Economic Benefits From Propane Vehicles By David A. Kolman, Editor Propane autogas is a readily available, domestically produced fuel to power vehicles. It’s the same propane used to heat homes or fire up a backyard grill. “It’s a cost-saving energy source that is making strides in the U.S. transportation industry,” says Todd Mouw, vice president, sales and marketing, Roush CleanTech (Roushcleantech.com), an industry leader of alternative fuel vehicle technology. Operators of shuttles, school buses, taxis, delivery vans, construction trucks, paratransit vehicles and more are taking notice of the long-term cost benefits associated with propane vehicles. Propane autogas burns cleaner in engines than gasoline and diesel, which results in reduced maintenance costs and potential for longer engine life, he says. Plus, vehicles fueled by propane autogas emit fewer greenhouse gases and smog-producing hydrocarbons than gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles. Compared with gasoline models, he notes that vehicles fueled by propane autogas emit: • Up to 25 percent less greenhouse gases. • 20 percent less nitrogen oxide. • Up to 60 percent less carbon monoxide. Mouw adds that compared with conventional diesel models, vehicles fueled by propane autogas emit fewer greenhouse gases and total hydrocarbon emissions, and virtually eliminate particulate matter. INSIDE WORKINGS Propane autogas enters an engine’s combustion chambers as a vapor, explains Mouw of Roush, and it does not strip oil from cylinder walls or dilute the oil when the engine is cold. This helps propane-powered engines to have a longer service life and reduced maintenance costs. Additionally, the fuel’s high hydrogen-to-carbon ratio (C3H8) results in less carbon build-up than gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. Engines fueled by propane autogas require less oil by volume than diesel and no additional diesel emission fluids or extra valve adjustments, he 32 Fleet Maintenance | APRIL 2017 says. There is no need for diesel aftertreatments -- such as maintenance parts and fluids -- because propane’s chemical properties allow it to power an engine while reducing the emissions released into the atmosphere. FLEET USE AmeriPride Services, a leading textile rental services and supply company in North America, operates 25 Ford F-59 trucks fueled by propane. The company chose the alternative fuel to reduce its carbon footprint and to save on fleet expenses and time, Mouw says. AmeriPride’s chief engineer says it takes “only five minutes” to fill each truck’s tank with propane. Alpha Baking Company established some corporate criteria for its fleet’s fuel evaluation. Purchasing vehicles backed by maintenance support and backed by an original equipment manufacturer warranty were on the list. When the company was ready to replace its aging delivery trucks, it found propane-fueled trucks delivered on these criteria, says Mouw. It selected the Roush CleanTech propane fuel system because it can be serviced using standard Ford diagnostic equipment, plus the vehicles maintained the full factory Ford warranty. The vehicles also offer the identical horsepower, torque and towing capacity as their gasoline counterparts. According to Blue Bird – the number one school bus manufacturer in North America – school bus operators can expect to save, on average, $2,000 to $2,500 per bus per year on maintenance costs with propane. Engines powered by propane autogas require less oil per oil change than diesel – 7 quarts vs. 17 to 30 quarts – and no additional diesel emissions fluids or hardware. Mouw notes that propane buses eliminate the need for particulate trap systems, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems, turbochargers and intercoolers. Filter packages cost about 60 percent less on propane autogas vehicles than diesel vehicles. Furthermore, he says propane-fueled vehicles come in the same models that technicians are familiar working on without the need for additional expenses or downtime associated with diesel. » To reduce their carbon footprint and save on operating expenses, fleets are adopting vehicles powered by propane autogas. The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) has 31 such minibuses, each built on a Ford F-550 chassis and equipped with a Ford 6.8L V10 engine with a Roush CleanTech propane autogas fuel system. Photo courtesy of Roush CleanTech Cost per mile is an important factor in identifying total ownership costs. Both the Propane Education & Research (www.propanecouncil.org) – a leader in propane safety, training programs and products – and Roush CleanTech provide savings calculators that include a lifetime ownership cost summary comparing vehicle fuel cost savings and savings per mile. These can be found at: • www.propanecostcalculator. com/autogas • www.roushcleantech. com/saving-calculator Transportation fuels burn at different heat energies, so knowing total ownership cost provides a better “apples to apples” comparison than simply miles per gallon or price per gallon, says Roush CleanTech’s vice president, sales and marketing, Todd Mouw.
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