Alternative Fuel Vehicle Manufacturers

Stop sweating over switching to alternative fuel vehicle manufacturers

Business owners and fleet managers are asking whether alternative fuel vehicle manufacturers hold the answer to pinched bottom lines due to soaring petroleum prices. Should you switch your fleet over? How much of the fleet should you convert? How soon? Fortunately, the switch can be more painless than you think; in fact, you may already have an alternative fuel car in your fleet right now.

Before determining which alternative fuel vehicle makers to contact, remember first and foremost you don't have to commit to just one fuel. In fact, diversifying your fuel sources may be a better bet. Consider the following factors:

1. What kinds of transportation do I need—over the road, light duty, even internal (like warehouse hi-los)?

2. What about alternative fuel availability? Where along my routes can my fleet refuel?

3. What's the total cost of ownership—not just purchase or lease price, but will the alternative fuel add to maintenance, even affect the resale value at the end of its life in my fleet?

 

Choose alternative fuel manufacturers from one of the Big Three

Good news: the government considers any vehicle that runs on 85% ethanol (E85) or compressed or liquefied natural gas to be an alternative fuel vehicle. By that definition, your LPG hi-lo running the stock room may be an alternative fuel vehicle. These fuels are already part of the energy infrastructure in the US, and easier to work into your current maintenance budget.
Try: General Motors heavily promotes its flex fuel vehicle fleet in national broadcast advertising. While Ford also produces vehicles that run on E85, they have put their promotion effort behind hybrid vehicles.

Obtain small transport vehicles from electric vehicle manufacturers

While electric vehicles may have a shorter range and no real refueling infrastructure to support long over-the-road routes, you can still benefit by using them for short trips or internal transport like plant-to-plant or inside warehouses.
Try: Cushman Textron offers personnel carriers and heavy-duty industrial materials carriers. Taylor-Dunn produces a range of electric personnel carriers and industrial tow vehicles, from shuttles to stock chasers.

Retrofit some vehicles using alternative fuel conversion kits

For even greater flexibility in fuel sources, as well as cleaner emissions, convert a gas or even diesel engine to run on liquid natural gas or propane.
Try: Omnitek Engineering produces conversion kits and even converted engines. Welsh Technologies offers an add-on dual fuel system that allows gasoline or diesel vehicles to include liquid natural gas, propane, even hydrogen into the combustion cycle, improving efficiency and extending the life of the engine.

 

• Check with your fleet's OEM before starting any alternative fuel technology conversions to avoid warranty issues. With E85 and biodiesel blends already in the nation's pipelines, these two mainstream alternatives are a great way to start an incremental shift over to a fleet of alternative fuel vehicles.

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