Worthington Industries' propane-autogas fuel tank has been approved by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The doughnut-shaped, or toroidal, tank fits in the spare tire space of a car or pickup truck, and will be available for order in August.

The tanks, which have been manufactured at Worthington’s facility in Poland for nearly 20 years, have been popular throughout Europe, South America, and Asia. Worthington saw the need for the convenient tire-sized tanks in North America as an alternative to cylindrical tanks and met the stringent ASME propane autogas fuel tank regulations to earn approval. ASME provides engineering and manufacturing regulations that hold products to quality and safety standards exceeding the requirements in Europe, according to the company.

Varying in size and shape to fit a variety of vehicles, eight models of the fuel tanks are ASME certified. The tanks hold between 9.4 and 19.1 gasoline gallons equivalent (GGEs). The diversity of the tanks will provide an opportunity for most vehicles to convert to propane autogas.

The new fuel tanks will be in full production this fall.