The sheriff's office in Polk County, Ore., has completed the conversion of 10 vehicles to run on propane autogas. Blue Star Gas installed autogas refueling infrastructure and will supply fuel, and Auto Additions of Salem performed the bi-fuel vehicle conversions.
The propane vehicles – seven Ford Crown Victorias, two Chevy Tahoes and one Ford F-350 pickup truck – will yield fuel-cost savings of approximately $20,000 annually, the sheriff's office says. All of these vehicles feature the Prins Vapor Sequential Injection (VSI) system.
‘The sheriff's office was looking for a way to save money on the fuel costs, as patrol cars travel an average of almost 25,000 miles each year, and fuel bills are very noticeable each month,’ says Sergeant Mark Garton of the Polk County Sheriff's Office. ‘Not only is there a 50-cent-per-gallon federal tax credit for operating on alternative fuels like propane autogas, filling up with autogas also costs substantially less than gasoline. We expect to save thousands annually on fuel costs alone by operating autogas vehicles.’
As part of Alliance AutoGas, Blue Star Gas provides a program to help fleets switch to propane, including vehicle conversions, fuel supply, fuel station installation, staff safety training and ongoing technical support.
