National Alternative Fuel Corridor: Michigan to Montana
The freedom to hit the open road has always been at the center of our love affair with the automobile. But for some drivers and fleet operators, trying to choose a vehicle powered by a cleaner domestic fuel like natural gas or electricity has meant limiting that freedom due to gaps in the nationwide fueling and charging infrastructure. Well, that is rapidly changing as more and more major highways and roads are being designated Alternative Fuel Corridors, knocking down the final barriers for making clean fuels the best alternative no matter where the road takes you!
The National Alternative Fuel Corridor Network includes parts of 220 heavily traveled interstates and highways in 49 states and DC, covering more than 145,000 miles.
One vital link, the Michigan to Montana I-94 Alternative Fuel Corridor, or M2M, is the result of a joint effort between clean cities coalitions and critical government and industry partners, like the Gas Technology Institute, throughout the Midwest. Funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy, it runs 1500 miles along Interstate 94 from Port Huron, Michigan at the Canadian border, all the way to Billings, Montana.
It passes through the major cities of Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis, but also countless small towns, and miles upon miles of rolling farmland. The M2M corridor is a vital link for long-haul trucking as well as a prime mover for expanding the use of propane, biodiesel, ethanol, natural gas and electric with regional fleet operators.
SAMANTHA BINGHAM: "This project and projects like it across the country, help those fleets to expand their use of alternative fuels, to use it along more routes. And then also it helps encourage fleets that aren’t using alternative fuels currently, they can see that these routes are supported and that it encourages them to adopt alternative fuel vehicles and switch out their petroleum-based vehicles."
Compressed natural gas is an affordable and abundant U.S.-sourced fuel that can help to reduce greenhouse gases and other harmful emissions. Ozinga’s red striped trucks are a common sight around Chicago and northwest Indiana, and since 2013, the company has been converting its fleet of 500 ready-mix trucks to run on CNG. At the same time, it expanded its own business to become a regional natural gas fuel provider, now operating seven public-access CNG stations in the area, which makes it more practical for other fleets who want to switch to CNG. 
Propane is another popular alternative fuel option, especially with fleets. Along the alternative fuel corridors, uniform signage nationwide indicates which type of fuel is most plentiful. But in our 3,000-mile trek for this story, we found that word of mouth travels faster still.
TIM RAHN: "And there are vehicles out there. We've got 10 or 15 people that stop every single week. Coming through, going to the cabin, coming home..and they support us, they know we have it, it's easy to use, it’s safe to use, and it’s cheap. The last three months we’ve been 80, 80 to 85 cents a gallon cheaper than regular gasoline. It was a diversity, it’s something that nobody else has in this area, and we wanted to be the first to have it."
Schwan’s frozen foods has a fleet of more than 600 propane-fueled delivery vehicles and has also built out their own fueling infrastructure, but smaller fleets, like Groome Transportation, are also reaping the benefits of the M2M corridor.
SCOTT HAYES: "Before, when we ran down to Minneapolis, we would run out about halfway up, so now with this corridor being built out, it’ll give us more opportunities to fill up with propane and we will have the opportunity to run cleaner, longer."
Also included in the Alternative Fuel Corridor designations is the availability of electric vehicle charging stations, especially fast-charging, convenient to the interstates.
The EV charging infrastructure has been expanding rapidly for the past decade. At the far end of our journey, in Fargo, North Dakota, three new fast-charging sites are coming online, helping to make frontier destinations like these, once considered remote, more accessible and convenient for EV drivers.
CHAD BROUSSEAU: "It’s a win-win, we’re a member-owned electric cooperative, not for profit, so it’s good for the members, good for us, uh, not only is it electric sales for Cass County Electric but an electric vehicle in the right circumstance, can be a money-saver for the electric vehicle owner in reduced operating and maintenance costs."
In the drive to curb emissions and make America less dependent on imported oil for transportation, spurring development of cleaner alternative fuel vehicles and building out a national network of convenient fueling points for natural gas, propane, hydrogen and electric vehicles goes hand in hand.
SAMANTHA BINGHAM: "Also the M2M Corridor really demonstrates that cities and states and utilities and fuel providers and retailers can all work together, across state lines to make this infrastructure, this clean fuel infrastructure, available."
The Michigan to Montana Alternative Fuel Corridor project is fast making these fuels a fine first choice for everyone!
1986 Mercedes-Benz 190e 2.3-16
Almost 40 years ago, we test drove the then-new Mercedes 190e 2.3-16, the first in what would become a legendary line of performance-focused sedans from the German auto giant. And at the time, we were thrilled by Benz’s ability to balance speed, practicality and comfort. Little did we know that that 190e would kickstart a legacy of thrilling three-pointed-star sports sedans. But how does that classic saloon stack up four decades later? Well, our Roger Mecca decided to find out.
ROGER MECCA: In the 1980s, before Mercedes became synonymous with the performance sub-brand AMG, the giant car company was known for making luxurious but somewhat unexciting sedans. But that doesn’t mean they were okay with simply letting other brands get all the attention.
Occasionally, Mercedes would shake off their stuffiness and make some truly remarkable cars, like the beautiful 300 SL gullwing, but I don’t even think they predicted what would happen when they debuted this, the 190e 2.3-16 valve.
Jatinder Sehmi is the owner of this 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190e 2.3 16V. He saw his first one at just 8 years old and from then on he was determined to have one. And when he finally did grab a set of keys of his own, he was hooked for life.
JATINDER SEHMI: I will never get rid of it. It’s just… it’s, again, it’s so fun to drive. Every time I get in it I just smile, and I just want to keep those revs up 4,000-6,000. It’s… it’s so fun.
ROGER MECCA: One of the reasons his smile never fades is what older performance cars like the 2.3-16 offers drivers that even today’s most powerful supercars sometimes can’t: a true driving connection.
JATINDER SEHMI: It’s a different type of car. They’re way more fun than nowadays. You’re connected with these. These are analog cars. Those cars have a lot of aids, you feel a little disconnected from the newer stuff, and that’s one of the reasons why cars like this, and any 80s and some 90s cars, put such a smile on your face when you drive them. It’s ’cause you’re connected with the car. You feel at one.
ROGER MECCA: That feeling isn’t an accident when you consider the 2.3-16’s origin story. Mercedes chose the small and sedate 190e as the base for its new rally racer, replacing the 450 SLC. Plans were drawn off to have an outside firm tune the engine to 320 horsepower, a massive number in the early 80s; but before Mercedes could even hit the dirt, Audi unleash the now legendary four-wheel-drive Quattro. Mercedes knew it’s rear-wheel-drive sedan could never keep up. Leadership wanted to scrap the whole thing, but engineers saw the racing potential and convinced executives to enter the car into the DTM German Touring Car Championship. It was a huge success, but more importantly touring car rules dictated that Mercedes had to make the 2.3-16 available to consumers.
Now, you might be wondering “well, where was AMG in all of this,” right? I mean, for the last forty years, if you think about a fast Mercedes you think about AMG. But in the early 1980s, AMG was just another race tuning company. They were completely independent from Mercedes. So, when Mercedes wanted to go after the best of the best tuning companies, they called Cosworth.
The Cosworth relationship was short lived with AMG tuning the 2.3-16 successor, the 2.5-liter, which saw even more power and more modifications. The nearly 9-second 0-60 time isn’t impressive today, but this car was never about speed off the line. The 16-valve inline-four loves to rev, and when it gets going the speed and fun arrive quickly.
There was a perfect little sweet spot in the power band between around four- and seven-thousand rpm where this little Cosworth engine really comes to life, and it makes you want to go faster and drive harder. And thankfully, Mercedes made sure the chassis was up to the task.
In fact, in our 1986 review, we described the ride as firm but never harsh, making it the most nimble Mercedes we’ve ever driven. Mercedes used a then-advanced suspension featuring a five-link rear end with self-leveling shock absorbers, while tightening up everything else from the shocks to the stabilizer bars. They also added a wing, skirts, wheel flares, and attached splitters and an air dam to keep it all planted. Large ventilated ABS brakes were also used, allowing the car to stop remarkably well. Once inside, owners found a dog-leg five-speed shifter with long throws that’s perfectly fine being rushed aggressively. The back seats were just as bolstered as the front, which means that this four-door is strictly a four-seater.
Our original 1986 review stated that the 2.3-16V set a performance precedent for Mercedes. Today, that performance and excitement is still delivering plenty of smiles, proving age really is just a number.