Why Alternative Fuels?

Reduce foreign fuel dependence

Based on the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. imported 65 percent of its oil, or 386 million barrels in March 2009, sending approximately $18 billion, or $403,226 per minute, overseas to foreign governments.

Reduced Emissions

Both Propane and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) can significantly reduce emissions versus gasoline.

Emissions of Converted Propane and Reformulated Gasoline
Pollutant	Percent Reduction: Light Duty Vehicles	Percent Reduction: Heavy Duty Vehicles
Total Hydrocarbons (THC)	>40%	>80%
CO	>20%	>90%
NO_x	>30%	~60%
PM	~100%	~100%

Source: The Report of Alternative Fuels Group of the Cleaner Vehicles Task Force

Emissions of CNG Compared to Reformulated Gasoline in Light Duty Vehicles
Pollutant	Percent Reduced
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)	10%
Carbon Monoxide (CO)	20% to 40%
Oxides of Nitrogen (NO_x)	0%
Particulate Matter (PM)	80%
Methane	–400% (increase)

Source: The Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) report, a Full Fuel-Cycle Analysis of energy and Emissions Impacts of Transportation Fuels Produced from Natural Gas

Propane facts

Propane (otherwise known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas or LPG) is a byproduct of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, thus is readily available.
Approximately 90 percent of the United States’ propane supply is produced domestically, while 70 percent of the remaining supply is imported from Canada and Mexico.
Propane is an approved, alternative clean fuel listed in the 1990 Clean Air Act, as well as the National Energy Policy Act of 1992.

Propane vehicles have a higher octane rating (104) than gasoline (87), allowing for a higher compression ratio in the engine and greater engine efficiency.
Because the fuel is already in a gaseous state, it mixes readily with air in the combustion chamber to allow for nearly complete combustion.
In its liquid state has the lowest flammability range of any alternative fuel.

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Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Facts

CNG is actually a safer fuel than gasoline.
Unlike gasoline that can pool on the ground in the event of an accident or leak, CNG is non toxic and dissipates harmlessly into the air.
With a very narrow range of flammability to be combustible and nearly twice the ignition temperature of gasoline, it's also less likely to cause a fire.
Because natural gas is such a clean burning fuel, carbon deposits in an engine are nil, reducing cylinder and ring wear so engine life can be much greater than when running on gasoline.
Oil change and tune up intervals can also be extended.