LIVONIA, Mich. — ROUSH CleanTech is speaking, exhibiting and sponsoring at the 2012 Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo to show how domestically produced, clean and cost-efficient propane autogas is a proven alternative fuel solution. The Expo, North America’s largest alternative fuel and vehicle technologies event, starts tomorrow in Long Beach, Calif.
“The 2012 ACT Expo provides the perfect opportunity to showcase how ROUSH CleanTech customers are gaining tremendous savings on maintenance and fuel costs, while not compromising range and performance by operating propane autogas vehicles in their fleet,” said Todd Mouw, vice president of sales and marketing for ROUSH CleanTech and a featured presenter on the “Gaseous Fuel Upfitters” panel May 16. “Fleet managers can talk to our customers who have not only realized the benefits of propane autogas, but after experiencing this zero compromise alternative fuel, are coming back for more.”
One of those customers is ThyssenKrupp Elevator, the nation’s largest producer of elevators in North America, which plans to announce the deployment of eight propane autogas vehicles in Los Angeles and eight in San Diego during the “Propane Autogas 101” session May 15. ThyssenKrupp will also announce plans to operate 10 percent of its fleet on clean-burning, domestically produced propane autogas by 2015.
“When we laid out all the fuels available today, there was only one alternative fuel source that met all of our needs, and that was propane autogas,” said Tom Armstrong, director of fleet at ThyssenKrupp Elevator. Currently operating ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas vehicles in their Phoenix and Seattle fleets. ThyssenKrupp also is targeting other cities like Sacramento, San Francisco, Detroit and Houston for their future fleet plans.
In addition to private fleets, public fleets are fueling with propane autogas in California, which has the strictest emissions regulations in the nation. The Cities of Santa Monica, Riverside and Cypress are just a few municipalities that operate ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas vehicles. Students in many Southern California school districts, including Los Angeles Unified School District, ride school buses fueled with propane autogas. In fact, there are more than 400 school buses fueled by propane autogas in Southern California.
“For the past five years, districts across California and the nation have been realizing the environmental and economic benefits offered by Blue Bird’s propane-powered buses,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. Blue Bird’s Propane-Powered Vision and Micro Bird G5 feature the ROUSH CleanTech dedicated liquid propane autogas fuel system.
Vehicles fueled with propane autogas emit significantly fewer greenhouse gases and smog-producing hydrocarbons, and virtually eliminate particulate matter when compared to conventional fuels. All ROUSH CleanTech vehicles are certified to meet the stringent guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board. Fleet managers who operate on propane autogas can expect to save 30 to 40 percent per gallon when compared to gasoline and up to 50 percent when compared to diesel.
ROUSH CleanTech will display a Ford E-450 cutaway fueled by propane autogas and owned by National Bus Sales in booth No. 439. During the ride-and-drive portion of the event, fleet managers can test the performance capabilities of a ROUSH CleanTech Ford E-450 shuttle bus, an F-250 pickup truck or an E-250 cargo van.
“No matter the size of a fleet, we have a propane autogas application that will leave fleet managers wondering why they waited so long to make the switch,” said Mouw.
