Cost Reduction For most fleets, the primary motivator for adopting autogas is a reduction in fuel costs. With today’s anomaly of cheap gasoline prices, it may be surprising to discover autogas is less expensive. As of January 1, propane autogas got a $0.36 per gallon tax credit, plus a reduction in the Federal Excise Tax of 5 cents per gallon. Wholesale propane prices are proving to be very stable. Autogas suppliers can lock today’s prices out as far as three years. Many customers claim that they can even extend service intervals with the adoption of autogas. However, I do caution against changing any service interval without doing oil analysis and proper research. Uptime While some fleets prefer dedicated autogas vehicles, another option that also can affect uptime is a bi-fuel solution. With a bi-fuel system, the fleet has the ability to switch back to gasoline in the unlikely event of a problem. In addition, the bi-fuel system has the potential to bypass a failed gasoline fuel system component, actually increasing uptime over OE components because all original components stay functional during a conversion. If the customer’s vehicle is running on gasoline and there was a fuel pump failure, for instance, the customer can switch to this system. Another element of productivity is labor costs. Most autogas customers take advantage of a private fuel network. Many times the fuel location is on the customer’s site. By eliminating the inconvenience of having to go to a gas station, vehicle operator time can be saved by fueling on-site. Safety The last and most important goal is safety. Propane autogas has proven itself to be safer than gasoline. The two early adopters of autogas have been school buses and law enforcement – two customers where safety and reliability are paramount. Autogas is stored in a puncture-resistant steel tank, has multiple mechanical back checks features and can’t be spilled, which eliminates groundwater contamination risk. Reman, Repower & Rebuilt | Recent innovations in dispensers and filling hardware, such as the ultra-low emission filling nozzle and the “safe connect” vehicle valve, give the operator the ability to fill the vehicle faster than gasoline without the need for any personal protective devices. Ed Hoffman, serves as president of Blossman Services – the principal vehicle technology provider for Alliance AutoGas (www.allianceautogas.com) and a subsidiary of The Blossman Companies (www.blossmangas.com) – a leading nationwide propane dealer and the largest independent dealer of propane. He has more than 23 years of experience in the automotive, fleet operations, sales and management arena. ONLINE WE’RE ALWAYS ON. VEHICLESERVICEPROS.COM EQUIPMENT • PARTS • TECH TIPS • VIDEOS • WHITE PAPERS • AND MUCH MORE ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE BY REGISTERING AT VEHICLESERVICEPROS.COM/REGISTER
Fleet_Maintenance_April_2016
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