The ABC’s of Propane Autogas
By: Joe Thompson, president
Accessible
- There are thousands of propane autogas refueling stations — 2,725 to be exact — with stations in every state.
- Dozens of EPA- and CARB-certified, light- and medium-duty offerings fueled by propane autogas include sedans, work trucks, vans, shuttles and buses.
- To support their “hub and spoke” fleet operation, most autogas fleet adopters house their own propane fueling stations on their location.
Bountiful
- Propane autogas is the leading alternative fuel in the U.S. and the third most commonly used vehicle fuel, following gasoline and diesel.
- According to the World LP Gas Association, more than 23 million vehicles travel worldwide with propane autogas, including shuttles, school buses, delivery vans, paratransit vehicles and more.
Clean
- Propane autogas is a nontoxic, non-carcinogenic fuel.
- When compared with gasoline, vehicles fueled by propane autogas produce up to 60 percent less carbon monoxide and 20 percent less nitrogen oxide emissions.
- Heavier-duty propane autogas vehicles emit fewer greenhouse gases and total hydrocarbon emissions, and virtually eliminate particulate matter, when compared to conventional diesel powered heavy-duty vehicles.
Domestic
- More than 90 percent of the U.S. propane autogas supply is produced domestically, with an additional 7 percent from Canada.
- More than 70 percent of propane used in the U.S. comes from the nation’s natural gas supplies.
Economical
- For more than 30 years, the cost of propane autogas has been, on average, 30 to 40 percent less than gasoline, and 40 to 50 percent less than diesel.
- Propane autogas fueling infrastructure costs less than any other transportation energy source — conventional or alternative.
- Routine maintenance expenses, such as filter replacement and oil changes, are reduced due to the clean-burning properties of the fuel.
- With 14 different product offerings, ROUSH CleanTech has deployed thousands of Ford vehicles and Blue Bird school buses fueled by propane autogas across the nation. All vehicles offer equivalent warranty and performance as their conventionally fueled counterparts. Learn more at ROUSHcleantech.com or by calling 800.59.ROUSH.
Joe Thompson, president of ROUSH CleanTech, is a member of the ROUSH Enterprise Steering Committee and a recipient of the 2013 Green Fleet Sustainability All-Star award. He blogs monthly at Green Fleet. He can be reached at joseph.thompson@roush.com.
