Alliance AutoGas Debuts First EPA-Certified Propane-Diesel System
The system, introduced at the 2015 ACT Expo here, on average dispenses a fuel blend of 30% propane and 70% diesel that its owner, Alliance AutoGas, estimated will save fleets as much as 5 to 7 cents per mile in fuel costs.
"We call it diesel substitution," said Tucker Perkins, chief business development officer for the Propane Education and Research Council. "You might hear people call it diesel blending or even diesel fumigation."
The idea is that the blend of the two fuels will be cheaper, but also will burn cleaner, since there will be less diesel burned, Perkins said.
The engine also has been emissions certified by the California Air Resources Board, said Ed Hoffman, president of Blossman Services Inc., an Alliance equipment provider that worked on the system's development.
So far, the two engine models that have been certified by EPA and CARB include a 13-liter Volvo engine and 14-liter Detroit Diesel engine, Perkins said.
Perkins said that some barriers could give truckers pause before implementing the system, which costs about $9,500 installed.
Some truckers might not want to have to worry about filling the tank with diesel, propane, and diesel exhaust fluid. Others may question if there would be an adequate number of propane filling stations and if they can find the right price for propane, which tends to be more price-stable than natural gas and diesel.
"But I think all of those will pale to save 7 cents a mile," Perkins added.
