Commercial Applications of Propane Autogas

Posted: November 6, 2023

What Vehicles Can Use Autogas?

Propane autogas describes propane when it is used as a fuel for vehicles. Propane autogas is the world’s most popular alternative fuel, which is defined as any product that bypasses the two big traditional petroleum fuels: gasoline and diesel.

According to the Propane Education & Research Council, there are more than 60,000 propane autogas commercial vehicles on the road today, including a wide range of delivery fleets. Because propane autogas is such an efficient fuel, truck routes can extend to over 300 miles on a single refuel.

Besides light-duty and medium-duty trucks, propane autogas also powers school buses, taxis, shuttles, forklifts, commercial lawnmowers and more. To keep all these wheels in motion, there are thousands of propane autogas fueling stations in the U.S., with stations in every state.

Autogas Vs. Other Fuels: Comparing Costs

American-made propane autogas is an extremely safe, clean-burning alternative fuel that doesn’t require the same expensive repairs and replacement parts compared to other fuel vehicles. Let’s take a closer look:

• Propane autogas vs. diesel: Autogas engines require less oil by volume than diesel engines, saving you in preventative maintenance costs at every service interval over the life of the vehicle. They also don’t require the same costly diesel emissions fluids (DEF) and diesel particulate filters (DPF) to run clean. DPFs must be cleaned every 200,000 miles, and if yours need cleaning more often, it could cost tens of thousands of dollars for a cleaning machine or mechanic fees.
• Propane autogas vs. gasoline: With gasoline vehicles, there is a risk of fuel degradation and accelerated wear of engine components. Autogas also leaves fewer residual contaminants in the oil that can damage engines, and there’s less carbon build-up on the valves—unavoidable with gasoline engines.
• Propane autogas vs. electric vehicles (EV). Many fleets looking to reduce their emissions are considering electric fleet vehicles as a solution. Recharging stations, however, could be cost prohibitive. The estimated cost to set up infrastructure for 10 electric vehicles with five level 3 fast EV chargers is up to $480,000. Compare that to the estimated cost to install infrastructure for 10 propane autogas vehicles with a single 1,000- to 2,000-gallon tank, which is up to $60,000. Propane vehicles also have the range advantage over EVs, with Class 4-7 propane autogas vehicles achieving a range of up to 350 miles on a single fueling compared to a range of approximately 120 miles for electric work trucks. A Class 4-7 EV also has a price tag that is up to four times higher than a comparable propane autogas vehicle.

Alternative Fuel Tax Credit Savings

Propane autogas fleet operators can also save money by taking advantage of the Alternative Fuel Tax Credit, which is part of the Inflation Reduction Act passed by the U.S. Congress. You may qualify to claim a credit for every gasoline gallon equivalent of propane autogas purchased.

The credit is available through December 31, 2024, and extends back to January 1, 2022. The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) estimates that this credit will be a $200 million boon to the propane industry annually.

Propane Autogas from Wilson Oil & Propane in PA

At Wilson Oil & Propane, we believe so strongly in propane autogas that we run the majority of our vehicle fleet on it. By relying on propane autogas, we have already displaced tens of thousands of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel. We can help you do the same!

Make us your propane autogas partner, and we’ll help you save time and improve your bottom line even further. We’ll set you up with a secure storage container and put you on a delivery schedule to suit your needs. Instead of your employees losing time stopping at a fueling station every day to fill up with gasoline, we’ll deliver to your business so you can get to your customers faster.

See how much your fleet could save on average by switching to autogas. For a FREE comprehensive savings estimate, please contact us today.

Sources:

https://allianceautogas.com/
https://propane.com/
https://www.npga.org/
https://www.fleetowner.com/