Like many municipal fleets serving their communities on a tight budget, Davidson County Transportation was looking to cut fuel costs in the face of rising gasoline prices. Alliance AutoGas helped the fleet secure grant funding from the N.C. Solar Center for propane autogas vehicle conversions and installed an autogas fuel station at the fleet’s home base at no upfront cost. Now, Davidson County is saving thousands on fuel costs with 10 autogas-powered buses.
Davidson County Transportation Manager George Hodges says their drivers have been happy with the performance of the autogas vehicles, and that the fleet saved about $1500 on fuel costs the first month of running on autogas. Ten Ford E-450 vans are already converted, with another two larger, 22-passenger vehicles slated for conversion this summer. Davidson County mechanics completed certification training to maintain their autogas vehicles and convert more county fleet vehicles in the future.
Dwayne Childress, Davidson County Purchasing Director, had this to say about the autogas conversions:
“I supported converting our fleet to propane autogas specifically because it’s such a reliable and proven technology. The fact we received a grant from the Solar Center to cover the cost of conversions, paired with the fuel station infrastructure at no additional cost through Alliance AutoGas, made switching to autogas a really good deal.”
Autogas is a cost-effective clean fuel option for fleets who want to start saving on fuel costs right away. The infrastructure and conversion costs for autogas are simply more affordable than other alternative fuels on the market today, and autogas is currently saving fleets around $1.50 per gallon at the pump.
To see if your vehicle make/model can be easily converted to run on propane, check out the Alliance AutoGas website for a full list of EPA certifications. Follow @AllianceAutoGas on Twitter for more alternative fuel updates affecting your fleet.
