• Big news this morning from Alliance AutoGas, which announced it has built a network of 600 propane autogas fuel stations–and growing–to make clean fuel available to more U.S. fleets. These autogas refueling sites extend from the Southern U.S., Pacific Northwest and Midwest, all the way to Canada, and many places in between.

• The Alabama Propane Autogas Roadshow is today, and Mark Bentley of the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition writes about the benefits of this cost-effective clean fuel in the Montgomery Advertiser.

• Meanwhile, the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Roadshow is still making its way around the state of Georgia.

• The California Energy Commission approved more than $5 million in funding for buy-down incentives for propane autogas and natural gas vehicles.

• The city of Livonia, Mich., is launching its own propane autogas refueling station.

• A Pennsylvania school district is gaining 22 new propane-powered school buses.

• Propane autogas and natural gas fleets just got a huge boost in the state of Florida.

• Torrington Public Schools in Connecticut unveiled their propane bus fleet this week.

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• The Alternative Clean Transportation conference and exhibition is being held June 24-27 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Embassy Suites in Washington D.C. The Expo Hall is free and open to the public June 26-27. Alliance AutoGas president and CEO Stuart Weidie will speak as part of a panel on alternative fuel infrastructure Wednesday afternoon. His presentation, “The Cost-Effectiveness of Propane Autogas Refueling Infrastructure, Present and Future,” will offer expert insight on how fleets can switch to clean fuel at little to no upfront cost.

• A Lead The Way propane autogas event is scheduled for the afternoon of Monday, June 24 by the Propane Education & Research Council, an ACT Expo presenting sponsor. Mike Barrett, regional maintenance director of Veolia Transportation, will share his firsthand hand experience with switching a nationwide taxi fleet to autogas through Alliance AutoGas, as part of the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program. The Clean Cities Annual Stakeholders Event is also being held that day.

• As we’ve mentioned previously, the Georgia Alternative Fuel Vehicle Roadshow is traveling around this month, with stops this week in Savannah, Augusta, Valdosta and Columbus. Fleets interested in learning more about a variety of domestic clean fuel options should attend a roadshow to learn from the experts and test drive a vehicle.

• The 2013 National Sheriff’s Association Annual Conference is being held June 20-26 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C. Law enforcement officers from across the country will gather to learn the latest trends and technologies available, including clean fuel vehicles powered by propane autogas.

• June 20 also marks the kicks off the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program’s Propane Autogas Roadshow series. The first roadshow is being held in Montgomery, Ala., and is free and open to the public, with registration. Hosted by the Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition, participants include Alliance AutoGas, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, PERC, as well as propane-powered fleets such as Lewis Pest Control, Lee County and Community Counseling Services. Industry experts will discuss operating both vehicle fleets and lawn and landscape equipment on clean, affordable propane autogas.

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• An Oregon sheriff fleet expects to save thousands with 10 new propane cruisers.

• The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Roadshow is making its way through Georgia over the next couple of weeks, featuring vehicles that run on propane autogas, natural gas, biofuels and electricity.

• The Flint Mass Transportation Authority is working with Crystal Flash, which is part of Alliance AutoGas, to switch 57 buses to run on autogas. They hope to have 92 clean buses by the fall.

• States are increasingly hitting owners of alternative fuel vehicles with extra taxes to offset decreasing gasoline tax revenues.

• A conference in Houston, Texas, this week focused on alternative fuel fleets.

• The largest school district in Arizona will have nearly 90 propane-powered buses in its fleet soon. According to School Transportation News: “The district said it is saving more than $0.37 per mile in operating costs and with the new buses expects to save $4.43 million in total operating costs over a five-year period.”

• The price for used Nissan Leafs is expected to fall.

• This Forbes article poses the question: should we be turning natural gas into gasoline?

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Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER) will manage the project and provide training for regional Clean Cities organizations such as Denver Metro Clean Cities, Garfield Clean Energy in Garfield County, Northern Colorado Clean Cities in Fort Collins and Southern Colorado Clean Cities in Colorado Springs. These local organizations will enlist fleets to participate in the Refuel Colorado Fleets project, which will encompass at least seven communities across Colorado. Once the communities are selected, the trained energy coaches from Clean Cities will work with local government and business fleets to help them with purchasing alternative fuel vehicles and improving fleet efficiency.

“Helping local communities make more widespread use of alternative vehicle fuel technologies also helps drive economic development,” said Alice Laird, executive director of CLEER. “This project will help Colorado speed up our transition to domestic vehicle fuels, building business and jobs.”

The $225,000 Refuel Colorado Fleets project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and does not include funds for fueling stations, charging stations or alternative fuel vehicles.The Colorado Energy Office also plans to provide public information through web tools, support stakeholder initiatives to remove barriers to alternative fuel adoption, and incorporate alternative fuel vehicles in the state fleet.

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“By using American-made clean fuels for transportation, we can reduce the supply disruption and price volatility that come with reliance on foreign oil,” says Stuart Weidie, founder of Autogas for America and president of Alliance AutoGas. “Improving national security and stabilizing the cost of transportation is a critical next step for America’s growth. Propane autogas is a proven fuel that can help to meet our country’s transportation needs. It’s American made, cost $1.50 less per gallon than gasoline, and it’s immensely practical for America’s transportation sector–all while reducing harmful emissions by 30 percent compared to gasoline.”

Check out the full video below, and be sure to visit the Alliance AutoGas YouTube channel to learn more about propane autogas for fleets.

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Sun Ray was the first business in the Columbus area to invest in more eco-friendly dry cleaning methods, and now it’s the first dry cleaners locally to operate autogas vehicles. The new autogas vans will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful pollutants, they will help reduce the fleet’s fuel costs as well.

Alliance AutoGas provides fleets everything they need to launch and maintain a successful propane autogas program, from vehicle conversions and on-site fuel station installation, to staff safety training, ongoing technical support and a reliable year-round fuel supply. Sun Ray Dry Cleaners joins many other fleets in Georgia that have switched to autogas through the Alliance program, such as the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, which has converted more than 30 patrol cruisers to propane autogas.

Propane autogas is the most widely used alternative fuel in the world, powering 18 million vehicles globally. Autogas is more affordable than gasoline, produces significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions and 98 percent of the U.S. autogas supply is made in America. Fleets operating on propane autogas are currently saving upwards of $2 per gallon on fuel versus gasoline.

Sun Ray Dry Cleaners is a full-service dry cleaners and laundry with eight locations across the Columbus area. In addition to dry cleaning and hand-cleaning services, Sun Ray offers leather and suede cleaning, rain proofing, shirt laundering, wash/dry/fold services, and wedding gown and memorabilia preservation. Visit www.sunraycleaners.com for more information.

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There are approximately 160,000 propane auto­gas vehicles on our nation’s roads and highways, making autogas the most widely used alternative fuel for transportation in the U.S. That is some­thing to be proud of. So is its impressive safety record.

While vehicles fueled by propane autogas have a long history of performing safely under all operating condi­tions, some people have the perception that these vehicles are more dangerous than traditional gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. That perception is inaccurate.

When it comes to the transportation of children, school fleet directors know that propane autogas school buses are the safe choice. That’s because propane autogas school buses have bracket systems that help hold the fuel tank in place. In school buses, propane fuel tanks are located between the bus frame rails, providing added protection to the tank and thereby increasing the safety of the passengers.

School buses that run on propane autogas meet all con­ventional bus safety standards, plus additional standards required for alternative-fuel vehicles.

Propane autogas engine fuel systems in all types of vehicles are fitted with safety devices and shut-off valves that function automatically if the fuel line ruptures. All tanks are equipped with a valve — or combination of valves — in the liquid outlet connection that has manual shut-off, excess flow, and automatic closure features. The valve assembly prevents the flow of fuel when the engine is not operating, even if the ignition switch is in the ON posi­tion. The vehicle pressure relief valve must be vented to the outside of the vehicle, and all fittings must be vented to the outside if the tank is in an enclosed area, such as a trunk.

It’s Not Hollywood

Propane autogas tanks are 20 times as puncture-resis­tant as gasoline tanks, so they are more durable in a collision. They can also withstand up to four times as much pressure as a gaso­line tank. Propane containers are much less vulnerable to puncture than moviemakers would have us believe. James Bond, for instance, causes an explosion by shooting a propane tank using his 9mm hand­gun in “Casino Royale.” But tests show that it doesn’t work that way in real life, as an episode of the television show “Myth Busters” makes clear (the segment is avail­able for viewing on YouTube).

Another safety feature of propane autogas is that it requires a much higher temperature to ignite. Gasoline and diesel fuel will catch fire at temperatures as low as 495ºF, whereas autogas requires a temperature of at least 920ºF to ignite. The chart below illustrates the flammabil­ity range of propane autogas and other fuels.

Many organizations develop and implement codes, standards, and regulations for the safe use of vehicles that run on propane autogas. The regulations are con­stantly reviewed, updated, and improved to ensure that all new vehicles and vehicle technologies are as safe as possible.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is responsible for rules governing vehicle tanks and piping. As an example, the tanks in all vehicles fueled by autogas are constructed from carbon steel in accordance with a code developed by ASME. The National Fire Protection Association also develops and implements codes and stan­dards for propane autogas storage systems, dispensing sta­tions, and vehicle systems.

Propane autogas is indeed a safe fuel when properly stored, transported, handled, and used. Several factors help ensure its safety: the fuel’s natural properties; the quality construction of fuel system components; stringent codes and regulations; and the industry’s extensive train­ing and safety-awareness programs.

Darren Engle is director of marketing for Blue Star Gas, which serves Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. Blue Star Gas is advancing the use of pro­pane autogas, and is a member of Alliance AutoGas. Engle serves as chairman of the Propane Education & Research Council’s Research & Technology Working Group, and travels the country training fleet managers of both private and public entities on the economic, safety, and environmental benefits of propane autogas.

• Jackson Heating & Air, an HVAC company in LaGrange, Ga., is powering 20 fleet vehicles on propane autogas through Alliance AutoGas, with conversions from Force 911 and fueling from Blossman Gas.

• The American Clean Skies Foundation (ACSF) says running more heavy- and light-duty vehicles on natural gas would have “minimal impact on natural gas prices.”

• The Propane Gas Association of New England held a demonstration at the state capitol Wednesday, featuring a school bus, commercial lawn mower, a truck and a bi-fuel car that run on clean propane autogas. The Shelton school district is adding 60 propane-powered buses to its fleet.

• Experts from the propane autogas and automotive industries spoke about autogas for fleets on the Detroit PBS program “Autoline” last weekend.

• A proposed bill in California would give a tax break to alternative fuel vehicles.

• State transportation officials in West Virginia state hope to solve the “chicken-or-egg” problem for natural gas vehicle fuel by converting a portion of the state’s fleet to compressed natural gas as fueling stations are built. The governor’s Natural Gas Vehicle Task Force recommends the state convert 25 percent–or 1,952 out of 7,811 fleet vehicles–to CNG within four years.

• Speaking of natural gas, UPS is adding a whopping 700 fleet vehicles that run on LNG and building four refueling stations by the end of 2014. I wonder how many more propane autogas stations and vehicle conversions they could implement for the same price tag?

• The Federal Trade Commission is getting rid of fuel economy labels as it requires automakers to disclose comparative driving range performance between alternative fuel and conventional gasoline vehicles.

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• Blue Star Gas helped a medical transit fleet in Salem switch five vans to run on clean, affordable propane autogas through the Alliance AutoGas program.

• As the provider of vehicle conversions and fueling for fleets in the Southeast Propane Autogas Development Program (administered by the folks at Virginia Clean Cities), Alliance has also helped the Buncombe County Sheriff’s fleet save thousands on fuel costs with 10 autogas cruisers.

• The state of Virginia approved a new transportation plan this weekend, moving away from reliance on the gasoline tax.

• Brunswick County in North Carolina is testing out two autogas-powered buses to evaluate how they run and how much money they will save.

• Attention all fleets and drivers in Tennessee: there’s an alternative fuel vehicle roadshow coming your way March 12-26. Alliance AutoGas will be there showcasing clean propane autogas vehicle technology and answering questions.

• Chenango Forks Central School District in Binghamton, N.Y. just voted to add propane-powered buses to its fleet.

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• Alliance AutoGas welcomed Lampton-Love this week, a Southeast U.S. propane retailer that will provide the Alliance complete program to fleets in Tennessee and Louisiana.

• Gasoline prices have been rising steadily for more than a month–and counting! Could mean record highs for 2013, which is bad news for fleets that depend on traditional gasoline-powered vehicles for transportation.

• ROUSH CleanTech is providing three new propane-powered Ford trucks, including the Ford F-59, F-53 and E-450.

• A Minnesota company is helping area fleets enjoy the benefits of running on autogas.

• The Governor of Connecticut is calling for a more comprehensive energy strategy, including the use of alternative fuel vehicles.

• The City of Phoenix will add 120 new CNG buses to their Valley Metro fleet. Meanwhile, a city in Iowa is testing out CNG with two initial vehicle conversions.

• And, finally, check out this video about the new Unified Government propane autogas fleet in Kansas, which is expected to save about $133,000 annually on fuel costs with 13 vehicles.

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