Autogas has hidden saving that aren’t seen at the pump
“The volatility of fuel prices and increasing maintenance costs are the two biggest concerns on a fleet manager’s mind,” says ROUSH CleanTech’s Todd Mouw when asked why fleet pickup buyers should think about running propane autogas.
Mouw says it’s pretty easy to determine the fuel cost difference between diesel and propane, the later being around $1.25 GGE.
But what some new truck buyers don’t figure in to their calculations is the difference in maintenance costs between the two.
Business owners who have diesel vehicles in their fleet,have to budget for labor and parts for:
Particulate exhaust filters
Crankcase breather filters
DEF fluid
DEF filters
Two fuel filters per vehicle
Todd Mouw, ROUSH CleanTech
Mouw also says bigger fleets also need to have a qualified diesel mechanic, which adds to operating costs.
“If you’re operating autogas,” says Mouw, “there’s no need for any of those items. Autogas burns cleaner which reduces maintenance costs and the need for many of the costly after-treatment components current diesel engines need.”
Taking that into consideration when running the numbers prior to making a new truck purchase can make the decision between diesel and propane autogas engine power a little easier.
