• Big news this morning from Alliance AutoGas, which announced it has built a network of 600 propane autogas fuel stations–and growing–to make clean fuel available to more U.S. fleets. These autogas refueling sites extend from the Southern U.S., Pacific Northwest and Midwest, all the way to Canada, and many places in between.

• The Alabama Propane Autogas Roadshow is today, and Mark Bentley of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition writes about the benefits of this cost-effective clean fuel in the Montgomery Advertiser.

• Meanwhile, the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Roadshow is still making its way around the state of Georgia.

• The California Energy Commission approved more than $5 million in funding for buy-down incentives for propane autogas and natural gas vehicles.

• The city of Livonia, Mich., is launching its own propane autogas refueling station.

• A Pennsylvania school district is gaining 22 new propane-powered school buses.

• Propane autogas and natural gas fleets just got a huge boost in the state of Florida.

• Torrington Public Schools in Connecticut unveiled their propane bus fleet this week.

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Fleet owners, government officials and community members are welcome to test-drive clean propane autogas vehicles and learn from industry experts. The event is free with registration, and a complimentary lunch will be provided. Speakers include representatives from leading industry organizations like Alliance AutoGas, ROUSH CleanTech, the Propane Education and Research Council, ALLGAS/Lampton-Love and the Alabama Propane Gas Association.

The vehicle ride and drive begins at 2pm, after the informative presentations have wrapped up. Attendees will get hands-on experience with autogas vehicles during the ride and drive, and local fleets such as Lewis Pest Control, Lee County and Community Counseling Services will discuss their experience converting to autogas.

Propane autogas fleets save on fuel and maintenance costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, all while operating on an American-made fuel. Propane autogas is the most widely used alternative fuel, with 21 million autogas vehicles around the world. U.S. autogas fleets save an average of $1.50 per gallon on fuel versus gasoline.

Representatives from Virginia Clean Cities say the Program will complete the targeted total of 1,200 propane autogas vehicle conversions by December 2013.

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• The Alternative Clean Transportation conference and exhibition is being held June 24-27 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Embassy Suites in Washington D.C. The Expo Hall is free and open to the public June 26-27. Alliance AutoGas president and CEO Stuart Weidie will speak as part of a panel on alternative fuel infrastructure Wednesday afternoon. His presentation, “The Cost-Effectiveness of Propane Autogas Refueling Infrastructure, Present and Future,” will offer expert insight on how fleets can switch to clean fuel at little to no upfront cost.

• A Lead The Way propane autogas event is scheduled for the afternoon of Monday, June 24 by the Propane Education & Research Council, an ACT Expo presenting sponsor. Mike Barrett, regional maintenance director of Veolia Transportation, will share his firsthand hand experience with switching a nationwide taxi fleet to autogas through Alliance AutoGas, as part of the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program. The Clean Cities Annual Stakeholders Event is also being held that day.

• As we’ve mentioned previously, the Georgia Alternative Fuel Vehicle Roadshow is traveling around this month, with stops this week in Savannah, Augusta, Valdosta and Columbus. Fleets interested in learning more about a variety of domestic clean fuel options should attend a roadshow to learn from the experts and test drive a vehicle.

• The 2013 National Sheriff’s Association Annual Conference is being held June 20-26 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C. Law enforcement officers from across the country will gather to learn the latest trends and technologies available, including clean fuel vehicles powered by propane autogas.

• June 20 also marks the kicks off the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program’s Propane Autogas Roadshow series. The first roadshow is being held in Montgomery, Ala., and is free and open to the public, with registration. Hosted by the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, participants include Alliance AutoGas, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, PERC, as well as propane-powered fleets such as Lewis Pest Control, Lee County and Community Counseling Services. Industry experts will discuss operating both vehicle fleets and lawn and landscape equipment on clean, affordable propane autogas.

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• An Oregon sheriff fleet expects to save thousands with 10 new propane cruisers.

• The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Roadshow is making its way through Georgia over the next couple of weeks, featuring vehicles that run on propane autogas, natural gas, biofuels and electricity.

• The Flint Mass Transportation Authority is working with Crystal Flash, which is part of Alliance AutoGas, to switch 57 buses to run on autogas. They hope to have 92 clean buses by the fall.

• States are increasingly hitting owners of alternative fuel vehicles with extra taxes to offset decreasing gasoline tax revenues.

• A conference in Houston, Texas, this week focused on alternative fuel fleets.

• The largest school district in Arizona will have nearly 90 propane-powered buses in its fleet soon. According to School Transportation News: “The district said it is saving more than $0.37 per mile in operating costs and with the new buses expects to save $4.43 million in total operating costs over a five-year period.”

• The price for used Nissan Leafs is expected to fall.

• This Forbes article poses the question: should we be turning natural gas into gasoline?

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• Experts from Alliance AutoGas and ROUSH CleanTech recently spoke with a couple Georgia city and county governments about the benefits of running vehicles on propane autogas.

• The Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition is teaming up once again with the team from the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program to present a propane autogas roadshow June 20 in Montgomery.

• How is FedEx reducing its fuel use and emissions?

• A GE Capital Fleet Services survey finds that driver safety is a number one concern among fleet managers.

• Propane autogas vehicle technology was in the spotlight at last week’s Police Fleet Expo in Fort Worth, Texas. Operating on autogas can save law enforcement fleets thousands on fuel costs annually, in addition to the increased vehicle range offered with bi-fuel autogas systems.

• A California transit fleet has introduced new hybrid diesel electric buses to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

• A city in Alabama is switching to biodiesel fuel to power heavy equipment, and expects to save $10k per year in tax credits for using alternative fuel.

• Meanwhile, the Wilmington International Airport has saved about 8 percent on energy costs by greening its operations, including running mowers on clean propane.

• An alternative fuel roadshow is headed to Georgia from 9 a.m.-noon June 13 at Savannah Technical College.

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Sun Ray was the first business in the Columbus area to invest in more eco-friendly dry cleaning methods, and now it’s the first dry cleaners locally to operate autogas vehicles. The new autogas vans will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful pollutants, they will help reduce the fleet’s fuel costs as well.

Alliance AutoGas provides fleets everything they need to launch and maintain a successful propane autogas program, from vehicle conversions and on-site fuel station installation, to staff safety training, ongoing technical support and a reliable year-round fuel supply. Sun Ray Dry Cleaners joins many other fleets in Georgia that have switched to autogas through the Alliance program, such as the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, which has converted more than 30 patrol cruisers to propane autogas.

Propane autogas is the most widely used alternative fuel in the world, powering 18 million vehicles globally. Autogas is more affordable than gasoline, produces significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions and 98 percent of the U.S. autogas supply is made in America. Fleets operating on propane autogas are currently saving upwards of $2 per gallon on fuel versus gasoline.

Sun Ray Dry Cleaners is a full-service dry cleaners and laundry with eight locations across the Columbus area. In addition to dry cleaning and hand-cleaning services, Sun Ray offers leather and suede cleaning, rain proofing, shirt laundering, wash/dry/fold services, and wedding gown and memorabilia preservation. Visit www.sunraycleaners.com for more information.

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It’s nearly impossible to imagine this massive country of ours functioning without passenger vehicles, trucks and bus fleets–we need transportation to get us to and from work, to deliver goods and services, and often just to make it from place to place across the suburban sprawl. However, there are ways we can lessen the environmental impact, the “carbon footprint,” our vehicles are leaving behind. Step one is walking and driving more, and also taking public transportation when possible. Drivers who can afford the upfront cost of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles can also do their part to protect the environment by purchasing cleaner vehicles.

America’s fleet industry can make the most difference in improving the air quality of our communities, right now. With thousands of vehicles on the road every day, vehicle fleets can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful pollutants by running on domestic clean fuel like propane autogas, natural gas and biodiesel.

Propane autogas is among the lowest total carbon emissions fuels, showing at least a 20 percent reduction in emissions versus gasoline or diesel. In fact, autogas is so much cleaner than conventional fuels, fleets often need less maintenance (think fewer oil changes and less vehicle down time!) and report their propane-powered engines actually last longer. Also, fueling up with propane autogas is greener than gasoline because autogas fuel stations are spill-free with zero-emissions.

Worried about being able to refuel your clean propane autogas vehicles? Don’t be. There are currently more than 2,500 autogas fueling stations throughout the U.S., and that number is growing every day as more fleets switch to this American-made fuel. And with an affordable cost of implementation, it’s financially viable for vehicle fleets to get up and running on clean-burning autogas today at little-to-no upfront cost.

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• Jackson Heating & Air, an HVAC company in LaGrange, Ga., is powering 20 fleet vehicles on propane autogas through Alliance AutoGas, with conversions from Force 911 and fueling from Blossman Gas.

• The American Clean Skies Foundation (ACSF) says running more heavy- and light-duty vehicles on natural gas would have “minimal impact on natural gas prices.”

• The Propane Gas Association of New England held a demonstration at the state capitol Wednesday, featuring a school bus, commercial lawn mower, a truck and a bi-fuel car that run on clean propane autogas. The Shelton school district is adding 60 propane-powered buses to its fleet.

• Experts from the propane autogas and automotive industries spoke about autogas for fleets on the Detroit PBS program “Autoline” last weekend.

• A proposed bill in California would give a tax break to alternative fuel vehicles.

• State transportation officials in West Virginia state hope to solve the “chicken-or-egg” problem for natural gas vehicle fuel by converting a portion of the state’s fleet to compressed natural gas as fueling stations are built. The governor’s Natural Gas Vehicle Task Force recommends the state convert 25 percent–or 1,952 out of 7,811 fleet vehicles–to CNG within four years.

• Speaking of natural gas, UPS is adding a whopping 700 fleet vehicles that run on LNG and building four refueling stations by the end of 2014. I wonder how many more propane autogas stations and vehicle conversions they could implement for the same price tag?

• The Federal Trade Commission is getting rid of fuel economy labels as it requires automakers to disclose comparative driving range performance between alternative fuel and conventional gasoline vehicles.

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JHA co-owner Ben Jackson says they discussed the “autogas option” for about five years and, after extensive research, recently decided to convert Chevrolet Express vans, Silverado trucks and GMC Sierra trucks in their fleet to autogas. Blossman Gas provides year-round fuel supply, while certified Alliance conversion center Force 911 performed the vehicle conversions at local automotive repair service center Stanford Automotive.

“Making the switch to autogas was a smart decision for our fleet,” says Dale Jackson, co-owner. “Not only is autogas better for the environment than gasoline, it will ultimately save the company thousands of dollars on reduced fuel and maintenance costs, a savings which in turn will be passed on to our customers.”

As part of their 40-year anniversary celebration, JHA featured their clean fleet at an event in LaGrange last Friday. Check out the video below for first-hand testimonials from owners Dale and Ben Jackson about how they’ve benefited from operating fleet vehicles on autogas.

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• The Polk County Police Department converted 10 cruisers to propane autogas through Alliance AutoGas, saving the fleet $47,000 in fuel costs annually.

• The general manager of Olympic Pool Plastering in Georgia discusses how running his fleet vehicles on autogas helps his company promote clean air and save on fuel costs.

• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northern Michigan is deploying two propane autogas pick-up trucks and three Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric vehicles, and will also install on-site charging and fueling stations for the vehicles.

• A city in Ohio is converting 12 vehicles to propane autogas. The city fleet has more than 300 vehicles in its fleet; and if the process of converting vehicles to autogas is successful, they plan to add more kits to other vehicles in the future.

• ROUSH CleanTech will begin production on the new multipurpose Ford F-650 propane autogas fuel system this October.

• LP Gas Magazine offers highlights from last weekend’s Southeastern Convention & International Propane Expo.

• The Propane Education and Research Council discussed clean propane autogas technology at the convention and expo in Atlanta.

• Auto dealers in the U.S. have “issues” with a proposed alternative fuel vehicle tax credit.

• The Motley Fool takes a look at which states are the most “alternative fuel-friendly.”

• Tax credits for alternative fuel vehicles head to the Colorado Senate.

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