Autogas growing as economical alternative to gas, diesel

A road show in North Carolina on Wednesday will feature three of the 15 million vehicles worldwide that are powered by propane autogas, a mixture of propane and butane that is the most used fuel by Americans after gasoline and diesel

On display at the show at the state fairgrounds in Raleigh will be a Roush CleanTech Ford E-250 cargo van, a Knapheide Ford E-350 truck and an Alliance AutoGas police cruiser, all of which run on liquefied petroleum gas.

It's one of a few dozen shows that are taking place across the United States in the next few months to acknowledge a growing trend: That thousands of shuttle buses, vans, trucks and taxis in America are now running on propane autogas, a green power source that has one-third fewer emissions than the more widely used gas and diesel fuels.

“With gas prices putting a strain on wallets across the country, it’s important that we continue to drive home the message of reducing use of foreign oil,” John Jessup, executive director of the North Carolina Propane Gas Association, said Monday. “Domestically produced propane autogas is economical and available right here and right now.”

The Raleigh show is aimed at fleet managers and anyone else who is interested in the latest and greatest autogas technologies and products. Speakers will discuss ROI, cost savings, environmental benefits and tax spiffs.

As autogas becomes more accessible to everyday people, with thousands of refueling stations available nationwide, a growing number of drivers continue to use this form of energy to power their vehicles. U.S. companies with fleets have propelled the trend.

“Vehicles fueled by propane autogas are an excellent fuel choice for fleets,” said Brian Feehan, vice president of the Propane Education & Research Council. “Fleet operators do not have to sacrifice performance for environmental friendliness.”

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton will deliver the keynote address at the event on Wednesday, which runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the state fairgrounds.

To register for the propane road show, go to propaneroadshows.com.

You can reach TorqueNews.com's Hawke Fracassa at hawkefracassa@aol.com.