Propane, or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a byproduct of natural gas processing and also can be refined from petroleum. It is more commonly called autogas when used in vehicles. It comes in liquid form and is compressed slightly and/or cooled (propane is a liquid at –44°F). Stored under pressure inside a tank, propane turns into a colorless, odorless liquid. As pressure is released, the liquid propane vaporizes and turns into gas that is used for combustion. An odorant, ethyl mercaptan, is added for leak detection. Propane autogas refueling facilities store and dispense the fuel as a liquid. Thus refueling facility costs are relatively low.
A growing number of vehicles are factory-built to run on propane autogas. Many others can be converted using EPA-certified conversion systems. Vehicles that can be converted include pickup trucks, vans, passenger cars, school buses, work trucks, and more. Conversion costs are approximately $5,000 to $10,000 for most light-duty vehicles and $10,000 to $25,000 for medium-duty vehicles. Like natural gas, autogas causes less wear on engines, saving maintenance costs. Furthermore, autogas is typically 15-50% cheaper than petroleum fuels in Ohio. Energy content is slightly less (5-10%) than gasoline by volume.
Propane is comparable to natural gas environmentally. It is non-toxic and presents no threat to soil, surface water, or groundwater. Propane is also domestically available and helps the US increase its energy security. Propane autogas is the most widely used of any non-petroleum vehicle fuel and because propane vehicle technology is well established, propane autogas fueling stations are widely available.
Links
- To learn more about propane, please visit the Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center.
- For a general overview of propane, please visit the Department of Energy's Propane Basics.
- To find propane stations near you, please visit the Alternative Fuels Data Center's station locator.
- To learn more about propane applications for fleets, please visit the Propane Education & Research Council.
- To read about the latest news on propane, please visit our Delicious page.
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MedCorp's propane-powered fleet Click for a video about MedCorp and their fleet of emergency vehicles powered by propane in Toledo, Ohio. |
