Propane autogas or liquified petroleum gas (LPG)

Scope

Many carriers — specifically school buses, shuttles, long-haul trucks, yard management, work trucks, and local and regional delivery vehicles — can benefit from propane autogas or LPG.

Regulatory citations

• None

Key definitions

• Propane Autogas or liquified petroleum gas (LPG): LPG is a clean-burning fuel used to power propane vehicles. It’s stored under pressure inside a tank as a colorless, odorless liquid, and once pressure is released, the liquid propane vaporizes and turns into gas.

Summary of requirements

To know whether an alternative fuel is suitable for a fleet, carriers must examine the benefits and considerations before transitioning.

The top benefits are:

• Cleaner tailpipe output — Tailpipe output is 90 percent cleaner than current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards and nearly 13 percent less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.*
• Abundant refueling options — Many refueling options exist at private and public refueling stations, as well as onsite fueling, which can take up as little as the equivalent of one parking space.
• Similar power and performance — LPG is similar to conventional fuels in terms of horsepower and torque.
• More flexibility and range — LPG vehicles have a main LPG tank along with a (smaller) reserve gas tank, allowing more flexibility and range.
• Lower maintenance costs — Lower maintenance costs are typical due to no exhaust after-treatment system, such as an easily clogged diesel particulate filter (DPF) and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF).
• Lower cost per gallon and mile — LPG vehicles typically have a lower cost per gallon and mile than gasoline or diesel vehicles despite lower fuel economy.
• More grant money — More grant money is available through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) to support the transition from diesel to LPG.
• Similar technical requirements — LPG engines have similar technical requirements to gas engines concerning diagnostic and maintenance equipment as well as technician training.
• Extended engine life — LPG vehicles have an extended engine life due to lower carbon and oil contamination.
• Better cold-weather performance — LPG vehicles perform better in cold weather than other vehicles due to fewer cold-start problems. LPG vehicles are fueled with a mixture of propane and air versus diesel fuel, which can gel in frigid temperatures.

*Argonne National Laboratory’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model.