It’s no secret that gasoline and diesel are the most prevalent automotive fuels on the market. However, there is one fuel that largely flies under the radar when it comes to propelling vehicles. Propane, also known as LPG, is a commonly utilized automotive fuel often used by public fleet setups such as police vehicles, school buses, delivery trucks, taxi services, and other bulk transportation systems.
Why do large transportation services opt for propane fueled vehicles? There are a variety of factors that come into play.
Most notably, propane powered vehicles burn much cleaner than their more popular gas and diesel counterparts. Free of methane and other toxic hydrocarbons, propane-based fuel systems help to improve environmental factors both for the air and water quality of local residents. It also has an impact on suppressing damage done to the Earth’s ozone.
Unsurprisingly, the ecological benefits of propane help to garner state, local, and federal tax incentives that help to bolster cleaner uses of energy in the operation of vehicles while being a huge benefit to the owners of these vehicles. These tax incentives come out of the tax rate at purchase and helps to improve the costs of going with propane.
So, does this give propane more bang for its buck? The answer is somewhat complicated, but is largely a yes. Propane offers much more energy security than petroleum as it is produced domestically and therefore is not subject to the complications of international supply chains and transportation costs. This ensures that propane is more consistent in its availability and price point.
The price of propane is also consistently lower on average than gasoline, ranging from 30% to 50% cheaper per BTU (unit of energy measurement). This means that propane is almost always the cheapest route, especially when adding on tax incentives. Additionally, propane helps with lowering maintenance costs, as it is less straining on engines making it quite a cost effective option.
So what’s the catch? The reason propane isn’t always the cheapest stems from the upfront cost associated with buying a propane-running vehicle or outfitting a vehicle to use propane. These upfront costs range in the thousands and are closer to that of diesel engines. But, unlike the majority of diesel vehicles, these costs can be easily offset in the long run thanks to propane’s cost efficiency, the vehicle’s greater lifespan, and a lesser need for maintenance.
The average fleet vehicle with it’s high rate of use can often have a payback period of 12 months or less, which means any further driving will result in direct savings. Residential vehicles will most likely have a longer payback period unless driven on a frequent basis but will almost certainly make its money back by the end of its lifespan. This translates into direct savings in the long run all while burning cleaner fuel.
So how does one obtain a propane powered vehicle? Propane vehicles come in two varieties: dedicated which runs purely on propane and bi-fuel which allows the user to utilize both propane and gasoline by switching between the two. Vehicles can be converted to use propane by certified technicians or you can buy a vehicle with a certified fuel system already installed. You can easily track down such vehicles by navigating the Alternative Fuels Data Center on the Department of Energy’s website.
If you’re looking for a way to cut costs and your ecological footprint while trying to meet reliable transportation needs, take a look into propane. It will undoubtedly be worth the effort.