#propane vehicles

[silvestromedia]

Propane Vehicles

Propane vehicles have been widely used and refined for decades, and a propane vehicle's power, acceleration, and cruising speed are similar to those of conventionally fueled vehicles. Propane, also known as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or propane autogas, is considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. According to the Propane Education & Research Council, there are nearly 200,000 on-road propane vehicles with certified fuel systems in the United States. Many are used in fleet applications, such as school buses, shuttles, and police vehicles.

Propane vehicles are available from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or via a conversion.

https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/propane.html

[greenfleet-blog]

Safety First!

I read an article about the Sandy Springs Police Department using propane autogas for their police cruisers. Force 911 performed the installations and the department has saved a substantial amount due to reduced fuel expenses. You can read more here:

http://neighbornewspapers.com/view/full_story/22609819/article-Propane-%E2%80%93-Is-it-safe---?instance=all

The article reminded me that although there's been an increase in the use of CNG and propane autogas for vehicles, people are still concerned about safety.

A few safety items to note:

1. Propane autogas tanks are made with 1/4 thick steel. Gas tanks are made of Polyethylene, a hard plastic, which can be punctured more easily.

2. CNG and propane autogas systems installed in the U.S. go through evaluation at the EPA and receive EPA approval after successful testing.

3. Propane will ignite only with a fuel-to-air ratio between 2.2% and 9.6%. Propane has a more narrow range of flammability compared to gasoline.

4. The ignition temperature of propane autogas is 920-1020 degrees Fahrenheit vs. 495-536 for conventional gasoline.

Safe driving!

[greenfleet-blog]

Abundant and affordable

We frequently get asked about the availability of propane autogas. Because propane isn't quite as recognizable as natural gas, most individuals assume the U.S. doesn't have an abundant supply.

Did you know that the U.S. is a net exporter of propane? In 2012, the U.S. exported approximately 2.6 billion gallons of propane, leading to net exports of almost 1.0 billion gallons.

In fact, propane is the world's third most popular vehicle fuel behind gasoline and diesel. Countries like Turkey, South Korea, Poland, Italy, and Australia have long been using propane as an automobile fuel because it's more affordable compared to diesel or petrol.

To learn more about the growing use of propane in the United States, check out ICF International's "2013 Propane Market Outlook" report.

http://www.icfi.com/insights/reports/2013/propane-market-outlook-2013 

[greenfleet-blog]

Force 911 was interviewed on the radio program "Speaking of Green" on September 12, 2012. We discussed propane autogas vehicles and electric vehicles with our host Beth Bond. The link will take you to the recorded radio program.

If you don't have time to listen to the broadcast, here's a few of the highlights mentioned in the program:

We install a bi-fuel propane system.This system is added on to your existing fleet vehicles. It can be used on sedans, trucks and vans.

The bi-fuel system is an independent fuel system that is added to the vehicle which allows you to operate on propane or gasoline. A separate tank, hoses and computer are installed.

This is a vapor sequential injection system. The vehicle will always start on gasoline. It takes a few seconds for the system to warm up and then switch to propane.

Users can switch back to their gasoline system if they run out of propane.

There are dedicated propane systems on the market where the car can only operate on propane (no gasoline back up).

The payback on a bi-fuel system like this is approximately 12-14 months if you are driving a vehicle 20,000-25,000 miles per year.

Safety is a big concern. We decided to do a shooting demonstrations a few years back. The video is online at our YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/force911girl.

We work with a lot of law enforcement agencies. They are probably one of the toughest organizations on cars. The bi-fuel system is being used by several law enforcement groups and they report no change in performance (and sometimes comment the performance is better when driving on propane).

Propane is 104 octane. It burns cleaner. You can double your engine life by using propane autogas. It also reduces the intervals for oil changes.

Propane costs significantly less that gasoline. In early September 2012 our organization was paying $1.60 per gallon for propane (at our main office in GA).

When you drill for CNG, you also get propane. About 70% of propane comes from natural gas.

Propane is a domestic fuel source. Approximately 90% of propane is derived from sources in the U.S.

Several fleets in the Southeast have implemented propane for their vehicles.

Force 911 also offers electric personal mobility vehicles as well as electric low speed vehicles.

[greenfleet-blog]

Think Beyond CNG

It's summer tradeshow season and we're on the road for the next two months. We exhibited multiple  propane vehicles and electric vehicles at a tradeshow this past weekend for municipal governments. Over and over again, attendees would stroll by and make comments about compressed natural gas (CNG).

Yet, no one  could share why they thought CNG was a better application than propane. I'll take that back, with the exception of having existing CNG fueling infrastructure in their city or county, people really can't explain the advantages of converting a vehicle to CNG versus Propane.

Of course, we think that's a score for the CNG industry. They've done a phenomenal job promoting CNG, getting press and working on legislation to encourage CNG use. And with a backer like T. Boone Pickens, it's natural for the public to think the only domestic fuel source (other than wind, electric or solar) is compressed natural gas.

Pickens has touted natural gas as the best vehicle fuel alternative because it is domestic, burns cleaner and reduces foreign oil consumption. But did you know that those three characteristics are exactly the same for propane. In fact, when you drill for natural gas you also get propane.

So here's two advantages to propane (and we think they are pretty big advantages):

1. Propane fueling infrastructure is significantly cheaper - A fast fuel propane station for fleet vehicles starts around $30,000. Whereas, a fast fuel CNG station for fleet vehicles starts at $500,000 and can climb to a million dollars. Furthermore, most propane retailers will give you the fueling infrastructure at a discounted price if you contract to buy their propane.

2. More range - Comparing a propane tank to a CNG tank of the same size and dimensions (this is the fuel tank inside the vehicle), the propane tank holds twice the amount of fuel. Therefore, one tank of propane autogas will take you twice as far as CNG and you won't have to refuel as often.

[greenfleet-blog]

This year's Propane Days are scheduled for June 4-6 in Washington, D.C. Don't forget, propane does more than just power your Grill. It's used for airport shuttles, airport TUGs, vehicles, homes, lawn mowers and more. It's versatile, it's clean and best of all - it's domestic.