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The progress and interim results of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) demonstration program are reported. Four FFVs have been operated for a total of more than 150,000 miles. Two FFVs were operated for 50,000 miles on gasoline and have switched over to using M85. The other two vehicles have been primarily using MB5. The FFVs were tested for exhaust emissions on a chassis dynamometer over the FTP, HFET and NYCC driving schedules. The vehicles were fueled with gasoline, M85 and in one test M60. In a series of tests they were also evaluated using inactive catalysts to measure catalyst effectiveness and deterioration. Results for the dependency of emissions on fuel composition, mileage and driving schedule are presented. In general, emissions decreased with increasing methanol content and increased with mileage.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), under its Alternative Fuels for Vehicles Fleet Demonstration Program (AFV-FDP), monitored the operation of 31 compressed natural gas (CNG) transit buses divided among five transit properties in New York State. The CNG buses were delivered in 1992 and have accumulated over 3.73 million kilometers (2.32 million miles) of operation through September 1995. Data collected included fuel consumption, maintenance histories, acceleration, driveability, and emissions. Several of these buses experienced problems with defective pressure relief valves though no accidents resulted from these failures. During the period of operation, various upgrades and learning experiences have contributed to improved operations and lower emissions, though variations in emissions were observed due to drift in fuel system calibration.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), under its Alternative Fuels for Vehicles Fleet Demonstration Program (AFV-FDP), established a demonstration of light-duty dedicated propane vehicles operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). The fleet of five converted trucks began operation in 1993 with the cooperation of the New York Propane Gas Association, which provided the propane systems, and Texaco Research & Development which funded annual emissions testing. The vehicles accumulated 122,000 kilometers (76,000 miles) of operation on propane during the demonstration. Data were collected on fuel consumption, driveability, acceleration, maintenance, and emissions. This paper reports on the transition to propane fuel operations, the findings of the emissions tests, and the service and support experiences during the demonstration.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), under its Alternative Fuels for Vehicles Fleet Demonstration Program (AFV-FDP), established a number of light-duty CNG vehicle fleet demonstrations throughout New York State to collect data from CNG vehicle operation. The majority of the vehicles were converted from gasoline operation to bifuel1 operation, though dedicated CNG vehicles (new and converted) were also included. Pickups, vans, station wagons, and sport utility vehicles were all represented. The vehicles were tracked for mileage accumulation and service experience, and emissions were measured using the Federal Test Procedure. The types of CNG fuel system technologies represented were mechanical open-loop (MOL), mechanical closed-loop (MCL), electronic single-point injection closed-loop (ESPCL), and electronic multipoint injection closed-loop (EMPCL).