INDIANPOLIS. Roush CleanTech showed off the latest propane-powered truck prototype being developed through its retrofit partnership with Ford Motor Co. here at the National Truck Equipment Assn.’s Work Truck Show.
The 6.8-liter V10 propane-powered Ford F-550 super duty chassis cab prototype is designed to suit a wide range of uses including dump, landscape, flatbed, construction, waste, utility, and freight hauling, among others, while delivering significant fuel cost savings to fleets, explained Joe Thompson, president of Roush CleanTech.
“Going green is not just for light-duty vehicles anymore,” Thompson stressed. “This truck has massive capacity, exceptional maneuverability, and rugged construction. It’s a workhorse in the field and economical on paper. Based on today's fuel prices, a propane-powered Ford F-450 or F-550 can save $30,000 over a 200,000-mi. vehicle life, and can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by 120,000 lbs. or more.”
He added that Roush’s propane fuel system will be available for 2012 and later models of the Ford F-450 and F-550 truck series, and is expected to ship beginning in October of 2011. The system, equipped with a 5-spd. automatic transmission, will work on all cab and wheelbase configurations, as well as 4x2 or 4x4 vehicles.
While Thompson said Roush is still finalizing the details on tank capacity and options, the plan is to offer up to three tank configurations for the Ford F-450 and F-550 propane fuel system — an in-bed tank and two under-bed tanks. The fuel tank choices will be able to be combined to conform to various body configurations and to meet the range requirements of their customers.
He stressed that those configurations will be certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as the California Air Resource Board (CARB) when the vehicles are officially launched. The propane fuel system will also be available as a Ford ship-through option for installation on new vehicles, or as a retrofit option for vehicles already in service, with the factory warranty upheld after installation, Thompson noted.
