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Alaska National Park testing propane-powered vehicles

By | November 8, 2011, 4:52 AM PST

Roush CleanTech

Roush CleanTech

Though Alaska’s known for its vast supply of oil, its National Park vehicles may soon be powered by propane. The government has been testing autogas maintenance vehicles at Denali National Park and Preserve in an attempt to lower spills from conventional liquid fuels like diesel or gasoline.

Though they only tested the technology with maintenance vehicles, the Park Service plans to explore these alternative fuel options for their bus systems as well. Propane company AmeriGas supplied the fuel and Roush CleanTech provided the vehicle, making the testing a low-cost initiative for the government.

Roush CleanTech says that during the test period, the autogas truck “saved about $1.86 per gallon by using propane instead of diesel fuel.” The process of fueling, however, does present some problems. During the testing, AmeriGas delivered fuel to the vehicles but obviously that’s not a long-term solution. Propane fueling stations in Alaska are few and far between, and in order to implement this technology a fueling station would need to be built closer to the Park.

[via GovTech]

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Jenny Wilson

About Jenny Wilson

Jenny Wilson was a contributing editor for SmartPlanet from 2011 to 2012.

Jenny Wilson

Jenny Wilson

Contributing Editor

Jenny Wilson is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. She has written for Time.com and Swimming World Magazine and served stints at The American Prospect and The Atlantic Monthly magazines. She is currently pursuing a degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Follow her on Twitter.

Jenny Wilson

Jenny Wilson

Jenny Wilson does not hold any investments in the technology companies she covers.

She writes for SmartPlanet and is not an employee of CBS.

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+1 Vote
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Old technology
While it's never been very popular, my uncle drove propane powered school busses in the 1960s, and John Deere delivered tractors built to run on propane in the 50s!
Posted by CodeCurmudgeon
8th Nov 2011
+2 Votes
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Propane in the Sub Arctic Alaska
The one problem we have with propane is it is a no longer a gas when the temp is -40 and colder which it regularly is here in the Interior of Alaska on any given day in the winter.
I use a battery blanket to keep the propane flowing for my dryer and BBQ.
just a thought from Fairbanks, AK
Posted by rkgduffy
8th Nov 2011
+1 Vote
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PS Sub Arctic Alaska
The photo accompanying this article was taken just 10 miles north from Fairbanks at a Aleyeska Pipeline Viewing pulloff.
Posted by rkgduffy
8th Nov 2011
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