Thursday, March 31, 2011

Delivery Vehicles Fueled by Propane Autogas Take Center Stage at Beverage Fleet Summit

WASHINGTON (March 28, 2011) — In Las Vegas today, propane autogas takes center stage as a safe, economical, and clean alternative fuel of choice for fleet managers at the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) display during the 2011 Beverage Fleet Summit, which runs through Wednesday.

Propane autogas vehicles from PERC manufacturing partners CleanFuel USA and Roush CleanTech will be available for attendees to test-drive on March 29 from 9:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. That includes a General Motors G-4500 cutaway van and a Ford E-450 cargo van, each equipped with a liquid propane autogas injection system. Propane autogas is a domestically abundant, clean-burning fuel that is ideal for fleet transportation markets.

PERC will lead a panel of experts making presentations about propane autogas, ethanol, biodiesel, and natural gas tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. The roundtable discussion will focus on the range of alternative fuel options available to beverage fleets seeking more energy-saving and eco-friendly options to fuel their vehicles.

"Many beverage companies have already incorporated fuel-efficient modes of product delivery, such as optimizing delivery routes and using lighter beverage packaging," said Brian Feehan, vice president of PERC. "Using vehicles fueled by propane autogas, a domestic fuel that reduces carbon emissions and operating costs, strengthens corporate stewardship even more."

Fleet vehicles fueled by propane autogas include light- and medium-duty trucks, vans, passenger vehicles, school buses, and taxis. New on-road vehicle platforms in development, such as the GM 6-liter engine by CleanFuel USA and the Ford Super Duty F-450 and F-550 trucks by Roush CleanTech, will provide more propane autogas options for the beverage industry. Many beverage companies are already familiar with this clean energy source from the propane forklifts in their warehouses.

On average, fleet vehicles fueled by propane autogas emit 12 percent less carbon dioxide, about 20 percent less nitrogen oxide, and up to 60 percent less carbon monoxide than gasoline-fueled vehicles. Propane autogas is the leading alternative fuel in the United States, fueling over 270,000 on-road vehicles domestically and 15 million vehicles worldwide.

Working with equipment manufacturing partners, PERC has supported the research and development of new propane autogas engines and vehicles. For more information on PERC and its programs, visit www.autogasusa.org. For more information on the 2011 Beverage Fleet Summit, visit www.beverageworld.com/conference.

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