PERC pushes ahead with efforts to grow the US Autogas market

The US market for propane Autogas has been very active in 2013, with the fuel garnering better name recognition and new and returning fleet customers putting more vehicles on the road. Fleet managers are aggressively adding alternative-fuel vehicles to their fleets, including Autogas-powered vehicles, primarily because of high gasoline and diesel costs as well as from a desire to lower emissions.

The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is continuing its partnership approach to grow the US Autogas market. This means investing in and guiding the research and development of engines and other technology. It also means contributing to the successful commercialisation of the products that are brought to market.

PERC works with many partners along the development and commercialisation pipeline. This year, companies like Blue Bird, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC), Roush CleanTech, CleanFuel USA and Thomas Built Buses have come to fore by bringing new products onto the market.

FCCC is in the midst of launching the S2G bobtail truck – the truck used to deliver fuel to residential and commercial customers across the United States (see the photo below). The US market for LP Gas remains heavily focused on space heating, water heating, power generation and industrial applications. The new S2G truck allows propane retailers to use LP Gas in their operations – saving both money for their business and showing their customers that they too can use LP Gas to power their vehicles. The industry has been following this development closely and advance orders are in hand. The bobtails should be in use this winter.

Read more here.

The Little Speed Bumps That Can Derail Natural Gas Vehicle Projects

Lower Providence Township is a small Pennsylvania community located just outside King of Prussia and less than 20 miles from Philadelphia. For some time now, township officials have been eyeing natural gas as a potential fuel for their municipal fleet.

In terms of fuel availability for natural gas vehicles (NGVs), the area is a relatively good one. Natural gas utility PECO operates two public-access compressed natural gas (CNG) facilities in Berwyn (to the southwest) and Plymouth Meeting (to the southeast), and Lehigh Gas supplies CNG at an Exxon station in King of Prussia.

These three fast-fill stations are all within about 10 miles of Lower Providence. That kind of proximity to CNG would be a dream come true for a number of fleets that are getting crushed by $4.25/gallon diesel. Or for yours truly, based in Connecticut, who will pay about $4.09/gallon for gasoline when he fills up this afternoon and makes his 35-mile commute.

But 10 miles isn't close enough to make switching to NGVs cost-competitive for Lower Providence. Read more here.

Propane growing as alternative fuel

Bill Van Hoy’s pickup truck has two fuel tanks.

Van Hoy, executive director of the Texas Propane Gas Association, so strongly advocates propane as a fuel alternative that he chose to convert his personal vehicle, a 2008 GMC Silverado, with a bi-fuel system of both propane and traditional gasoline.

He showcased his truck at the Propane Council of Texas’ Propane Autogas Fleet event Tuesday, July 23, in Lubbock. Van Hoy claims he gets more miles per gallon operating from the propane tank, but can switch to gas during trips and travel up to 1,000 miles before stopping for fuel. Read more here.

Small County in Texas Paves the Way for Transportation Change

National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium Propane Video

The National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (a program of West Virginia University) and the Clean Cities Learning Program recently put out an excellent video on the benefits of propane autogas. 

See below...

EPA, CARB Certify New Liquefied Propane Chassis for Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner C2

CleanFUEL USA, which also developed the first liquid propane fuel-injection system for the original Blue Bird Vision in 2006, said the S2G from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) has a carbon monoxide rating of 60 percent and a nitrogen oxide rating of 20 percent below EPA set standards for heavy-duty vehicles. The chassis, which includes an 8-liter engine built by Powertrain Integration from a General Motors long block, will be in full production by early September. In addition to the Saf-T-Liner C2, initial chassis platforms include a Freightliner propane bobtail delivery vehicle. Read more here.

Propane Council of Texas propane autogas fleet event

West Texas fleet owners, lawn and landscape professionals, and government officials are invited to experience American-made clean fuel in action during the Propane Autogas Fleet Event, presented by the Propane Council of Texas. Attendees will learn the many benefits of running vehicles and equipment on autogas, including saving on fuel costs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and maintenance needs, and enhancing our nation's energy security. Read more here.

Clean Cities: A Small Fleet's Green Fleet Guide

Many questions arise when a business decides to switch to an alternative fuel: Which fuel type would be best for your fleet? What infrastructure is available? And most importantly, is there funding or incentives out there that could ease the costs of greening your fleet?

That’s where the Clean Cities project from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) comes in. “Usually when a fleet comes to Clean Cities, they’re looking for information or they’re given an assignment and they don’t know where to start,” says Richard Battersby, coordinator for the East Bay Clean Cities Coalition in California.

The nearly 100 local Clean Cities coalitions are considered “fuel neutral” in that they don’t prefer one type of fuel over another. Instead, they can help fleets analyze which fuel would be best by looking at the vehicles in their fleets, the area of operation and other factors. Read more here.

CleanFUEL USA Awarded EPA and CARB Certification on Freightliner Custom Chassis Offering

GEORGETOWN, Texas –– July 18, 2013 – CleanFUEL USA, the nation’s first developer of liquid propane fuel injection systems, has received Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) certification for the S2G chassis from Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC). The engine and fuel system may now be purchased and used in all 50 states and Canada for up to 33,000 lbs GVWR. The chassis, which includes an 8-liter engine built by Powertrain Integration from a General Motors long block and a Liquid Propane Injection (LPI) system manufactured by CleanFUEL USA, will be in full production by early September. Initial chassis platforms include a propane bobtail delivery vehicle and a propane autogas school bus, the Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner C2. The S2G touts a carbon monoxide rating of 60 percent below and a nitrogen oxide rating of 20 percent below EPA set standards for heavy duty vehicles. “We are thrilled with our emissions results and excited to move forward to production,” said Wayne Moore, COO of CleanFUEL USA. “As the only propane autogas vehicle available on the market with a GVWR of 33,000 lbs, the S2G greatly expands fleet offerings using this clean and abundant alternative fuel." In addition to emissions certification, the S2G has undergone years of rigorous and comprehensive reliability testing, such as validation of the complete engine assembly (including the heavy duty accessory drives), engine durability tests, heavy-load testing and multiple rounds of high-altitude, cold and hot weather testing. “Our vehicles are held to an immensely high engineering standard, and the S2G is certainly no exception,” said Bryan Henke, FCCC’s manager of product marketing. “The countless hours that the engineering teams put into testing and validating each and every component of the chassis, engine and fuel system is paying off as we are now able to offer a superb propane autogas product to the medium-duty market.” The factory-installed fuel system is supported through FCCC’s nationwide service network. Propane autogas, the leading alternative fuel in the United States, costs an average of 30 to 40 percent less than gasoline and about 50 percent less than diesel. The S2G joins other propane autogas vehicles CARB-certified with CleanFUEL USA's LPI system, including the GM 6.0-liter G4500. 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. ###

Propane Fueled Vehicles Being Added To Charleston Fleet

Charleston will soon have propane fueled vehicles in the city fleet.

"We have the opportunity to take advantage of some reimbursable grants that will fully pay for the cost of conversion up to four vehicles to propane fuel," said Charleston City Manager David Molgaard.

Members of the Charleston City Council approved the proposal to go ahead with the plan to purchase the vehicles at Monday nights meeting.

The conversion will be paid for through the United States Department of Energy Clean Start Grant. The conversion will be handled by the company Propane Fuel Technologies, the soul source provider of the grant.

As the Kanawha County Commission is looking into natural gas powered vehicles, Molgaard said for the city, propane powered is the best option for them.

"There is no out of pocket cost to us and no additional maintenance or operational costs as it relates to our equipment maintenance facilities," he said. Read more here.

Power in propane: Alternative fuels include an oft-overlooked barbecue favorite

“Alternative energy” usually brings to mind images of vast solar panel arrays and slowly spinning wind turbines—rarely is propane, the gas that heats up backyard barbeques, included in the list.

But maybe it should be.

The Jefferson County, Wis., Sheriff’s Department has been using propane autogas, the name given to propane used as automotive fuel, for nearly 30 years. Jefferson County Sheriff Paul Milbrath has no complaints.

“If you’re looking at long-term savings and long-term environmental returns, it doesn’t get better,” he said.

After switching to save money on gasoline storage fees in the 1970s, Milbrath estimates the department now saves around $200,000 a year by running the fleet on propane. The numbers, Milbrath feels, speak for themselves. Read more here.

Slowly but surely alt-fuel school buses continue to gain industry interest

Read more here.

700 Propane Vehicles And Still 'Moving Aggressively' To Alt Fuels

Student Transportation Inc. (STI), one of the largest school bus transportation services companies in North America, highlighted its work with alternative fuels in a recent update for investors.

Last week, STI said that about 700 new propane autogas buses came online in its fleet during fiscal-year 2013, which ended on June 30. The company now has almost 1,000 vehicles that run on either autogas or compressed natural gas (CNG), as well as another 1,800 that are compatible with biofuels.

"We now have 10 percent of our fleet utilizing environmentally friendly alternative fuels with fewer emissions," said CEO Denis J. Gallagher. "Propane autogas and compressed natural gas are substantially less expensive than traditional diesel fuel, and we will be moving aggressively in this direction to lower our future fuel costs." Read more here.