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Posted: August 19, 2024
It seems like every day in the news, we read or hear about transitioning to all-electric vehicles because electricity is considered a “clean fuel” by many.
Although a battery-powered electric car itself doesn’t produce any emissions, the power plant that generates the electricity used to charge those batteries probably does. And those power plants are among the largest sources of greenhouse gas pollution in the United States.
The fact is, we’re a long way from getting our energy primarily from sources like wind and solar. Other obstacles slowing the move toward electric vehicles include low supply, challenges with charging infrastructure, expensive upfront costs, and limited mileage range.
Unfortunately, practical eco-friendly options like converting gasoline engines to propane autogas have been virtually ignored by lawmakers.
So. what are your options if you’re interested in converting your vehicle or vehicles to propane autogas instead of electric?
First, gasoline engines can be converted to run on autogas through EPA-certified bi-fuel conversion kits, which can be installed on many existing vehicles.
However, this is not a practical solution for passenger cars since very few conversion kits are currently available for this vehicle segment right now. But that’s not the case when we shift the focus to popular commercial vehicles like vans and light-duty trucks.
For instance, suppose you want to convert your business fleet of vans and light-duty trucks to propane? This basically means that your trucks or vans would be able to run on both propane and gasoline just by flipping a switch that would be installed within the dashboard of the vehicle. While there’s an installation cost for the conversion, this will eventually result in your spending much less money on gasoline in the long run, especially during times when gasoline prices skyrocket, as they did just a few years ago.
According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, 60% of alternative-fuel vehicles nationwide now run on propane. Besides light-duty trucks and vans, autogas can be used to power school buses, forklifts, lawnmowers and farm tractors. That’s why autogas is the third most popular vehicle fuel, next to gasoline and diesel.
Propane also historically costs 30% less per gallon than gasoline. Even when you factor in the cost to convert your vehicle or even buy a new one, your long-term savings on both fuel and maintenance will improve. Let’s compare propane autogas to both gasoline-powered vehicles and electric vehicles.
Autogas-powered vehicles produce lower emissions than gasoline vehicles, including significantly less carbon monoxide, (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO2) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
Autogas is a safe, proven and reliable fuel. Unlike gasoline, autogas is nontoxic, nonpoisonous and soluble in water. Should a rare accidental release of autogas occur, it would dissipate into the atmosphere with no harmful contaminants released into the air, soil or water.
Since 99% of our nation’s propane autogas is produced in North America, using this American-made fuel means reducing our dependence on foreign oil. You will also be supporting our domestic economy and helping to create American jobs.
There are already more than 2,500 autogas fueling stations in place throughout the country. Autogas is an abundant fuel, too, with upward of 68% of U.S. autogas manufactured as a by-product of natural gas refining.
At Wilson Oil & Propane, we believe so strongly in propane autogas that we run the majority of our vehicle fleet on it. We can help your business convert to propane autogas too.
Please reach out to us today to learn more about the environmental and cost benefits of using propane autogas for your business in southeast Pennsylvania and the rest of the Delaware Valley.
