AFVI 2010: Technology parade includes propane lawn mowners, CNG hydraulic hybrids, more

One big difference between the AFVI Expo and a standard auto show is that the garbage trucks show up at AFVI. That's what happened this year during the conference's Vehicle Technology Parade, which was sponsored by South Coast Air Quality Management District, in Las Vegas this week. The lineup shows just how diverse powertrain choices are getting.Well, soon anyway, since one of the qualifiers to be in the parade was that the vehicle wasn't on the quite yet. Here's who was there:

• A Bosch Rexroth refuse truck, the fist of its kind, which uses compressed natural gas (CNG) and a hydraulic hybrid system. The truck will soon be put into service in New York City, where it will be compared to trucks with other, more common powertrains already in use.
• A Chevy Impala converted to run on CNG by Natural Drive that, most days, is used for taxi service in Dallas, TX. Natural Drive converts a lot of GM vehicles, and the Impala taxis should be available in California this fall.
• A Dixie Chopper lawn mower running on propane. Propane and CNG lawnmowers are terribly important options, given how disgustingly dirty most lawnmowers are. How dirty are they? How about spewing 93 times as many smog-forming emissions as cars do?
• There were also three old favorites in the parade: a plug-in Toyota Prius, a CNG-powered Ford Transit Connect and a FCX Clarity from Honda.

That's quite a line-up, and it's only going to get more varied down the road.

Photos by Sebastian Blanco / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.