Nixa Police Unveil Propane-Powered Car to Cut Costs
By: KOLR10 Newsroom
Updated: August 28, 2012
NIXA,
On Tuesday, Nixa Police unveiled a test vehicle that will be converted to use propane. The goal is to save on gas expenses.
"We're intrigued by the concept," says Chief James Bacon. "I mean, that's one of the things that drew our attention to it.
Being an alternative fuel that's produced primarily in the United States, it supports our country. Secondly, fuel costs being what they are, it was negatively impacting our budget."
Chief Bacon says it cost $50 to drive the squad car to Kansas City to convert it over to propane. He says it cost $28 to drive it back.
The Nixa Police Department will update the City every 30 days to evaluate if it's cost efficient.
Comments
Justin, your facts are not correct. Conversions run $6000-$8000 and for many installations, you can transfer the set-up to the next vehicle for very little cost. The payback at $2 less per gallon is very quick%u2014the Chief%u2019s example on driving to/from KC is proof. Fueling infrastructure is usually provided by the propane supplier at no cost. I have no idea what you mean by %u201Cequipment and licensing%u201D costs, either. You may be confused with compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling which can run into the millions of dollars and takes 30 minutes or more to dispense. Propane dispensers have been around for a long time and are pretty common and inexpensive.
Your propane friend needs to brush up on his information, too. The US makes so much propane (liquefied petroleum gas or LPG) today that it has become a net exporter. Most propane used in this country is the result of domestic production. Check out the U.S. Department of Energy%u2019s EIA website for details.
Beyond the substantial financial relief to city taxpayers, the Police Department%u2019s actions also balance the scales when it comes to air quality. Nixa banned citizens from smoking in most workplaces in 2007; it%u2019s nice to know the city is (finally) doing its part to address its own lung-damaging pollution. Propane emits less greenhouse gas and noxious emissions than diesel or gasoline. LPG (also known as autogas) burns cleaner, greatly reducing maintenance such as oil changes due to lower particulate matter and carbon buildup. Those converted Nixa police cars can remain in service a little longer, further stretching city taxpayer funds.
Nixa should be congratulated for taking this step to address both its budget issues and its environmental leadership. I would imagine that, at the end of the 30-day evaluation period, the city will be sending a few more vehicles to Kansas City. Better yet, OTC or another provider could institute a conversion facility to meet this growing demand and keep those funds and jobs in SW Missouri.
Steve A.
August 29, 2012 at 11:16 am
I'm not sure what system the city is using, but if they are using the Prins system from Alliance AutoGas they can convert at zero upfront cost, since the fuel cost savings typically outweigh the financed conversion costs. Alliance fleets are saving upwards of $1.50 per gallon with propane autogas (compared to gasoline); and even if paid upfront, the Prins system costs just $5,800 and can be transferred to a new vehicle when the original is retired. Alliance also provides onsite propane autogas fueling equipment at no cost to the fleet. Lastly, 98% of our nation's autogas is actually produced right here in the U.S. Visit www.allianceautogas.com to learn more.
Alliance A.
August 29, 2012 at 10:49 am
we convert them for around $6200, most propane companys will install a station for you for little or no cost to the city.
80% of the propane that is used in the USA is produced in the USA, and most of the rest of the propane that we use comes from Canada. we are selling propane AutoGas for $1.679 a gallon, including the Federal tax of 18.3 cents per gallon. at this price there are huge savings for fleets!
william c.
August 29, 2012 at 10:37 am
they didnt mention the $12,000 to convert it to propane and the cost of equipment and licensing to keep the cars filled, nor did they mention the cost of having a station available to fill them there looking at approx $75,000 plus the fees of getting propane hauled in to the stations or the cost of piping it in also they stated propane is made in the USA and thats not true, a guy i know who works for a local propane company said most propane is hauled or brought in from over seas just like gasoline ...... this is a great idea for the cost of fuel alone but overall cost is going to kill them
justin j.
August 28, 2012 at 9:50 pm
