This day of honor not only reminds us of our duty to country, but also brings to mind the role energy plays in national security.

In the month of April alone, the United States imported hundreds of millions barrels of oil, sending billions of dollars overseas and furthering our dependence on foreign oil. We are invariably tied to the economies and political volatilities of the nations that supply our energy and our fuel.

America’s fleets face increasing challenges from fuel costs to demands for environmental responsibility. But the fuel choices U.S. fleets make to meet these challenges can also work to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

As our nation edges toward a clean break from foreign oil, individuals, business and governments can work together toward a common goal of energy security. By using American-made resources like propane autogas, our commercial transportation sector can help us make great strides toward this critical goal.

Ninety-eight percent of our nation’s propane autogas is produced right here in the U.S., and fleets operating on autogas can save $1.50 per gallon compared to gasoline.  At a time when gasoline and diesel prices are impacting our economy across the board, moving toward inexpensive, domestically produced fuel is increasingly practical and a proactive step toward protecting our nation’s interests.

Image courtesy of the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA)

• As we’ve reported previously, the propane industry is celebrating 100 years with an autogas parade and rally event in Atlanta this Saturday. Come out to test drive a few autogas vehicles and hear about the benefits of this cost-effective clean fuel. Fleets from across the country and experts from organizations like Alliance AutoGas and the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program will be on hand to answer your questions.

• Folks in Mississippi are praising the benefits of propane autogas. Alliance AutoGas and co-founding partner Blossman Gas (based in Ocean Springs) are helping fleets statewide convert to autogas, including the Coast Transit Authority community fleet, the West Point and Starkville Police Departments, the Mississippi State University Police, and the Pearl River, Oktibbeha and Jones County Sheriff’s Offices. The State Fire Marshall also recently began the transition to propane autogas.

• A South Carolina county is making the switch to autogas to reduce their dependence on costly gasoline.

• A mass transit fleet in Michigan is already reaping the cost-savings benefits of running on propane autogas, with plans to purchase even more autogas-powered vehicles

• PERC answers your most common autogas fueling questions.

• One of the first public fueling stations in the U.S. to offer multiple alternative fuel options (both CNG and LNG) has opened in Wisconsin.

• In a recent speech, a U.S. Navy energy leader stressed the need for alternative fuel development.

• GPS navigation provider TomTom has updated its Webfleet Mobile fleet management app to make it more accessible for managers on the go.

For the latest alt fuel fleet news and views, follow @AllianceAutoGas or find us on Facebook.

Titled “America Can’t Wait: A cost and environmental analysis of propane autogas vs. gasoline,” the paper gives a rundown of the cost savings, environmental benefits, and investment potential of autogas vehicle technology.

The paper states:

Domestic offshore oil drilling will take years to yield fuel supply; using the entire Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) would last approximately one month (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2010), and alternative vehicle technologies like electric or hydrogen vehicles are not yet realistic for largescale deployment. None of these options can make an immediate and significant impact on transportation fuel prices. Autogas is right here, right now, and it’s already powering 16 million vehicles worldwide. America can’t afford to wait for other technologies to catch up.

Amen. To read the rest of the paper, click here to download.

If you’re a fleet representative interested in converting vehicles to run on propane autogas, learn about the only complete conversion and fueling program in America.

• Reno, NV:  the city’s fleet does not expect it will be able to keep costs under the projected $1.5 million budget if prices keep rising, according to channel KOLOTV.
• Schuylkill, PA: public fleets are worried about expiring fuel contracts and possibly huge budget cuts – a one-two punch in the gut of public funding for fleet fuel.

Can there be any silver lining in all this? Why, yes – one sheriff’s office is saving $105,000 per year on fuel costs  – just by switching part of their fleet to autogas as part of the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program (just call it SPADP “spah-duhp”).

Even though the Muscogee County, GA fleet has its own gasoline contracts for $2.73 a gallon (retail price: $3.50/gallon), the 36 autogas-powered patrol cars converted by Alliance AutoGas start “on gas and then [switch] to propane that is about $1.34 cheaper than the gasoline the department purchases,” creating an annualized cost savings of $105,000.

Enough said.

Autogas vs. Gasoline & Diesel prices in Asheville, NC

Let’s do some math.

Vehicle to be converted: 2008 5.4L Ford F-150 2wd
Miles driven/year: 50,000 mi
Miles/gallon on gasoline: approximately 14 mpg city
Autogas fuel economy: about 90% efficient as gasoline
Miles/gallon on autogas: 12.6 mpg city

So, given these facts, let’s see how much you would spend on fuel for one vehicle, using the prices from the picture.

50,000 mi on gasoline: $11,067
50,000 mi on autogas: $7,777

Fuel cost savings of $3,290 (per vehicle, per year)– the vehicle conversion cost has practically paid for itself in a year. And that’s not even including savings from fewer oil changes and decreased maintenance downtime. Asheville fleets have it pretty good over there…