In 2018, Todd Smith, city administrator for the town of Greeneville, Tenn., wanted to reduce the town’s expenses, as well as the town fleet’s impact on the environment. Smith researched the potential benefits of adding an autogas program and found that by working with Alliance AutoGas (AAG), they could purchase fuel at a fixed rate, have reduced maintenance requirements and reduce the town’s carbon footprint.
“After confirming those key benefits, we knew this was a program to implement,” says Smith.
Greeneville converted three of its law enforcement Ford Explorers to bi-fuel engines. The primary advantage of a bi-fuel system over a dedicated “monofuel” system is its elimination of range anxiety when compared to other alternative fuel vehicles.
“In addition to upfront benefits found in autogas, having an additional fuel increases the department’s loiter time in our vehicles for emergencies,” adds Smith.
After seeing the success with its three initial autogas vehicles, the town expanded its autogas program with AAG. The town currently has 18 converted autogas vehicles for the local police department, which includes 13 Ford sedans and five Ford Explorers. As with many of AAG’s customers, Greeneville decided to invest in its own autogas refueling station.
To date, Greeneville has used 18,500 gallons of autogas.
Photo: Greeneville’s converted police cruisers
