Roush CleanTech has received California Air Resources Board (CARB) approval for its fuel system on the Ford E-Series passenger and cargo vans as well as approval for its Ford E-450 cutaway van. Roush CleanTech fits Ford vans with its propane autogas fuel system.
The company also announced that it will be offering a propane conversion for Ford's F-550 super duty chassis.
“This is truly exciting news for the Roush CleanTech team and our customers,” said Joe Thompson, president. “CARB certification is that final nod of approval needed to launch a full line of clean-burning propane-autogas-powered passenger and cargo vans to fleet managers in California and other states.”
The E-series passenger and cargo vans join the company's existing lineup of eco-friendly vehicles, including Ford F-250 and F-350 propane autogas pickup trucks, which received CARB certification last year, and the recently approved E-450 cutaway van.
The approved E-Series vans are equipped with a 5.4L V8 engine.
According to Roush, propane autogas burns 20% less nitrogen oxide and up to 60% less carbon monoxide while cutting greenhouse gas emissions 24% compared to traditional gas.
The fuel system for the E-450 cutaway is available on 2010 and 2011 model-year vehicles with a 158- or 176-in. wheelbase and equipped with a 6.8L V10 engine.
Roush showed off a prototype of its propane-powered F-550 at the recent NTEA Work Truck Show.
The 6.8L V10 propane-powered 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 Thompson.
“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 the Roush 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. The system, equipped with a 5-spd. automatic transmission, will work on all cab and wheelbase configurations, as well as 4×2 or 4×4 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 — 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.
