Monroe County converted one F-350 dual rear wheel pickup truck, two F-250 trucks, and an E- 350 van to propane autogas. Photo courtesy of Monroe County.
Monroe County (N.Y.) said it has saved 50% on fuel costs on vehicles that have been converted to run on propane-autogas. The County also reported the vehicles emit 60% fewer carbon monoxide emissions and 25% fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Monroe County converted four county vehicles to propane autogas in 2009 after receiving a fuel-specific American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant that covered 75% of the cost of infrastructure and conversions. Using Roush CleanTech conversion kits, Monroe County converted one F-350 dual rear wheel pickup truck, two F-250 trucks, and an E- 350 van.
After the initial success of the four vehicles, the County then purchased 16 E-350 Econoline vans and Ford F-250 pickup trucks. Delivery of the 16 vehicles is scheduled for 2014.
Despite the cold temperatures and snow in the County, the propane-autogas-fueled vehicles perform without extra maintenance and there is minimum downtime, according to Melvin Rose, Monroe County’s fleet manager.
Additionally, the new propane technology passes the county's tests on high mileage, high-use routes, and the vehicles are used for a variety of operations. The trucks and van log 15,000 miles a year pulling heavy trailers and equipment, responding to heating and air conditioning calls, and plowing snow in the winter. One of the propane-autogas-fueled vehicles is used for field checks at the airport on a daily basis.
