallons will increase 26 percent and E85 will expand more than 2,200 percent. Consequently, gasoline’s share of the liquid fuels market is forecast to drop from 71.56 percent to 59.12 percent, while diesel will expand from 28.36 percent to 38.84 percent and E85 will increase from 0.08 percent to 2.04 percent.”
Clean diesel car registrations have increased 30 percent since 2010 while overall car market increased just 3.7 percent
According to data compiled by IHS Automotive for the forum, registrations for diesel cars, SUVs, pickup trucks and vans increased by 30 percent from 2010 through 2013. In 2013, diesel vehicle registrations increased by 410,040 nationally.
“Diesel cars and SUVs are emerging in the U.S. market,” Schaeffer said. “While diesels account for about 50 percent of all auto sales in Europe, diesels are a more modest 3 percent in the U.S. But clean diesel vehicles sales are ready to increase as evidenced by the number of clean diesel models being introduced in the U.S. market. We anticipate some 60 diesel models will be available by 2017. Steady growth of diesel sales in the U.S. market could make up 10 percent of all vehicles by 2020 as Americans learn more about the proven real world fuel efficiency benefits and long term value of the new clean diesel technology.”
Clean diesel vehicles are 30 percent more fuel efficient than gasoline
“Clean diesel technology is likely to continue to grow in the U.S. based on consumer acceptance of diesel as a clean and proven high-fuel economy choice,” Schaeffer said. “Diesels are about 30 percent more fuel efficient than gasoline vehicles and do not require compromises in vehicle performance, driving patterns or vehicle utility.
“Clean diesels also deliver a lower total-cost-of-ownership compared to other fuel efficient technologies,” he added. “The increasing number of diesel offerings from manufacturers reflects their confidence in the technology and its importance as they select fuel-efficient strategies to meet the 2025 higher fuel economy requirements.”
Joe Vonder Haar to lead NACS Supplier Board
In other NACS news, Joe Vonder Haar, managing partner of iSEE Store Innovations Inc., has been named 2014-15 chairman of the NACS Supplier Board. Kevin Martello, VP of convenience at Dr Pepper Snapple Group, has been named chair-elect and will succeed Vonder Haar as 2015-16 chairman. Vonder Haar and Martello were named to their positions during the NACS Supplier Board meeting at the NACS Show.
Before co-founding iSEE Store Innovations in fall 2010, Vonder Haar spent 28 years with Anheuser-Busch Inc., retiring as VP of the convenience store channel. Vonder Haar serves on charity boards for Education Is Freedom Foundation, Mid-Town Catholic Community Services and the St. Louis Public School Board Foundation.
The NACS Supplier Board includes professionals from NACS supplier member companies that represent different product and service categories in the convenience store industry.
Three vice chairmen also were elected to the five-member board’s leadership team: Brad McGuinness, SVP of corporate R&D at VeriFone Inc.; Jay Ard, VP of national sales at Coca-Cola Refreshments; and Frank McCarter, VP of sales, national accounts, at CURTIS. In addition, three new members were elected to the NACS Supplier Board: Brent Cotten, director of customer and industry affairs at The Hershey Co.; Frank Squilla, SVP of sales at InComm; and Rick Brindle, VP of industry development at Mondelēz International.
