Did you miss the last PERC Third Thursday webinar?

If you did, it's now archived here with a slide presentation.  A great overview of our 2013 offerings.

ASV Names Dan Peters the New President of Collins Bus Corporation

Allied Specialty Vehicles (ASV), the parent company of Collins Bus Corporation, has appointed Dan Peters as the new president of the Type-A school bus manufacturer.

Peters brings to Collins Bus 30 years of experience in building strong customer relationships, teamwork and an established record of business growth, the company said in a statement. He also brings along knowledge of the specialty vehicle industry after serving five years with Pierce Manufacturing Inc., first as a division general manager and, most recently, as senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing. Prior to that, he was president of Akron Brass, where he helped grow sales revenue from $40 million to $125 million.

Peters is replacing Kent Tyler, who was appointed the president and CEO of E-ONE, Inc. last year. E-ONE is ASV's division for designing and manufacturing fire vehicles.

Read more here.

PROPANE AUTOGAS A WINNER, CHICAGO CUBS NEED SOME GAS

The average price of a gallon of gasoline rose 45 cents in the past 31 days, AAA says. Experts say the increase is due to maintenance at refineries, Saudi Arabia cutting production, traders concern over Middle East uncertainty, and the Chicago Cubs poor prospects for the World Series.

I made that up about the Cubs, they haven’t won the Series since 1908. That’s about when these same reasons were given for the rising price of gas. Most of us can’t do much about that. We go to the station, pump the gas, pay the bill.

But if you are a fleet manager you may be able to reduce your fuel costs.

How? Switch to propane autogas. Read more here.

Gas prices hit $4 a gallon in District

Prices hit $4 for a gallon of regular gasoline in the District on Thursday, only the fifth time pump prices have ever crossed that threshold in the nation’s capital, the mid-Atlantic AAA said.

The price jumped 4 cents a gallon from the day before. Nationwide, the price of a gallon of regular gasoline climbed to $3.78 a gallon, up 47 cents in the past month, the AAA said.

Read more here.

W.Virginia urged to convert 2,000 vehicles to natural gas

CHARLESTON — West Virginia should convert at least one fourth of its roughly 7,800-vehicle fleet to natural gas within four years to seize on the state’s ample supply amid volatile gasoline and diesel prices, a governor-commissioned task force said in a report Thursday.

The study also recommends offering tax credits worth up to $400,000 to encourage the building of fueling stations. It identifies the Kanawha Valley, the counties that host the West Virginia Turnpike and the Interstate 79 corridor from Harrison to Monongalia counties as among the best sites for these stations.

Read more here.

Study: Annual autogas vehicle sales to reach 1.4 million by 2020

According to a new report from Pike Research, the number of propane autogas vehicles sold worldwide each year will surpass 1.4 million by 2020.

Pike Research currently estimates that about 1 million vehicles will be converted to autogas and sold around the world this year.

Most global regions will experience growth over the next seven years between 2-4 percent, the firm says, but it expects North America to exhibit at least 7 percent growth in conversions through 2020. Still, the firm expects the rise in the number of conversions to be a reflection of local fleet operations only.

Read more here.

You are invited to the March 18 Clean Cities Webinar - Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Incentives

Save the date and plan to join us for the next Clean Cities webinar scheduled for March 18 at 1pm ET, 12pm CT, 11am MT and 10am PT. The topic is as follows:

Webinar on Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Incentives

Hosted by Sandra Loi, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Presented by Alexis Schayowitz, ICF International

During this webinar, you will learn about how to identify state and federal incentives through the

Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) Laws & Incentives database. The presentation will review

changes to federal tax incentives that resulted from the recent “fiscal cliff” legislation, as well as trends

relating to incentives at the state level.

No pre-registration is required. Please pass along to others who may be interested in participating.

Webinar call in and web login details are noted below:

Audio

877-784-3231

Participant passcode: 7826325

Web

URL: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join/

Conference number: PW8263324

Audience passcode: 7826325

Participants can join the event directly at:

https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW8263324&p=7826325&t=c

CISD to receive tax credits for buses

As one of the few school districts in Texas using propane fueled buses, the Conroe Independent School District will benefit from tax credits on those buses in 2012 and 2013.

According to the Railroad Commission of Texas, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 will extend the 50-cent-per-gallon tax credit for districts using alternative fuel, like propane, through December 2013. The act also applies retroactively to 2012.  

Read more here.

PERC Third Thursday - February, 21, 2013

February 21, 2013
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.  EDT
Presenter:

The February edition of PERC's Third Thursday webinar series will feature a presentation by CleanFuel USA. A representative from CleanFuel USA will discuss the company's 2013 vehicle and dispenser offerings, including the Freightliner S2 Chassis and Gasboy dispenser. This webinar will begin at 11 a.m. Eastern time.

Register here.

Fashion Glass & Mirror Announces Commitment to Propane Autogas

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GEORGETOWN, Texas February 13, 2013

CleanFUEL USA today announced a partnership with Fashion Glass & Mirror to transition their fleet to propane autogas. The company, which is converting 40 of their existing fleet vehicles to propane autogas, plans to convert all new vehicles as they are ordered. Fashion Glass will also install a publicly accessible propane autogas station at their Desoto location for all their refueling needs.

“As our company grows, so does our fleet and our need for effective, economical solutions,” said Larry Jaynes, chairman and CEO of Fashion Glass & Mirror. “Propane autogas not only offers substantial savings, but allows us to run a cleaner fleet throughout Texas. CleanFUEL USA has made all facets of this transition easy – from the vehicle conversions, to infrastructure installation, to the fuel contract.”

The project was funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Energy Department’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Texas State Technical College serves as the lead grantee of the funds, which support the development of a national propane autogas refueling network, incentives to convert school buses and other fleet vehicles to alternative fuels, and training for green jobs. They estimate this initiative will help displace millions of gallons of petroleum annually and create jobs by training veterans, fleet mechanics, and service technicians for work in the alternative fuel and advanced vehicle technology industries.

As the nation’s third most widely used transportation fuel behind gasoline and diesel, propane autogas has proven to be an economical and environmentally friendly fuel option. Propane autogas reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 25 percent and averages 30 to 40 percent less expensive per gallon when compared to gasoline. Worldwide, there are more than 52,000 propane autogas refueling stations and 17 million propane-powered vehicles.

“Fashion Glass is a perfect example of how autogas can work for fleets and companies of all sizes,” said Curtis Donaldson, founder and CEO of CleanFUEL USA. “Through our turnkey solution, CleanFUEL USA provides a decrease in emissions and dependence on foreign oil — and most importantly, a quick and positive return on investment.”

Fashion Glass employs over 200 people in four Texas locations, including a 50,000 square-foot corporate headquarters in DeSoto, a 65,000 square-foot manufacturing facility and showroom in Houston, as well as stores in the Dallas design district and New Braunfels, which covers the San Antonio and Austin areas.

CleanFUEL’s installation partner, Fontaine Alternative Fuels, a division of Fontaine Modification Company, will perform the vehicle conversions. Fontaine Alternative Fuels operates a network of installation locations offering consistent high quality system installations to fleets and OEMs nationwide. For over 30 years, Fontaine has provided comprehensive post-production truck modification services for original equipment manufacturers, dealers and fleets.

About CleanFUEL USA:
CleanFUEL USA, the nation’s first developer of liquid propane fuel injection systems, is a leading manufacturer of propane autogas dispensers and refueling infrastructure. Headquartered in Georgetown, Texas with an engineering division in Wixom, Mich., CleanFUEL USA celebrates more than 20 years of innovation. Setting industry standards with a complete alternative fuel solution, CleanFUEL USA products offer unsurpassed economic and environmental advantages. Learn more at cleanfuelusa.com.

About Fashion Glass:
Fashion Glass & Mirror, LLC has a rich heritage of fine craftsmanship and quality service spanning nearly four decades. Originally founded as a privately held family business in 1973, Fashion Glass & Mirror now dominates the entire Southwest, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.

New Option for Diesel-Propane Bi-Fuel Truck Conversions

Propane Fuel Technologies LLC has initiated operations in the U.S. as the exclusive North American distributor of CHM Trucktec GmbH & Co. KG's diesel-propane bi-fuel solutions.

CHM Trucktec's TTG CP 210 system, which is designed primarily for trucking applications, displaces up to a third of diesel fuel consumption. Liquid propane autogas is stored in an on-vehicle tank, and an evaporator converts the propane to a gas. The gas is then injected into the truck's intake system and burned concurrently with the diesel.

Bret Chandler, managing director of Propane Fuel Technologies, tells NGT News that the West Virginia-based company has partnered with longtime vehicle upfitter Fontaine Modification to perform the autogas conversions for fleet customers.

Read more here

Message From Curtis Donaldson, CEO, CleanFUEL USA

We would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year; a new year brings with it new projects, new goals and new opportunities for CleanFUEL USA. 2013 is also a very important year for us, as this year we celebrate our 20th anniversary.

When I started this company as Clean Fueling Technologies (CFT) in 1993, we had 3 employees in a 1,200 square foot building and our focus was simply building autogas dispensers. Today, we employee 35 people between two large manufacturing facilities, one in our hometown of Georgetown, Texas and one in Wixom, Michigan and our focus has broadened dramatically. 

We are now an industry leader in propane autogas; our turnkey approach gives fleets a chance to make a seamless switch to an impressive alternative fuel – from OEM and aftermarket vehicle options to single dispensers and complete station set-ups to fuel supply contracts and service and warranty for all of our products – we do it all.

The Fiscal Cliff legislation has given propane autogas an added incentive by renewing two important tax credits as well as making them retroactive for 2012. School districts around the country continue to make the investment in propane autogas buses and our industry continues to make inroads in alt fuels, noted with a mention in Forbes magazine. 

As we celebrate our 20th year, we invite you to get to know us better. We might have expanded our product offering and staff, but we are still the same company we were 20 years ago. We believe in our products and we believe in an alternative fuel that makes sense for the environment, makes sense for our country, and most importantly, makes economical sense for your business.

Texas School Bus Fleets Represent Case Studies In Propane Autogas Success

Texas school district fleets operating propane autogas buses are benefiting from the recent "fiscal cliff" bill, which includes the extension of expired alternative fuel tax credits. Schools already cutting costs with autogas are now saving even more money by recouping 50 cents per gallon through 2013, and retroactively to 2012.

Texas schools have struggled in the wake of the roughly $5.4 billion state budget cut to public education funding last session. Many districts switched buses to run on propane autogas as a way to cut costs, and these tax extensions offer additional financial relief.

Districts such as Dallas County Schools (DCS) have already saved millions on fuel costs with autogas buses, which also significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful pollutants, compared to gasoline or diesel buses.

Read More Here.