A sleek, black, propane autogas-powered 2008 Ford Expedition is on display this week at the International Limousine, Charter & Tour (LCT) Show in Las Vegas courtesy of Blue Star Gas, the West Coast flagship fuel provider for the national Alliance AutoGas network.
The LCT Show is the largest industry gathering in the world for limousine, charter and tour operators. Blue Star Gas autogas experts Darren Engle and Brett Flanigan are on-hand at the Propane Education Research Council exhibit to educate for-hire vehicle fleets on the benefits of affordable, American-made autogas. Their messages is that commercial fleets running on autogas not only save money on fuel costs and reduce harmful pollutants, they also help enhance America’s energy security by utilizing this domestically produced clean fuel.
“We’re here as a resource for chartered vehicle fleet owners and managers interested in driving greener while boosting their bottom line,” says Engle. “The up-front cost of converting to autogas is more cost-effective compared to other alternative fuels, so fleets can start saving right away.”
Propane autogas historically averages $1 per gallon less than gasoline, and fleets running on autogas report reduced maintenance costs because it’s a cleaner-burning fuel. It is the third most widely used fuel in the world, and 90 percent of the U.S. autogas supply is made in America. There are already more than 2,000 public autogas fueling stations in place across the country, and an Alliance AutoGas partner will install an on-site fueling station for fleets at no up-front cost.
“Some fleet operators may be initially intimidated by the prospect of shifting to an alternative fuel, but working with us doesn’t require fleet personnel to have an extensive knowledge of clean technology,” says Engle. “Blue Star Gas is part of the Alliance AutoGas complete program, so we are there every step of the process to provide autogas vehicle conversions, fuel stations and supply, staff training and ongoing technical support. We’re working to help make this affordable clean fuel an even more viable option for more U.S. fleets.”