Making the switch to propane buses has already displaced more than 900 gallons of gasoline in June alone. The primary reason the Biltmore decided to go with propane autogas? “The main reason we did this is the environment. We’ve been trying to take care of the environment for many years, and it’s one of our legacies,” said Rick Conard, Biltmore’s vice president of guest operations.

Conard also noted the cost savings autogas provides, with the Biltmore saving up to $1.30 less per gallon with autogas over gasoline.

For more stories of public and private fleets going green with propane autogas, visit our case studies page online.

• Alliance AutoGas welcomed Paraco Gas to the national partner network of propane autogas retailers, equipment providers and conversion centers. Paraco was named the 15th largest propane retailer in the U.S. by LP Gas magazine, and will service fleets in areas of Connecticut and New York, including the five boroughs of New York City.

• The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced over $5 million in grant money to help fleets switch vehicles to clean-burning alternative fuel.

• There’s a propane autogas webinar today at 1pm CT that will cover “troubleshooting autogas fuel systems from Impco/BRC Sequent, CleanFUEL USA LPI, ROUSH CleanTech LPI, and Prins VSI.”

• A mail and document transportation services fleet called Lake Michigan Mailers, Inc., is converting vehicles to autogas. The company president said he expects the conversions to reduce fleet’s cost per mile by 32 percent and for emissions to drop as much as 60 percent.

• A Chicago-area limousine company is also going green with propane autogas and compressed natural gas vehicles. Windy City Limousine has a fleet of around 200 limousines, limo buses, miniature buses, coaches and sedans. Company ownership looks forward to the fuel cost savings and environmental benefits from the new clean vehicles.

• South Shore Clean Cities and the Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission invite Indiana fleets and vehicle technicians to a free, two-day propane autogas certification class June 19 and 20. The Clean Start Technician Training will include lectures and demonstrations on autogas safety, vehicle operation and diagnostics, and participants will receive a certificate of completion from Texas State Technical College.

• The Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program roadshow series will make a stop in Alabama next week. Interested fleets and drivers in the area should RSVP here.

Follow @AllianceAutoGas or like us on Facebook to stay updated on more alternative fuel and fleet industry news.

GE Vehicle Innovation Center - Photo via Pioneer Press, courtesy of GE Capital Fleet Services

Big news this week coming out of Eden Prairie, Minnesota: in a major move to encourage more U.S. fleets to utilize domestic alternative fuels, GE Capital Fleet Services has unveiled a clean vehicle technology testing ground for commercial fleets called the “Vehicle Innovation Center.”

The first of its kind, the facility has a half-mile test-drive track, a vehicle center with models from 20 manufacturers of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles, and 6,000 square feet of classrooms and showrooms. Featured vehicles include those powered by propane autogas, electricity, natural gas, hydrogen and more.

America’s fleets are leading the way in adopting alternative fuel technology, and representatives from GE say they’re committed to helping put more of these clean vehicles on the road. Fleet managers from across the country will be invited to test-drive vehicles and learn more about how clean, affordable fuels like autogas can benefit their fleets.

“We believe that businesses, through their company fleets, can lead the way in putting drivers across the country and around the world into cleaner, more productive vehicles,” said Deb Frodl, chief strategy officer for GE Capital Fleet Services. “The best way to accelerate adoption of alternative fuel cars and trucks is to experience them. Once they get behind the wheel, they can see that these vehicles are real and ready for action.”

The opening of this center by such a well-established American corporation like GE is a positive step toward the widespread adoption of alternative fuel vehicles for our nation’s fleets. The more fleet operators are able to experience firsthand the performance and cost-savings benefits of clean vehicle technology, the more they will make the switch American-made fuels like autogas.

Follow @AllianceAutoGas or like us on Facebook to stay updated on more alternative fuel and fleet industry news.

What were you expecting me to say?

A story about the vehicles’ extended range – from its unique bi-fuel system using propane AutoGas – leading to an arrest after a 400 mile high-speed chase through streets of Atlanta before ending in a shootout with armed suspects carrying a weapons cache in their backseat of their vehicle – that ran out of gas- as the officers took refuge behind their extremely puncture resistant tank located inside the vehicle that still allowed them to drive the suspects back to the precinct after the day’s unbelievable circumstance because the clean-burning fuel ensured a healthy engine that can run long after its expected lifetime?

You can tell it's high-speed becuase it's blurry

Well, I’m sorry. I don’t have that for you. I want that too. But all I have is a story about how one Sheriff’s efforts and leadership will save thousands of dollars for the citizens in his county while simultaneously protecting their health…for now.

Until the great AutoGas chase occurs, read the full story about Sheriff Darr of Georgia and his department’s new vehicles here.

To learn more about these workshops and see webcasts from previous cities visit the Alternative Fuel Trade Alliance website. Visit www.autogasusa.org to learn about PERC and its efforts to spread AutoGas.

Read the original and other great posts at Fleet Daily.

The second certification comes from the California Air Resources Board (C.A.R.B.). C.A.R.B. certification tends to be a bit more elusive. They require more tests, data and I assume bureaucracy than EPA certification and can be stricter in some of their requirements. Other states are jumping on board, and they are adopting these regulations. I assume it’s because eventually everyone wants to seem cool, and let’s face it-California is cool. They have celebrities. Or maybe certain states looked at the picture below and decided, “If it works for them then it will probably work for us.” But I am not here to speculate on reasons (I know it’s because of celebrities). I am here to shed some light on this confusing world of alternative fuels.

California: They need everything they can get

I have compiled for your reading pleasure (but mostly so you don’t have to look it up) a list of states that have adopted C.A.R.B. regulations. If your state is listed below then you will need to check with any dealers or conversion centers about the laws and whether they have the right certifications.

The LIST:

Arizona

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Maine

Massachusetts

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Utah

Washington

Where does it come from?

This chemical compound is released during the combustion of petroleum-based fuel.

Why is it bad?

At low levels it doesn’t seem so bad. Exposure to low levels of Carbon Monoxide can generate fatigue and chest pain especially in those with heart conditions … basically what would happen if most of America worked out right now. At higher concentrations people experience impaired vision and coordination, headaches, dizziness, confusion, nausea, and other flu-like symptoms. At even higher levels of contact … DEATH.

What makes Carbon Monoxide even more dangerous is the fact that it is virtually undetectable – no odor or color. It kind of sneaks up on you, and you don’t even know.

Carbon Monoxide: undetectable

There are some very good reasons why AutoGas is the third most popular fuel choice in the world and why it is THE alternative fuel. Let’s begin.

As an alternative fuel, propane provides the closest experience to driving on conventional gasoline. AutoGas achieves about 80-90% of the mpg of regular vehicles but sacrifices none of the power, which mean AutoGas vehicles perform better than any other alternative-fueled vehicle. Converting vehicles to AutoGas is also cheaper than other alternative fuel vehicle conversions. The average AutoGas vehicle conversion is around $5,800, and there are many tax credits to help lower that cost even more. Alliance also uses a unique hybrid system(Prins), allowing the engine to run on either gasoline or AutoGas. This bi-fuel system allows drivers to use gasoline when they can’t get to an AutoGas fueling station, and is less expensive than buying a dedicated system already installed on a new vehicle.

Ya…it’s pretty awesome

AutoGas also burns cleaner than gasoline, which is better for your vehicle overall. Filling up with a cleaner fuel means you will save money on vehicle maintenance costs, as well.

If propane were a person

Fleets’ home bases provide a perfect location for a refueling station, which Alliance
will set up for no extra charge (Wow! What a deal!).

The Deal

Fleets also travel a high number of miles each year in a specific footprint. Propane, on average, costs less that gasoline, sometimes over a dollar less per gallon. The US government also had a 50 – cent tax credit for each gallon of gasoline equivalent, meaning an extra 50 cent savings on top of the already cheaper fuel for 2009, and congress is in the process of extending it right now. These fuel savings offset the initial cost of conversion.

Basically, it boils down to the fact that fleets (that would be you) have both more to gain from alternative fuel use and more resources to implement this simple and logistical change in their fleet vehicles, compared to the average vehicle owner.

This blog is here to help.