In today’s society, it’s becoming increasingly important to consider the environment in our day-to-day decisions; everything from “paper or plastic?” to transportation.
The auto industry has focused a lot of their attention and resources into creating vehicles that are powered by cleaner fuels. They are concentrating on fuels that are sustainable, and emit less greenhouse gasses than gasoline or diesel fuels. Recently, one option that has been gaining momentum is propane autogas. This is not the same propane that you use to grill your chicken; at least, not exactly. All propane is a by-product of natural gas and petroleum, occurring naturally during domestic oil-refining and natural gas processing. When used as a vehicle fuel, it is called propane autogas.
It seems that many fleet managers are weighing the benefits of propane autogas for their commercial vehicles. According to the Propane Education and Research Council, there are more than 15 million vehicles that operate on propane worldwide. Most of those vehicles are used commercially, from forklifts and mowers, to law enforcement vehicles and school buses. Propane autogas is ideal for fleet vehicles because it has the largest refueling infrastructure of any alternative fuel in the United States with around 2,500 refueling stations located across all 50 states. Soon, this efficient fuel may make its way into your moving day considerations.
Moving truck rental company U-Haul is taking note of the benefits of using propane autogas. As a pilot program, they have recently released several propane powered moving vans in LA County. If you’re moving in the area, you can rent one of these for $29.95 + mileage, and fuel is included in the rental price. They are the first company in the industry to try out such a program, and see it as a huge incentive for customers. One U-Haul employee says, “many customers are trying to be green in other aspects of their life already. These trucks will allow them to continue their efforts, even on moving day!”
Whether or not this program becomes an option nationally will depend on the success in LA County. But, we can only hope that it is a success, and that competitors follow suit. This will save the environment, and may even help to save DIY movers a little cash in fuel charges. All in all, we think this is a great idea and look forward to the green changes that are ahead.
What do you think of propane autogas moving trucks? Have you ever driven a propane powered vehicle? Let us know below in the comments section!